Zülfaris Karaköy is a salmon-colored building tucked away on Perçemli Street, distinguished by its history as a place of worship and its name, which stems from the Persian phrase zülf-ü arus, or bridal curls. Local tradition suggests the…
Galata Jewish Heritage Walk
This walk takes you through the steep streets around Galata Tower to explore the history of Istanbul’s Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish communities. You will walk past active and historic synagogues, architectural landmarks funded by the Camondo banking family, and grand late-Ottoman apartment buildings.
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1. Zülfaris Karaköy
2. DeCamondo Galata, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel
DeCamondo Galata occupies two distinct nineteenth-century buildings, each bearing the legacy of the influential Camondo family. One site, the House Building on Felek Street, served as a private residence for Abraham Salomon de Camondo. The…
3. Kamondo Stairs
The Kamondo Stairs are defined by their unique, winding geometry, where two separate paths begin at the bottom, merge, and split again to form an elongated, fluid shape that climbs the steep slope of the Galata district. Built between…
4. Schneidertempel Sanat Merkezi
Schneidertempel Sanat Merkezi sits tucked between buildings as a narrow, inconspicuous structure, often identified by the proximity to the historic Kamondo Stairs. Once known as the Tofre Begadim Synagogue, or the Tailors’ Synagogue, the…
5. Ashkenazi Synagogue of Istanbul
The Ashkenazi Synagogue of Istanbul is identifiable by its octagonal star rosette set into a formal European-style façade on Yüksekkaldırım Street. Completed in nineteen hundred, it is the only active synagogue in the city built for the…
6. Italian Synagogue
The Italian Synagogue, known locally as the Kal de los Frankos, is distinguished by its formal Neo-Gothic facade and an exterior marble staircase that rises from the street. Located on Şair Ziya Paşa Street in the Galata district, the…
7. Neve Shalom Synagogue
Neve Shalom Synagogue is recognizable by its prominent central dome and an interior dominated by an ornate, massive chandelier. Opened on March twenty-fifth, nineteen fifty-one, the building was constructed on the former site of the First…
8. Frej Apartmanı
The Frej Apartmanı sits at the corner of Bankalar Caddesi and Meşrutiyet Caddesi in the Şişhane district, easily identified by its grand, ornate facade that rises above the square with views toward the Golden Horn. Built around nineteen oh…