The Confraternity of Boatmen in Ortaköy, Istanbul

The Istanbul Jewish Boatmen’s Guild, which was part of the Ottoman Greater Istanbul Boatmen’s Guild, was divided according to districts. Among the district guilds was the Ortaköy Boatmen’s Guild. Because Istanbul was a major port on numerous maritime routes, many of its inhabitants made their living at sea, including as fishermen and ferrymen, among them also Jews, as documents from the sixteenth to nineteenth century demonstrate. During this period, all laborers and craftsmen in Istanbul were required to join a guild; failure to do so resulted in social and economic isolation. Guild officials established prices of goods as well as wages and working conditions. A tribunal settled complaints from customers and disputes among members. Likewise, the guild cared for the sick, as well as orphans and widows of members. Guild officials were responsible for implementing the guild’s decisions and code of conduct. After the establishment of the State of Israel, nearly all of Ortaköy's Jewish population emigrated, but a synagogue remains in that area of the city.