An overview of the Sephardic Cultural Heritage in İzmir through the lens of religious tourism

The aim of this study is to examine the Sephardic Jewish cultural heritage in İzmir from the perspective of religious tourism, to raise awareness about this heritage, and to explore how it can be preserved and sustainably utilized through tourism. Adopting a qualitative research approach, the study relies on secondary data sources to conduct a situational analysis. Within this scope, both tangible heritage elements, such as places of worship and residential spaces related to Sephardic Jews in İzmir, and intangible cultural heritage elements, including culinary traditions, handicrafts, and the Ladino language, are examined. Due to the limitations of the research, the four most prominent and best-preserved synagogues among the 11 Sephardic synagogues in Izmir were emphasized. For culinary culture, Boyoz and Sübye, known as Izmir delicacies, were discussed. The study aims to contribute to destination marketing strategies, the development of alternative tourism forms, and the preservation of cultural diversity. Additionally, it seeks to address a gap in the literature by contributing to the field of religious tourism through the relatively underexplored case of Sephardic Judaism in Türkiye.