Jewish heritage --- Late in the 15th century, Sephardic Jewish were expelled from Spain. The Ottoman sultan Beyazıt Han was the only monarch of the time who extended an invitation to take in the refugees...
Jewish people - many of whom can still trace their roots back to Spain - remain a living, vibrant part of Turkey’s cultural mosaic;


Early Jewish communities in Istanbul were settled mainly in Haskoy, on the banks of the Golden Horn. The later arriving Jews - expelled from Spain and Portugal - were settled in Balat, where a Jewish community already existed. In the 19th century, many Turkish Jews preferred to move to the new, western-looking Galata district, and built several synagogues.
On this tour, we walk the picturesque streets of these three districts along the Golden Horn, Galata, Haskoy and Balat, and visit the Jewish sites such as the Ottoman Baroque style Ahrida Synagogue, and the Quincentennial Museum of Turkish Jews. We also take you to Ortakoy on the Bosphorus, once a non-muslim residential district.

transportation: private or public transportation as necessary
tour duration: approximately 6-8 hours
walking: easy to moderate