Dönmeler

Dönmeler were a crypto‑Jewish community in the Ottoman Empire that emerged from the Sabbatean movement after the messianic claim of Sabbatai Zevi in the 17th century. The term is Turkish for “the turners” or “those who turned,” referring to Zevi’s subsequent conversion to Islam in 1666 and the belief among his followers that outward adherence to Islam could coexist with inner Jewish faith.

Origins and beliefs: Dönmeler traced their roots to Sephardic and other Jewish communities radicalized by Sabbatai Zevi’s teachings. After Zevi’s conversion, many adherents maintained Jewish beliefs in private while publicly practicing Islam. They often kept their rites and customs within households or clandestine gatherings, spoke Turkish in daily life, and developed a distinctive Sabbatean‑Sufi influenced culture. They rejected overt identification with either the Jewish or Muslim communities around them, forming a separate social and religious milieu.

Social life and geography: The Dönmeler became prominent in urban Ottoman settings, especially in Thessaloniki (Salonika) and later in Istanbul and Izmir. They engaged in trade and professional networks, built close, endogamous communities, and maintained a degree of cultural secrecy to protect their beliefs. Their dual identity brought suspicion from both Jewish and Muslim authorities, and they faced periodic social pressure and persecution as their status became controversial.

Legacy and study: In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Dönmeler faced assimilation pressures and emigration, with some moving to other parts of the Ottoman world or to diaspora communities. Today, scholars view the Dönmeler as a case of crypto‑Judaism and Sabbatean influence within the Ottoman milieu, illustrating complex patterns of religious identity, conversion, and social adaptation.