Built in 1492, the world’s 3rd-largest synagogue had tightened security for its 3,000 guests attending its first Jewish wedding, in 41 years.
By i24news
A historic synagogue in northwest Turkey was host to a Jewish wedding, its first in 41 years, on Sunday, the Hurriyet Daily News reported.
The recently renovated synagogue in Edirne was built in 1492 for Jews seeking refuge in the Ottoman Empire and is the third-largest in the world.
The event prompted tight security, with surrounding roads being closed and searches of guests. The synagogue also has a metal detector installed at the entrance.
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Some 3,000 guests joined the festivities, as did Edrine Deputy Governor Mehmet Tekinarslan, Mayor Recep Gürkan, and Turkish Jewish Society head İshak İbrahimzade.
When the temple reopened in 2015 after a five-year, $2.5 million restoration, no new synagogue had opened in Turkey in two generations.
Gürkan told the couple that “history was being written,”Hurriyet Daily News said.
“We are experiencing the honor and joy of taking part in the first [Jewish] wedding after 41 years. I would wish for you to stay in Edirne, but it’s impossible to fix. However, please come to Edirne more often. We are expecting you,” he said.
View original i24news publication at:
http://www.i24news.tv/en/news/international/europe/115072-160530-turkish-synagogue-hosts-first-jewish-wedding-in-four-decades