A monument for Turkish hospitality: the staging of Ahrida Synagogue

Abstract

The year 1992 was celebrated as the 500th anniversary of the Sephardi Jewish migration to Ottoman lands. The celebration campaign was led by Turkish Jews, and included a wide range of publications, events and activities in Turkey and abroad. Most discourses and practices included in the campaign aimed at showcasing the history of Turkish-Jewish affinity and solidarity, and thereby renewing the image of Turkish Jews. Among a large number of celebratory activities, the restoration of Ahrida Synagogue in the Balat quarter of Istanbul was particularly important. This building, although presumed to have been in existence before the Sephardic migration, was intended to be a lasting ‘symbol’ of the 500th anniversary of this event. This paper traces the history of how an historic synagogue became a stage where a minority group’s identity and memory were re-moulded and displayed. It critically analyses several discourses and practices that surrounded Ahrida Synagogue around 1992, and discusses how they contributed to the construction of a new Turkish-Jewish history. The restoration, accompanied by political performances, made Ahrida Synagogue a star of Istanbul's Jewish heritage, and a tourist attraction. Yet, by associating it with an official history, it also placed a division between the synagogue and its veteran community.