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Yakacık in Jewish Memory: From Wartime Fear to a Place of Tranquility
Yakacık, a district of Kartal on the city´s Asian side, is remembered not only as a ´summer retreat´ but also as a place associated with the ´fears and search for safety´ during World War II. October 23, 2026
Yakacık, where people from different religious and cultural backgrounds lived side by side, was also a favored destination for Jewish families. Since the early 20th century onward, it also became a popular summer destination. Newspaper records from 1905 mention a hotel in the area serving kosher meals. Historical accounts also describe Jewish families renting homes from local Greek residents for short holiday stays.
“Wartime memories lie behind their seeing Yakacık as a homeland”
Doğan Kasadolu, a businessman, shared memories passed down by his father, explaining that the approach of Nazi forces toward Turkey sparked widespread fear among the Jewish community. As a result, some Jewish families sought refuge in Yakacık in search of safety. Kasadolu’s account highlights how Yakacık was more than one of Istanbul’s historic summer retreats. It was also a place where memories of wartime fear, the search for security, family stories, and connections to the past have endured.
Kasadolu’s account echoes the stories of the “Balat Ovens,” a narrative that circulated among Istanbul’s Jewish community during World War II and has also been the subject of historical research. These stories are considered an important reflection of the fear within the Jewish community over the possibility of a Nazi invasion.
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