Did you know there are Judeo-Muslims like there are Judeo-Catholics and Judeo-Christians?

Donmeh: The Donmeh were a Jewish religious sect that emerged in the Ottoman Empire during the 17th century. They are primarily associated with followers of Sabbatai Zevi, a charismatic Jewish mystic and messianic figure who declared himself the Messiah in 1665. Sabbatai Zevi's movement gained significant popularity among Jews in the Ottoman Empire and beyond.

However, in 1666, Sabbatai Zevi was arrested by Ottoman authorities and faced the choice of death or conversion to Islam. He chose to convert, which shocked his followers and led to the fragmentation of the movement. Despite his conversion, some of his followers continued to secretly practice his teachings, adopting a form of syncretism that incorporated Islamic elements.

The Donmeh, meaning "converted" or "apostates" in Turkish, became a clandestine community of crypto-Jews who outwardly appeared Muslim but secretly adhered to Sabbatai Zevi's messianic beliefs. They maintained Jewish rituals and traditions in secret, while publicly practicing Islam.

Throughout the Ottoman period, the Donmeh played a complex role, often integrating into the social and political fabric of the Empire. Notably, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, some members of the Donmeh community, such as the family of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey, were influential in Turkish politics and society.