The Izmir
Project in Turkey is an international initiative led by the Mordechai Kiriaty
Foundation in
cooperation with the municipality and the Izmir Jewish community.
The aim of the project
The aim
of this project, which is expected to be completed by 2016, is to turn the old
Jewish quarter of Izmir into a historical, cultural, educational and touristic
site: a tribute to Turkish history and world monuments, and an accolade to the
rich architectural legacy of the Jewish community that once flourished in
Izmir. The Izmir Project will establish a Living Museum of Jewish Heritage in
the restored site of the synagogues.
This
institution will conduct research, multicultural dialogue projects with Muslims
and Christians and a variety of academic, cultural and historical conferences,
and will be responsible for the maintenance of the site and its contents.
The core
of the restoration project is to restore and reconstruct seven of Izmir's
synagogues and historic community buildings, and construct a museum with a
cultural center. Izmir in Turkey is
home to the only complex in the world of adjacent ancient synagogues
constructed in a unique Sephardic architectural style dating from the 16th
century. Of the 34 synagogues built in Izmir, just 13 remain, some in poor
condition or ruins, with collapsed ceilings and walls, their contents
disintegrating.
The synagogues in Izmir were placed
on the 2004 World Monuments Fund Watch List. In October 2010, The
Izmir Project was presented at the International Conference held by the
International Institute for Conservation (IIC) in Istanbul.
Conservation of the Jewish Heritage Objects
Beside
the restoration of the ancient synagogues, an important part of this project is
the conservation of selected artefacts, which will be displayed in the museum.
The Izmir
Project involves documentation, preservation and conservation of treasures from
Izmir Jewry. The Jewish ritual objects of Izmir are not simply artistic or
religious items: they tell the story of a once flourishing community now on the
edge of extinction.
Thousands
of religious books, rare historic documents in Hebrew and Judeo-Spanish,
ceremonial objects and textiles provide important insights into the history of
this once thriving community, and are now in danger or irreversible decay.
References
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