Jewish Museum of Turkey

'''Jewish Museum of Turkey''' (officially ''Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews'') is a cultural center established by the [[Quincentennial Foundation]] to inform the society of the traditions and history of [[History of the Jews in Turkey|Turkish Jewry]]. It was inaugurated on November 25, 2001. The Quincentennial Foundation was established in 1989 by 113 [[Turkey|Turkish]] citizens, Jews and Muslims alike, to celebrate the five hundredth anniversary of [[Sephardi Jews|Sephardim's]] arrival to the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The idea of a museum was proposed by [[Naim Güleryüz]] who is now its curator and the foundation was financed by the prominent Jewish Kamhi family. ==The building== [[File:Zulfaris illustration.jpg|200px|right|thumb|On September 1856 a ceremony was held at the Zülfaris Synagogue commemorating Jewish soldiers in the French army who fought and fell alongside the Ottomans against the Russians during the Crimean war. A military unit under the command of Staff Colonel Garbi Bey was present at this ceremony.]] The museum building, formerly known as Zülfaris Synagogue, was restored and remodelled to suit a museum. There is evidence that this synagogue existed in 1671, and its foundations suggest that another structure was built during the colony of the [[Republic of Genoa]]. It was recorded as "Holy Sinavi (Synagogue) in [[Galata]]" or "Kal Kadoş Galata", it was called as "Zulfaris" which is thought to have derived from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word "Zülf-ü Arus", meaning "the fringe of a bride". However the actual building was re-erected over its original foundations presumably in the early 19th century, probably in [[1823]]. ===Time line=== * 1882 - The marble frame surrounding the [[Ehal]] (Ark) was donated by Samuel Malki. * 1890 - Repair work was carried out with the financial assistance of the [[House of Camondo|Camondo Family]]. * 1904 - Restoration work was conducted by the Jewish Community of [[Galata]] presided over by Jak Bey de Leon. * 1968 - Went through substantial repair. * 1979 - Assigned for worship for the Jews of [[Thrace|Thracian]] origin. * 1983 - Last [[Jewish views of marriage|wedding]] in Zülfaris. * 1985 - Ceased to serve as synagogue due to lack of a congregation, and allocated to the Quincentennial Foundation by the Neve Shalom Foundation. * 2001 - With the financial backing of the Kamhi Family and the contributions of Jak Kamhi, it was inaugurated as a museum. ==Museum design== [[Image:Zulfaris synagogue jewish museum turkey ehal.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The ehal of the Zülfaris synagogue]]Jewish Museum of Turkey includes sections on the intermingling cultures of Jewish and Muslim Turks and ethnographic articles that depict the traditions of [[History of the Jews in Turkey|Turkish Jews]], as well as the historical accounts of the Jewish odyssey from [[History of the Jews in Spain|Spain]] to [[History of the Jews in Turkey|Turkey]]. Entrance to the building is through an iron gate into a [[courtyard]], in which a metal [[sculpture]] by Nadia Arditti is located. Titled the "Statue of the Rising Fire", it is in memory of the [[History of the Jews in Turkey|Turkish Jews]] who died fighting in the [[Balkan Wars|Balkan]], [[Morean War|Dalmatia]], [[Caucasus Campaign|Caucasus]], [[Sinai and Palestine Campaign|Palestine]], [[Italo-Turkish War|Tripolitania]], [[Battle of Gallipoli|Dardannelles]], [[Korean War|Korea]] and [[Turkish War of Independence|Liberation]] wars. The octagonal main hall on the entrance floor information panels related to the history of the Zülfaris Synagogue, the [[Hahambaşı]] institution, daily life of Jews living in Istanbul and [[Anatolia]], as well as artifacts such as letters, maps, [[tallit]]s, fermans (imperial decrees) are on display. A copy of the [[Lausanne Treaty]] that recognized the sovereignty of the [[Republic of Turkey]] and with which Turkish Jews relinquished their [[Minority group|minority]] privileges. The [[ehal]] (ark) on the same floor holds two [[torah scroll]]s which can be viewed. On another information panel, Jewish [[academician]]s who fled to Turkey from [[Europe]] during the [[Second World War]] and [[Turkish diplomats]] who helped Jews escape the [[Holocaust]], some of which are [[Righteous Among the Nations]] are introduced. The balcony, which used to be the prayer section for women holds some paintings depicting daily lives of the local Jewish community. The lower, ground floor is organized [[Chronology|chronologically]] as an [[Ethnography|ethnographic]] section with photographs, paintings and objects pertaining to birth, [[circumcision]], wedding, clothing, jewelry, etc. ==External links== * [http://www.muze500.com/ Jewish Museum of Turkey] * [http://www.musevicemaati.com/ Chief Rabbinate of Turkey] * [http://www.salom.com.tr/ Shalom Newspaper], the main Jewish newspaper in Turkey {{coord missing|Turkey}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Jewish Museum Of Turkey}}