Ashkenazi Synagogue

The Ashkenazi Synagogue located near the famous Galata Tower is affiliated to the Ashkenazim of Austria. It was built by the Ashkenazi Jewish community who migrated from Austria to Istanbul. This synagogue was designed by Gabriel Tedoschi and in 1900, it was officially opened for service. It features an especially imposing façade with octagonal rosette windows and three Oriental arches. Its domed ceiling painted in blue contrasts remarkably with the black wooden ark contained within which was brought from Kiev. Located near the Galata Tower in Beyoğlu, the Ashkenazi Synagogue of Istanbul is the only currently active Ashkenazi synagogue. Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs and other religious ceremonies in the Ashkenazi tradition can be held at the Ashkenazi synagogue. Today, its congregants share roots from Baghdad as well as Turkish cities like Adana, Bursa, and Konya.