"Janet and Jak Esim
Adio
Kalan Musik (www.kalan.com)
The existence of a Jewish community is maybe not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Turkey, but in fact Jewish populations were present in Anatolia way before the arrival of the Turkish populations from the East - think of St. Paul's letters. Their number was much strengthened by the invitation extended to the Sefardi Jews expelled from Spain by the Sultan who could not believe that a great King would deprive his kingdom of such an active and beneficial group. The Ottoman Empire, while leaving no doubt about which religious group was dominant, was at the same time remarkably tolerant, and so Muslim and Jewish traditions coexisted side by side for centuries. A visit to the lovely village of Kuzguncuk on the Asian shore of Istanbul will provide a striking visual example, with Mosque, Synagogue and Orthodox church grouped together, three tiny buildings almost comforting each other against the surrounding high-rises. This coexistence produced a complex network of connections: cross-influences in mystic Brotherhoods, with shared cults and practices including music, as well as the birth of the unique Sabbetaist community, a Jewish group externally adopting Islam on the example of the self-proclaimed Messiah Sabbetai Zevi, still worshipping in what is called "the Jews' Mosque" in Istanbul."
More:Janet and Jak Esim - Turkish Sephardic roots revived
