Ashkenazi Synagogue
Changes After Construction:
- After the 1866 fire, a wooden synagogue was built on the site where the synagogue stands today.
- By the imperial decree of Abdülhamid II dated 1900, permission was granted for a new synagogue to replace the earlier wooden structures; the new building was opened for worship with a ceremony.
- The Aron ha-Kodesh and the bimah were renewed/added in 1904.
Prominent Features:
- The building has also been referred to as the “Yüksekkaldırım Ashkenazi Synagogue” and the “Österreichischer Tempel.”
- It has a magnificent exterior in the European style.
- The Aron ha-Kodesh and the bimah, crafted with ebony woodwork, are distinctive interior elements of the building.
- The women’s gallery (azara) was arranged in two separate sections; it has a circular layout, and the seating arrangement is concentrated on the front side.
- The building, near the Galata Tower, is one of the prominent examples among the Ashkenazi synagogues that remain active in Istanbul.
