IZMIR JEWISH HERITAGE website

Jewish heritage of Izmir exhibits a unique character with its Sephardic traditions of religion and worship, along with the architectural styles of the synagogues that existed in medieval Spain.

Out of 34 magnificent synagogues built in previous centuries in Izmir, only 8 remain today around the market area of Izmir. Some preserved, some in ruins, these synagogues constitute a living testimony to the history of the community in Izmir, which was one of the most spectacular of its kind and had the most spiritual and cultural influence on all Jewish diaspora communities in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Existing synagogues of Izmir are being restored and reconstructed by an international initiative called “the Izmir Project” with the support of the local authorities and Izmir’s Jewish community.

The Izmir Project aims to save Izmir’s unique synagogues, and create a living cultural monument to the rich Jewish heritage of the city.

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