Kenan Cruz Çilli Profile picture
London-based writer & analyst | @UniOfOxford Alum | Interested in history, languages, cultures of Ottoman Empire & Turkey | Words @middleeasteye @almonitor

Jun 20, 2021, 6 tweets

Just finished making this map based on Avraham Galanté’s 1937 booklet on the synagogues of #Istanbul. There were once synagogues (Sephardic, Ashkenazi, and Romaniote) named after all the places on this map that Jews came to the city from. Some of them still exist today. #Thread

From the #Iberian peninsula there were synagogues named after: Portugal, Spain, Cordova, Granada, Aragon, and Catalonia. As well as two synagogues that are still standing today: Jaen / Çana located in Balat) and Majorca / Mayor (located in Hasköy)

From #Italy there were synagogues named after Sicily, Messina, Calabria, and Apulia. There is also the Italian Synagogue in #Galata that is still active today.

From Central #Europe there were synagogues named after Germany, Austria, and Budapest. The Austrian Temple (Grand Ashkenazi Synagogue) located in Galata is still active today.

From the wider #Balkans there were once synagogues named after Serres, Salonica, Euboea, Plataea, Didymoteicho, Edirne, Nikopol, Veria, & Bucharest. Various Balkan synagogues (built by Romaniote Jews) still stand today such as the Ahrida, Yanbol, Kastoria, & İştipol synagogues

Finally from #Anatolia there were synagogues named after the town of Tire, the village of Zeitun (Süleymanlı), Sinop, and Antalya. Other than those there was also a synagogue named after Kerch in #Crimea. Unfortunately none of these synagogues exist today.

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