Jews at the court of the Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire welcomed, from 1492 onward, many Jews expelled from Spain, who joined the communities already present in its territories. Within this framework, certain Jews acceded to positions as physicians, bankers, diplomats, tax farmers, and interpreters in the service of the Sublime Porte. The figure of Joseph Nasi, elevated to the rank of Duke of Naxos under Selim II, illustrates the influence that Jewish notables could exercise in court affairs and diplomacy. Businesswomen such as Doña Gracia Nasi also played a notable economic and communal role. While this courtly presence remained the domain of an elite, it testifies to the place that Jews could occupy in Ottoman society, within the broader framework of the protected status (dhimmis).

Sources & resources

• Encyclopedia of Jews in the Islamic World — Brill
• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan