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Hemdat
Israel is among Istanbul's
most beautiful synagogues, and
is certainly the most interesting
Jewish site on the eastern
shore of the Bosphorus.
The
suburb of Haydarpasa (HI-dar-pah-shah)
is also famous for Haydarpasa
Station, the Asian terminus of
trains coming from Anatolia to
Istanbul, and as the site of the
historic Selimiye Barracks,
where Florence Nightingale cared
for the wounded of the Crimean
War.
You
may want to plan a full day's excursion
to the Asian shore of the Bosporus,
visiting the synagogues in Haydarpasa and Kuzguncuk as
well as the Beylerbeyi
Palace and Çamlica hilltop
lookout. If time is short, you can
make a quick visit to Haydarpasa,
then return to the western shore.
GETTING
THERE
Take
the tram to
Karaköy,
and board a ferry for
either Haydarpasa or Kadiköy;
they depart every 15 or 20 minutes
from the dock just east of the Galata
Bridge.
During
the 20- to 25-minute crossing you
can enjoy views of the Bosphorus,
the Sea
of Marmara, the city, and especially
of the buildings on Seraglio Point: Topkapi
Palace, Hagia
Sophia, and the Blue
Mosque.
The
castle-like Haydarpasa
Station on the Asian shore
was built after the earlier station
(1903) was destroyed by fire in 1917.
It looks German, as well it might:
it was a present to the sultan from Kaiser
Wilhelm II.
On
a hill to the north of the station
stand the huge walls and towers of
the Selimiye Barracks. During
the Crimean War (1854-1856)
the Selimiye was used as a military
hospital for British casualties.
It was here that Florence Nightingale established
the practices which became the foundations
of modern nursing.
At Haydarpasa,
leave the ferry and walk to the right
around the railroad station. Walk
along this road for eight or ten
minutes as it bears to the right,
following the curve of the bay; or
take a taxi. If you arrive by ferry
at Kadiköy, leave the ferry
and walk to the left, keeping the
bay on your left-hand side.
Coming
from either dock, you will soon be
on Rihtim Caddesi, on the
eastern side of the bay near a large
open lot filled with minibuses. Cross
to the inland (eastern) side of Rihtim
Caddesi. Directly opposite the minibus
lot, several streets go uphill to
the east; one of these is Izzettin
Sokak. Go up Izzettin Sokak,
passing Kasim Aga Sokak, Nizami Cedit
Sokak, and Basakçi Sokak on
the right. When you come to Süngertasi
Sokak, stop; Hemdat Israel Synagogue is
directly opposite Süngertasi
Sokak. Look for the doorway leading
to a passageway; the synagogue is
on the left (west) side of the passageway.
WHAT
TO SEE IN HAYDARPASA
Hemdat
Israel Synagogue, set in the
quiet residential area of Yeldegirmeni
Mahallesi on Izzettin Sokak at
Süngertasi Sokak, was first
used for prayers on September 3,
1899.
In
the late 19th century, inter-ethnic
strife was becoming common in the
sultan's domains as ethnic nationalism
gripped the various peoples of the
empire. The Jewish community suffered
most from attacks by Greek Orthodox factions,
one of which maneuvered to have a
military unit sent from the Selimiye
Barracks to halt construction of
the synagogue. Sultan Abdulhamit
II discovered this injustice
and had it corrected. In his honor
the synagogue was named Hemdat, "He
who is compassionate (to Israel)," a
play on the sultan's name "Hamid," which
means "compassionate."
The interior of
the synagogue is a large, harmonious
space rich with arabesque painting
and a marble ark, all lit
by large crystal chandeliers. The
arabesque painting was renewed in
1990-91. On the north side of the
synagogue is a lovely garden.
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