Self-Guided Audio Tours
‘İzmir: The First Juderia’ Tour (Jewish Heritage Network)
Jewish History Tours is utilising digitised heritage collections to establish a network of self-guided audio tours encompassing various Jewish locations throughout Europe.
The 'First Juderia' district tour in Izmir has recently become part of the network.
With roots tracing back to the Hellenistic and Roman eras, the Jewish heritage of Izmir showcases a distinctive character, primarily influenced by the Sephardic traditions of religion and culture. Within the First Juderia, remnants of impressive synagogues, some preserved and others in ruins, stand as enduring symbols of the community's vibrant existence in Izmir. These architectural marvels serve as a testament to the city's remarkable prominence during the 17th and 18th centuries, exerting profound spiritual and cultural influence on Jewish diaspora communities worldwide.
For all other Jewish history self-guided audio tour routes in Europe: j-story.org/projects/jewish-history-tours
KarDes Mobile Application (Hrant Dink Foundation)
The KarDes: Multicultural Memory Tours Guide mobile application has been designed as a personal travel guide by the Hrant Dink Foundation in Turkish and English for users who want to explore the multicultural heritage and layered structure of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir.
KarDes aims to make the hidden places of well-known neighborhoods visible and their stories heard. With over 30 memory tours, each lasting approximately two hours, it uncovers the multicultural histories of different regions. Users can access alternative narratives of the cities through neighborhood tours and thematic tours that focus on specific topics. Additionally, users can explore a cultural heritage inventory consisting of around 1,000 structures such as mosques, churches, synagogues, schools, and cemeteries.
By showcasing urban and social memory that is at risk of being lost, KarDes provides the opportunity to hear the stories and transformations of neighborhoods through oral history interviews conducted with individuals who have lived or are currently living in these areas. With over 70 oral history interviews, KarDes presents the narratives of places in different neighborhoods with a dynamic storytelling approach.
Most recently, the application has added two new memory tours from Izmir to its content following Istanbul and Ankara. With the newly added Armenian Quarter and Karatas tours, users will be able to explore the lesser-known stories of the buildings and people from the past of these two neighborhoods.
Karataş:
Karataş, deriving its name from the black stones of the quarry in the area, was once known as the new Jewish Quarter after Kemeraltı, as it had a significant Jewish population in the early 20th century. The local Greek community referred to it as Melantia. Karataş was a vibrant multicultural neighborhood where Jews, Greeks, Armenians, and Turks coexisted harmoniously. Each community had its own schools and places of worship, creating a diverse and inclusive atmosphere. With its charming seaside cafes and the picturesque terrace of the Asansör (Elevator), Karataş was often compared to Istanbul's Galata. However, after the forced departure of Armenians and Greeks from Izmir in 1922, many non-Muslim structures in Karataş were either demolished or repurposed due to the subsequent migrations of the Jewish community.
Click below to download the KarDes mobile application for free on your phone.
Apple Store:
apps.apple.com/tr/app/kardes/id1463454406?l=tr
Google Play:
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.brandwolf.kardes&hl=tr
