Etz Hayim Synagogue

Etz Hayim Synagogue

The Etz Hayim Synagogue, which has survived the dangers of fire and earthquake many times, was damaged in the fire of 1841 and had been repaired by Daniel de Sidi in 1851.

The Tevah (prayer reading platform) of this synagogue, which was built in a central plan, was moved from the center to the sides of the Ehal (cabinet where the Torah scrolls are stored), inspired by European synagogue architecture, in the early twentieth century.

In a document belonging to Salomon Ben Ezra, who died in 1688, it is mentioned that Muslim Turks performed prayers in Izmir's only existing synagogue. The period that is the subject of this document is thought to coincide with the Turkish conquest of Izmir and that they prayed in this synagogue since there was no mosque in the city.