Ahrida Synagogue

The building was damaged in the Great Fire of Istanbul on 24 July 1660 and was renewed by an imperial decree dated 10 May 1694.
It is claimed that the present building emerged through the unification of two adjacent synagogues by removing the wall between them.
According to an inscription in the courtyard, the synagogue was restored in 1992 under the presidency of Jak Kamhi, with the coordination of Nedim Yahya, through the initiative of Naim Güleryüz, and with the work of senior architect Hüsrev Tayla.
During the mobilization years of the Second World War, the building housed a cavalry unit.
Pursuant to the decision dated 16 September 1987, published in the Official Gazette on 9 June 1989, the synagogue was included in the List of Cultural Properties Requiring Protection (No. 128).

The name “Ahrida” is derived from the town of Ohrid, from which the founders are said to have come.
Located on Kürkçü Çeşme Street, the building is described as the largest and most magnificent among the synagogues of Balat.
The tevah (teva) resembles the prow of a ship; one belief associates this form with Noah’s Ark, while another interpretation links it to the Ottoman galleons that carried the Sephardim from Spain to the Ottoman Empire.
It is claimed that Sabbatai Sevi, who proclaimed himself the Messiah in the 17th century, preached in the synagogue on a Saturday.
One of the notable memories associated with the synagogue is the prayer ceremony held on 18 May 1877 for the victory of the Ottoman army in the Russo–Turkish War; Grand Vizier Ibrahim Edhem Pasha and senior state officials attended the ceremony.