Religion and Resilience

The Ottoman Empire continually portrayed itself as an empire who ruled over three continents. At the height of the Ottoman period of rule their empire controlled vast swaths of Europe, Asia, Africa. The motif of three dots or circles representing these continents is seen in Ottoman crests, clothing, armor, jewelry, and many other forms of art. The capital of the Ottoman Empire, Istanbul, could also be represented by a similar motif. All three of the major monotheistic religions, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are represented in Istanbul. And all three have had major impacts on the history of Istanbul and Turkey as a whole.

All three of these religions can be found throughout Turkey, however they all converge on the cultural capital of the country, Istanbul. Christianity and Islam have left their indelible marks on the cityscape of Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque are just as grand in their architecture as they are in their significance to the history of Istanbul. Other churches and mosques dot the map of Istanbul every few blocks, each one having their own story of origin, construction, and sometimes destruction. Some of these structures of are technically impressive, their engineering feats having never truly been outdone even after thousands of years. However, some of the smaller, less visited sites can have an even stronger, more lasting impression. The experience of visiting a mosque or church is best felt when there aren't flocks of tourists and shouting guides flowing into the entrance and out the exit. The quietness and intimacy of the smaller sites seem to fit the serenity of their teachings and beliefs much more closely

The story of Christianity and Islam in Istanbul is something that I was at least vaguely familiar with before I visited Turkey. But the history of Judaism was something totally unknown to me before I made the decision to visit Istanbul. The Jewish Museum of Turkey was especially interesting, among other things it documented the contributions to Turkey's government and culture by Turkish Jews, as well as the many Jews who took refuge in Turkey to escape the Holocaust of World War II. The Neve Shalom Synagogue, while not as architecturally impressive as other sites of Istanbul, seemed to hold just as much weight as those other attractions. Just getting inside of the synagogue was a bit of a challenge given the extra layers of security installed at the entrance. It served as a sobering reminder that despite the relative peacefulness of Istanbul, violence from extremists can resurface easily.

Thankfully, the tranquility that all religious sites enjoy was not disturbed by these measures inside Neve Shalom. The Neve Shalom Synagogue and the Jewish Museum of Turkey displayed resilience in the face of oppression, but also showed that the Jewish people of Turkey had contributed to the development of the modern Turkish state just as much as Muslims and Christians of Turkey had.