Kasturya Synagogue

Kasturya Synagogue is built in the neighbourhood of Ayvansaray, along the Golden Horn in Fatih district. Its name is derived from the word Kastoria, a town in Macedonia where the Sephardi Jews migrated from to Istanbul.  It is said to have been opened for service in 1453 with repairs in 1801 and an annexation viewable today was built in 1865. Until the 1935, the building did not have electricity. Two years after the electrification process, the Kasturya Synagogue was closed due to a decrease in the Jewish Community in the area. Designed for 150 people, the building is no longer in use because of structural damage and only the garden walls and two doors opening to the court yard are accessible today.