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Seventh century synagogue uncovered in Turkey was memorial to deceased child

Discovery provides further evidence of Jewish community’s ancient roots in Turkey.

By The Algemeiner

A synagogue dating to the seventh century CE has been uncovered in Antalya, Turkey, providing further evidence of the Jewish community’s antiquity in the country.

According to Turkish daily Hurriyet, the synagogue was uncovered in the neighborhood of Side during excavations in the Manavgat district of Turkey’s fifth-largest city. It was located beneath a residential property.

Feriştah Alanyalı, a professor at Anadolu University, told the Demirören News Agency, “There were historical records that the Jews resided in Side, but we found out the first palpable proof.”

She said that the synagogue contained a tragic inscription: “Joseph from Korakesion dedicated it to son Daniel.”

Alanyalı believes that the Daniel mentioned in the inscription died in childhood, prompting his father to renovate the synagogue as a memorial to his deceased son.

Asked why the synagogue had lain undiscovered for so long, she said, “It is not easy as synagogues are not as apparent as mosques or churches.”