Ahrida Synagogue

Ahrida synagogue is one of the oldest synagogues among Istanbul’s ancient synagogues. It was built in the Balat district on the Golden Horn in the early 1400s. Construction of the Ahrida Synagogue was undertaken by Romaniotes, a Jewish community that lived in Greece and neighbouring areas for more than 2,000 years. They are said to have come from the city of Ohrid which was once part of the Ottoman Empire, modern day Republic of Macedonia. The disastrous fire in the 1600s devastated the synagogue extensively leaving it in ruins until Sultan Ahmed II ordered its reconstruction which was built in Ottoman Baroque style in 1694. During the restorations that were carried out in the early 1990s, many exciting architectural details from the 1700s and 1800s were discovered. Best known for its boat shaped bimah, the synagogue can be visited with permission from the office of the Chief Rabbi in Istanbul.