A 200-year-old former synagogue in the Hasköy quarter of the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, used in recent years as “hookah cafe,” is undergoing restoration to become a library and youth center.
Citing information received from the district administration, the Anadolu News Agency (AA) writes that the work will include preservation of the masonry walls, floors and woodwork of the building, which dates from the early 19th century. Inside, a U-shaped mezzanine floor constructed of steel will be added in the arched main hall, and space will be created for a gallery.
Click to see a video about the project, on CNNTurk
In February, Beyoğlu Mayor Haydar Ali Yıldız told the Jewish publication Salom that work should be completed by the end of the year. He said the district had consulted with the local Jewish community on the project and that the restoration of the building would maintain reference to its original identity as a synagogue.
“We do not want this identity to be lost,” he was quoted as saying. “Our young people who come here will be able to benefit from the library service and will know that this place was previously a synagogue. Sadly, it was operated as a hookah cafe for many years. As a Muslim, I cannot accept smoking hookah in a place of worship, regardless of the religion that it belongs to.”
The Haskoy quarter of Beyoğlu, north of the Golden Horn, once had a thriving Jewish population and there are a number of former synagogues in the area, most used for other purposes such as workshops or warehouses. It also has a historic Jewish cemetery.
Yildiz told Salom that he hoped that the restoration of the Esgher synagogue would help recover awareness of the multicultural, multifaith history of the district.
Freedom prevails in the thousands of years of history of Beyoğlu. Today, the continuation of an old synagogue as a library is a step towards both its existence and the future. It is a letter sent to the future. Different beliefs will continue to exist here. Different cultures will be able to freely live their own lifestyle. This is also a guarantee of this.
See a gallery of photos of the plans for how the library will look
Read an article in English about the project on Daily Sabah
Read the article in Turkish on the Jewish news site Salom
Read an article in Turkish about the project on the Anatolia News agency (AA)