Mayor Synagogue (Bursa)

Mayor Synagogue
Turkish: Sinagoga Mayor
The former synagogue, in 2015
Religion
AffiliationJudaism (former)
RiteNusach Sefard
Ecclesiastical or organisational status
StatusAbandoned
Location
LocationArap Şükrü (Sakarya) Street, Bursa, Bursa Province
CountryTurkey
Mayor Synagogue (Bursa) is located in Turkey Northwest
Mayor Synagogue (Bursa)
Location of the former synagogue in northwest Turkey
Geographic coordinates40°13′45″N 29°05′30″E / 40.2292°N 29.0917°E / 40.2292; 29.0917
Architecture
TypeSynagogue architecture
Completed15th or 16th centuries
MaterialsStone
[1]

The Mayor Synagogue (Turkish: Sinagoga Mayor), or Synagogue Mejor, is a former Jewish congregation and synagogue located on Arap Şükrü (Sakarya) Street in Bursa, Turkey. No longer used as a synagogue, the building is used as a mikveh.

History

The congregation was founded by Jews who settled in the Ottoman Empire after being expelled from Majorca. The present building was built in the 15th century[2] or the late 16th century.[3]

The synagogue was in regular use until 1975, when it was closed due to financial constraints.[2] Researchers who visited in 1996 found it abandoned and in danger of demolition.[3] However, according to the Turkish government, the building is still used for special events and for washing the dead.[4]

The Geruş (or Gerush, meaning "Expulsion") Synagogue, still active, is also located in the same street.[5][6][7][8]

See also

Interior of the former synagogue in 1996

References

  1. ^ "Mayor Synagogue in Bursa". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Çevre Durum Raporu 07" [State of the Environment Report 07] (PDF). Bursa Çevre ve Orman İl Müdürlüğü [Bursa Environmental and Forestry Provincial Directorship] (in Turkish). 2007. p. 145. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 9, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  3. ^ a b Zack, Joel A.; Jarvis, Devon (1996). "Synagogue Mejor, Late 16th Century, Bursa". Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  4. ^ "Religious Monuments and Tombs". Ministry of Culture & Tourism. Republic of Turkey. 2005. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  5. ^ "MAYOR SİNAGOGU". Kültür Portalı (in Turkish). Retrieved January 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Gerush Synagogue in Bursa". Historic Synagogues of Europe. Foundation for Jewish Heritage and the Center for Jewish Art at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. n.d. Retrieved September 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Chitrik, Mendy. "The Blogs: The Expulsion Synagogue". Retrieved August 19, 2025.
  8. ^ Belediyesi, Bursa Büyükşehir. "City Guide". Bursa City Guide (in Turkish). Retrieved August 19, 2025.

Media related to Büyük Sinagog at Wikimedia Commons


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