Galata, Neve Shalom, and Sufis, Kelsey Golden

Today we started off by traveling down the famous Istiklal street in Taksim, known for its exceptional shops until we arrived at our first destination, Galata Tower.

Galata tower was originally built in 1348 by the Genoans as a watchtower used by the Genoans to warn the Byzantines of invading Venetians. Later, it became a jail for war prisoners by the Ottomans, and then eventually a watchtower again to look for fires in the city. This watchtower obviously proved helpful as it provides a 360 view of Istanbul, which we saw today.

A fun fact about the tower is that it was the site of one of the first men who flew in the world, when he jumped off the Galata Tower in the 17th century with a glider-like suit and "flew" across the Bosphorus.

Afterward, we headed to the Galata Melivi Tekkesi Museum and Neve Shalom synagogue. This is one of the very few synagogues in Istanbul, and even Turkey, as there are only about 25,000 people who identify as Jewish in the nation. 

In preparation for our visit, we learned about the long history of Jewish people in Anatolia, which stretches back to the 4th century BC. But a significant influx occurred in 1492 when Spain expelled both Jewish and Muslim peoples, and the Ottoman Sultan offered refuge. 

This site was especially special to visit, because as one of the smallest minorities in Turkey, the Neve Shalom is a smaller and more private space, closed off to the general public. Their commitment to the practice of their faith and the safety of their practitioners was very evident, and it was an honor to visit as a group.

To round out the afternoon, we visited the Galata Melivi Tekkesi Museum. Here we saw many musical and calligraphic artifacts belonging to the Turkish and Mevlevi cultures.

We also discussed the origins of the Whirling Dervish Ceremony, or Sema, which is performed by the Semazen, Sufi dancers. This is a traditional meditative ceremony first which began in the 13th century as a way to connect with the free land through a sort of prayer. 

In the evening we attended an actual Sema, where we were able to watch the Semazen perform their ceremony, which was mesmerizing to see. They begin by shedding black cloaks to represent leaving this world and perform in white robes which represent the free world. It is certainly a mesmerizing thing to watch and a great way to end the day