We had a combined Jewish/Sultanahmet tour, booked one week before our holiday. We settled everything very quickly thanks to the fast replies of Hakan who proved to be a very flexible person who could fulfill all our wishes. (Even a good kosher (meaty) lunch.) Also he arranged the entrances for the 3 synagogues we visited. We had a sympathetic guide... More

Whenever I travel to another country, I try to find out about the local Jewish community. I became aware as I planned a tour to Istanbul that I needed to arrange a tour ahead of time and found Istanbul Life Jewish Heritage tours on line. I made a relatively last-minute arrangement, not realizing the steps that were needed to take... More

I was initially hesitant about taking this tour because of the amount of paperwork involved to comply with security measures. This is in fact absolutely necessary and the only way to access the tight security at each synagogue. We were very privileged to attend a morning service at the Ashkenazi synagogue and had our excellent guide Alp to inform us... More

I started asking Hakan about this tour many months ago. I was quite nervous about picking a company through the internet. I should not have been nervous. Hakan answered all my questions and made all the arrangements with the rabbinate. Alp was our guide. He was excellent--extremely knowledgeable. He also took us to the spice market. We used many forms... More

Alp was a knowledgeable and friendly guide, working through the paperwork and security needed to access several synagogues in Istanbul. We walked and took public transportation, which was just I wanted, getting to see more of the City along the way (and discounting the tour since we had no car or driver needed). Learning more about the Jewish heritage and... More

We arrived in Istanbul Monday, September 19Th. We were penny wise and pound foolish. Monday and Tuesday we toured Istanbul on our own and did not accomplish much. We had made arrangements with Senguler Tourism Co and Hakan Hacibekiroglu for Wednesday to do the Jewish Heritage tour and Topkapi Palace in the morning and the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque... More

The tour was very special for me and my family. We got a glimpse of a world that may not exist in another generation. Seeing synagogues in use and those open only as historical sites gave a real perspective on Jewish life in Turkey both today and during the last 500 years. Don't miss this opportunity. The guide was excellent... More

An excellent and informative tour. The tour guide was outstanding. We took cabs, rode the buses and walked the neighborhoods. There was no rush. We stopped for coffee and a sweet. We were able to get a feel for the Jewish history and community. Thank you. More