Istanbul Synagogues Exhibition Meets Visitors

Curated by documentary photographer Alberto Modiano and hosted at the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews, the "Istanbul Synagogues" exhibition brings the city's multicultural heritage and the architectural aesthetics of its houses of worship together with photography enthusiasts.

Purpose and Scope of the Exhibition

Realized under the curation of documentary photographer Alberto Modiano and opening its doors with the hospitality of the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews, the "Istanbul Synagogues" exhibition brings the city's multicultural heritage, architectural aesthetics, and the atmosphere of its sacred spaces together with photography enthusiasts. We spoke with Alberto Modiano about the exhibition, which is the product of a meticulous documentation study carried out in 16 different synagogues across Istanbul, its curatorial approach, and its contribution to urban memory.

Documentation Study in Historic Districts

Istanbul's centuries-old multicultural layers continue to live on through the silent testimony of places of worship embedded in the city's historical and architectural fabric. The Istanbul Synagogues Photography Workshop, led by Alberto Modiano—known for his work on the memory of the Turkish Jewish community and in the field of documentary photography—makes this deep-rooted heritage visible once again through the language of light and shadow. Photographers participating in Modiano's workshop photographed the synagogues located in Istanbul's historic districts with special permissions. Spanning an eight-month working process conducted with the permission of the Chief Rabbinate, the project focuses on 16 synagogues on both sides of Istanbul as well as the Museum of Turkish Jews. These structures located in districts such as Haydarpaşa, Caddebostan, Kuzguncuk, Ortaköy, Yeniköy, Beyoğlu, Hasköy, and Sirkeci regain visibility in the exhibition as important witnesses of Istanbul's multicultural past and urban memory.

Event Details and Visiting Information

Held for the second time on September 6, hosted by the Quincentennial Foundation Museum of Turkish Jews within the scope of the European Heritage Days organized for the third time by the Beyoğlu Municipality, the exhibition also draws attention with its symbolic spatial arrangement. The exhibition features five color and black-and-white photographs printed on fine art collection paper by Rafet Akalın, Bige Baykoca Süslü, Beril Baytan, Fethi Baytan, Sibel Çakan, Vanda Kandiyoti Şalom, H. Çağla Mazlum, and Tülin Şahin Safi. Displayed in the museum's disused historical Mikveh area, the photographs bring together Istanbul life shaped on the two shores of the water, the architectural details of the synagogues, and the aesthetic integrity of religious objects from different perspectives. The exhibition can be visited until October 30.