Neve Shalom Synagogue, in Karaköy district of Istanbul, where all the religions have been living in peace for centuries, is one of the most important meeting points for the Hebrew community living in Turkey.

In 1937, Kesenet (Apollon) and Zulfaris Synagogues became unable to meet the religious demands of rapidly increasing population of Galata and Beyoğlu. Therefore, Birinci Karma Yahudi İlkokulu (First Mixed Hebrew Primary School) was converted to Neve Shalom Synagogue.

The dome of the synagogue was built to bear 8 tones of chandelier and it was decorated in a way to hide all the fluorescent lamps. The stained glasses in the synagogue were drawn by Academy of Fine Arts. The materials of Women’s Home and of the other wooden sections were produced from domestic wood.

The synagogue was opened in 1951 to embrace all people rich and poor, young and old, and since that time many significant and meaningful occasions were experienced in this sanctuary…

Perhaps the most important one of those was the reading of a “Prayer of Gratitude” by the grandchildren of the Sepharad Hebrews who were exiled from Spain and took refuge to the Ottoman Empire in 1492, to express the sense of gratitude to the Turkish nation in the 500th anniversary of their acceptance to the Turkish territory with open arms.

Address: Büyük Hendek Street, No: 61 Karaköy
Ph: +90 212 292 03 86