Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World

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Etz Ahayim Synagogue, Bursa
(144 words)

Etz Ahayim (Heb. ʿEṣ ha-Ḥayyim), a Romaniot synagogue no longer in existence, was one of the three synagogues in Bursa. It was the first Jewish house of worship ever built in the Ottoman state. Construction began after permission was granted by the second sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Orhan Bey, in the mid-fourteenth century. Structurally the synagogue resembled a mosque and had Ottoman architectural features. Etz Ahayim continued in active use until the early fifteenth century. The remains of the building were destroyed by a fire that broke out in 1940.

      The other two synagogues…

Cite this page
Aksel Erbahar, “Etz Ahayim Synagogue, Bursa”, in: Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World, Executive Editor Norman A. Stillman. Consulted online on 28 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1878-9781_ejiw_SIM_0007450>
First published online: 2010



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