as urer ▁Samuel ▁ha - Le vi , ▁for ▁whom ▁the ▁Syn agog ue ▁of ▁El ▁Tr án s ito ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁To led o ; ▁it ▁remains ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁city ' s ▁most ▁beautiful ▁monuments . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Mon arch s ' ▁successful ▁Re con qu ista ▁( re con quest ▁of ▁Spain ]] ▁from ▁the ▁Mo ors ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 2 ▁( ir on ically , ▁with ▁financial ▁assistance ▁of ▁Spain ' s ▁Jews ), ▁they ▁then ▁issued ▁the ▁Al h amb ra ▁Dec ree ▁exp elling ▁the ▁Jews ▁unless ▁they ▁converted ▁to ▁Catholic ism ; ▁the ▁penalty ▁was ▁death . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁dec ree , ▁many ▁Ab ul af ias , ▁like ▁other ▁non - convert ed ▁Se ph ard im , ▁left ▁Spain ▁and ▁settled ▁mostly ▁in ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁where ▁the ▁Turkish ▁Muslim ▁Ott oman ▁s ultan ▁offered ▁refuge . ▁The ▁surname ▁did ▁not ▁entirely ▁disappear ▁in ▁Spain ▁itself , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁still ▁Spanish ▁C athol ics ▁named ▁Ab ol af io . ▁Those ▁Ab ul af ias ▁who ▁left ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 2 ▁and ▁settled ▁as ▁Jews ▁in ▁Italy ▁often ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁Ab ola ff io , ▁B ola ff io ▁and ▁B ola ff i . ▁ ▁The ▁Ab ul af ias ▁– ▁as ▁with ▁most ▁other ▁Se ph ardi ▁exp elle es ▁– ▁settled ▁mostly ▁in ▁the ▁European ▁port ions ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁largely ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁today ▁Th