Bayezid II Admits Spanish Jewish Refugees

Timeline

1. 1492Granada · CastileThe Catholic Monarchs signed the Alhambra Decree after reconquering Granada, requiring Jews to convert to Catholicism or leave Castile and Aragon, triggering one of the largest Jewish dispersions in early modern Europe.
2. 1492–1493Edirne · ThraceBayezid II sent envoys and dispatched naval vessels to receive Jewish refugees arriving via the Mediterranean, criticizing Spain for 'sending us their most valuable subjects.' The empire offered arrivals a relatively tolerant religious and autonomous community (millet) framework.
3. 1493–1497Thessaloniki · MacedoniaTens of thousands of Sephardic Jews successively established communities in Istanbul, Thessaloniki, Edirne, and Anatolian coastal ports, introducing textile, medical, financial, and printing skills; Thessaloniki later became one of Europe's largest Jewish cities.