Neve Shalom, meaning ‘Oasis of Peace’, is the largest working Sephardic synagogue in Istanbul. It was designed by Turkish-Jewish architects Elyo Ventura and Bernar Motola and opened in 1951 in Istanbul’s Galata district following a large increase in the Jewish population in the area around that time.
The Synagogue’s beautiful stained glass windows were imported from England and designed by the Academy of Art, while the wooden structures were constructed using high quality local wood. Other striking features include the eight ton chandelier which hangs from the dome, and the neo-gothic Maltese stone exterior.
Neve Shalom Synagogue still hosts many bar mitzvahs, weddings and funerals and is one of the most popular Jewish worship sites in the city.
Neve Shalom suffered from 3 terrorist attacks in its history. The first, in 1986, killed 23 Turkish Jews. In 1992 there was another bomb attack but there were no fatalities. The final and most recent attack was in 2003, when both the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel mosques were targeted, killing a combined total of 23 -mostly Turkish Muslims- and injured many more. The Synagogue was renovated following these attacks, however, strict rules are in place for visitors.