By Dr. Halim Gençoğlu The Ottoman Empire, which spanned from the late 13th century until the early 20th century, is often remembered for its relative tolerance toward religious and ethnic minorities, especially when compared to its contemporaries in Europe. Among the diverse groups that found refuge under Ottoman rule were the Jews, who, for centuries, faced persecution in various parts ...
As the last Islamic empire, the Ottoman State respected all minor ethnic and religious denominations throughout history. Unlike, other Muslims empires, Ottoman rulers developed greater understanding for non-Muslims (dhimmi) societies within the same territories. Religious tolerance towards minority groups can be traced back to cultural and traditional rules in Asia Minor before the Ottoman period, during Seljuk era in Anatolia. ...
The history of Ottoman Jews in Asia Minor, particularly the Sephardim, began when they migrated to Turkey from Europe after the Alhambra decree in Spain of 1492. After the fall of Andalusia, today Spain, Jews struggled to continue living not only in Spain, but also encountered difficulties in other European countries in the late fifteenth century.[i] Eventually, the Sephardim (in ...