The Jewish Quarter and Synagogue in the Old Urban Context of Ankara

Abstract

In almost all regions of Anatolia through out the centuries, along with the Moslem population, in the ethnic composition of many cities and peripheric settlements the Greeks, Armenians and Jews had an undeniably important part in the social, cultural and economic structures and relationships. For centuries, an interrelated way of life has been experienced between communities in the cities and towns, where minorities were in considerable numbers together with the Muslim population. With respect to ethnic groups and religions Ankara had a cosmopolitan structure; in some quarters of the city the different communities used to live in a mixed state, while in others they tended to have an ethnic orientation. Their contribution to the cultural formation and urban context was realized thus.