When Spain expelled its Jewish population in 1492, Sultan Bayazid II of the Ottoman Empire sent his fleet to bring them safely to his shores. That act of welcome began one of history’s most enduring examples of peaceful coexistence between a Muslim nation and a Jewish community. This archive preserves and celebrates that five-hundred-year story.

Explore the Archive

Select a section to begin

Full history
History of Turkish Jews
From ancient Anatolia through the Ottoman golden age, the founding of the Republic, and the vibrant community of today.
Explore → Four thousand years
Jewish History in Anatolia
Jewish communities in Anatolia predate the Ottoman Empire by millennia — Sardis, Ephesus, Harran — sacred geography in modern Türkiye.
Explore → 1942  ·  Black Sea
The Struma Tragedy
769 refugees. 71 days stranded in Istanbul harbor. The full story, updated with the latest historical research.
Read the account → Istanbul
Synagogues in Türkiye
From the 15th-century Ahrida to the Zulfaris Museum of Turkish Jews — living architecture of a living community.
Visit → 4th century BC – 2025
Full Historical Timeline
Every key event in Turkish-Jewish history, from the first Anatolian settlements through the installation of Chief Rabbi David Sevi in December 2025.
View timeline → Since 1989
The Quincentennial Foundation
Established to commemorate 500 years of Jewish life in Türkiye, by 113 Turkish citizens — Jews and Muslims together.
Learn more →

Understanding the Full Story

Türkiye’s relationship with its Jewish community spans celebration and hardship alike. Our archive presents both — the warmth of 1492, the heroism of the diplomats who saved lives in World War II, and the painful episode of the Varlık Vergisi — because honest history honours the community it serves.

The Republic era → Full timeline
In memoriam
Dedicated to Nedim Yahya

This archive is dedicated to Nedim Yahya, committee member of the Quincentennial Foundation, who died September 22, 1997. His commitment to the accuracy and dignity of Turkish-Jewish history is the spirit in which every page of this site has been prepared. Articles have been reviewed and updated in 2024–2026 in his honour. Where scholarship has advanced or errors have been identified, the text has been quietly corrected; the originals are available on request.

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

— Rumi