The name of Istanbul's oldest and most beautiful synagogue is a corruption of Ohrid, a town in Macedonia Iniin which its early congregation came. It was founded before the Muslim conquest of the cily in 1153 and, with a capacity lor up to 500 worshippers, has been in constant use ever since However, tourists can only visit by prior arrangement with a guided tour company . The synagogue's painted walls and ceilings, dating from the late 17th century, have been restored to their Baroque glory. Pride of place, however, goes to the central Holy Ark, covered in rich tapestries, which contains rare holy scrolls.

During an explosion of fervour that swept the city's Jewish population in the 17th century, the religious leader Shabbetai Zevi (1629-76), a self-proclaimed messiah, started preaching at this synagogue. He was banished from the city and later converted to Islam. However, a significant number of Jews held that Zevi's conversion was a subterfuge and his followers, the Sabbatians, exist to this day.