Changes After Construction
After the 1866 fire, a wooden synagogue was built on the site where the synagogue stands today.
By the imperial decree of Abdülhamid II dated 1900, permission was granted for a new synagogue to replace the earlier wooden structures; the new building was opened for worship with a ceremony.
The Aron ha-Kodesh and the bimah were renewed/added in 1904.
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The building has also been referred to as the “Yüksekkaldırım Ashkenazi Synagogue” and the “Österreichischer Tempel.”
It has a magnificent exterior in the European style.
The Aron ha-Kodesh and the bimah, crafted with ebony woodwork, are distinctive interior elements of the building.
The women’s gallery (azara) was arranged in two separate sections; it has a circular layout, and the seating arrangement is concentrated on the front side.
The building, near the Galata Tower, is one of the prominent examples among the Ashkenazi synagogues that remain active in Istanbul.
