dönme

The Donmeh, or Dönmeler, are a historical religious group in the Ottoman Empire and modern Turkey, consisting of the descendants of adherents of Sabbatai Zevi who converted to Islam in 1666. They outwardly practiced Islam, while privately maintaining elements of Jewish faith and ritual; their inner religious life reportedly included clandestine study of Jewish texts and participation in Sabbatean rites within their own circles.

The core of the Donmeh emerged from the followers of Sabbatai Zevi, who proclaimed himself the Jewish Messiah in the 17th century and, after the sultan’s pressure, converted to Islam in 1666. After that conversion, Zevi’s followers dispersed across the Ottoman world, with large concentrations in Thessaloniki (Salonika) and in Istanbul, Izmir, and other ports, where they formed close-knit networks.

In society, the Donmeh were often involved in commerce and urban life, integrating into Ottoman institutions while preserving a dual identity. Their secret religious practices contributed to their reputation as crypto-Jews, and they faced suspicion and discrimination at various periods, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

In the 20th century, many Donmeh left the Ottoman lands during nationalist upheavals and the Turkish Republic era, with some emigrating to Israel and other destinations, while others remained in Turkey in a reduced, assimilated form. Today the Donmeh are typically discussed as a historical phenomenon, though some families continue to claim Donmeh heritage and the memory of their unique Sabbatean-Islamic synthesis remains part of Turkish and Balkan historical discourse.