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The
Bosphorus village of Ortaköy was
a popular summer resort in the
19th century. Today Ortaköy (OHR-tah-keuy) is part of metropolitan Istanbul, a
fashionable place to live, winter
or summer.
Though
the Jewish orphanage is gone
and the historic Etz Ahayim Synagogue building
burnt in 1941, Ortaköy still
has a synagogue, and many other historic Ottoman sites
are nearby: Dolmabahçe
Palace, Yildiz Park and
its kiosks (especially the Sale Kosku),
and the great fortress of Rumeli
Hisari.
GETTING
THERE
Ortaköy
lies just beneath the western pylon
of the Bosphorus Bridge. Though the
most pleasant way to reach it is
by Bosphorus
ferryboat from Eminönü,
there are only a few boats per day.
Most visitors come by taxi or bus;
buses marked for Ortaköy or
Bebek are best.
Etz
Ahayim Synagogue is on the
shore road (Ortaköy's main
street) quite near the well-known
Ortaköy Camii (mosque), to
the south of the bridge pylon.
Riding
northward along the shore road from
Dolmabahçe and Besiktas, the
shore road passes some palatial buildings
(on the right-hand/east side), including
the Çiragan Palace,
now part of the Çiragan Palace
Hotel Kempinski Istanbul complex.
Past
the hotel the shore road travels
between high walls and trees, finally
entering the commercial district
of Ortaköy. The synagogue is
just at the point where the road
bears to the right; coming by taxi,
ask to be let out near the Ortaköy
Camii. (If you find yourself
at the Ayios Fokas Orthodox Church,
you've gone 1-1/2 blocks too far.)
WHAT
TO SEE IN ORTAKÖY
Etz
Ahayim Synagogue, Muallim Naci
Caddesi no. 38, is on the shore
road just across from a little
street named Muvakkit Sokak. Originally
constructed in 1660, a disastrous
fire destroyed the original
synagogue in October, 1941. Luckily,
the marble ark survived
the fire and remains in place,
in what is now the garden, as a
historic monument. The neighboring midrash (study
room) was converted for worship
after the fire, and is now the
synagogue.
Come
out of the synagogue enclosure, turn
left, then left again, and walk along
Osmanzade Sokak toward the Bosphorus.
This warren of little streets between
the shore road and the Ortaköy
Camii (mosque) is a popular district
for artists and students.
Galleries, art boutiques and antique
shops are everywhere.
Along
the shore, open-air cafés are
crowded in good weather with people
of all ages who've come to enjoy
the sun, the view, and conversation.
Besides the shore cafés, there
are several more upscale places to
have a meal or a snack, including
the attractive Alaturka.
The Ortaköy
Camii, officially known as
the Büyük Mecidiye
Camii, was built in 1854 by
Sultan Abdulmecit to replace an
earlier mosque from 1714. The sultan
used the same architect on this
mosque as on the elaborate Dolmabahçe
Palace. You can visit the mosque
whenever it's open, although it's
best not to visit at or shortly
after prayer-time (the time of
the muezzin's call).
Ortaköy
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