A heritage organization, the "Izmir Project" (planned and partly funded by the Mordechai Kiriaty Foundation, the Izmir-Konak municipality, the Izmir Sephardic Cultural Heritage Association (ISCHA), and the American Friends of Izmir Jewish Heritage Museum) calls Izmir "the only city in the world in which an unusual cluster of synagogues bearing a typical medieval Spanish architectural style is preserved." At its peak, there were 34 synagogues in Izmir, "creating an historical architectural complex unique in the world." There, Sephardic Jews, originally expelled from Spain and Portugal (e.g., by the Alhambra Decree (or Edict of Expulsion) of 31 March 1492) came to Izmir with their Sephardic Jewish heritage, Ladino language, Sephardic traditions of worship. This heritage included Sephardic architectural styles of synagogues that came from medieval Spain. The World Monuments Fund notes that Izmir synagogues often feature a “triple arrangement” of the Torah ark, "which creates a unique harmonious ambience." The central positioning of the bimah (elevated platform) between four columns divides synagogues into nine parts. The Izmir Project notes that this style features central stage upon which the ark for the Torah rests across the holy chest at the eastern wall. It includes a central platform, supported by four pillars that resemble a canopy for a ceiling. Seating around the stage allows members of a congregation to see each other's faces and adds to the bonding experience of public prayer (in contrast to Ashkenazi architectural style, in which seating lies in rows that limits eye contact). A documentary film called Hidden Secrets of the Ancient Synagogues of Izmir presents a history and film some of the synagogues. A second documentary called About the Izmir Delegation shows some of the synagogues amidst discussions by Israel Jews about how to preserve them. In addition to synagogues, there were at least four Jewish mezarliği (cemeteries): Gürçeşme, Bahribaba, Bornova, and Altındağ. A main attraction of Gurcesme is "the grave of Rabbi Palaggi, which was moved to this cemetery from its original burial place, in the 1920s... and people from all over the world come to pray at his grave" as "pilgrimage to Rabbi Palaggi’s grave." In 2013, a new, perhaps fifth Jewish cemetery. Remaining synagogues Of the 34 synagogues, eight remain today in the Kemeraltı Çaršisi area of Izmir (mostly on Havra Sokagi) and another 10 nearby. Some remain intact, some in ruins, and others are in the process of restoration. "These synagogues constitute a