Beth Israel Synagogue

This synagogue was built in 1905 by Nisim Levi in the Karatas quarter where an important Jewish community lived at the beginning of the 20th Century. The decoration went on for many years because of economical problems until 1950's. At the entrance of the synagogue, on the upper-right corner, there is the opening date of 5668 according to the Jewish calendar, and on the upper-left corner there is Shaday (God) name inscripted. The interiors of the synagogue are beautiful, wood works are very impressive, and there are marble slabs with the names of the donors. Lower floor is reserved for men and has a capacity of up to 600 people, and upper floor is reserved for ladies. Surprisingly, the Hakodesh (holy cabinet for Sefer Torah) is not to the east but to the south of the synagogue.

Beth Israel is one of the two most frequented synagogues used today for important ceremonies, other one is a new synagogue located in Alsancak district where the main Jewish Community of the city now lives. Many other synagogues are rarely used.