Off Beaten Path of Istanbul: Fener & Balat District Private Guided Tour [373514P3]
If you’re the sort of tourist who likes to get off the beaten path and away from the crowds, then you can’t do much better than spend a day getting lost in the fascinating streets of the historically cosmopolitan Fener and Balat neighborhoods.
These two historical neighborhoods, located along the Golden Horn, have housed the Greek and Jewish communities of Constantinople for centuries. These old quarters promise a picturesque experience with their retro cafes and historical buildings. They are off the major tourist trail and their authenticity makes this guided tour worthwhile.
These two historical neighborhoods, located along the Golden Horn, have housed the Greek and Jewish communities of Constantinople for centuries. These old quarters promise a picturesque experience with their retro cafes and historical buildings. They are off the major tourist trail and their authenticity makes this guided tour worthwhile.
ADDITIONAL INFO
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
INCLUDED
- Licensed Professional Private Tour Guide
NOT INCLUDED
- Transportation
CANCELLATION POLICY
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
ITINERARY
- The tour starts from the Cibali Tobacco Factory, the symbol of the neighborhood which tells much about the transformation process of the area.
- Gül Mosque will be our second stop with its mysterious story, which is going to tell us how Byzantine and Ottoman cultures were integrated.
- Then we will be heading towards Fener which offers a fantastic experience to its visitors with its authentic atmosphere including many interesting churches. The Greek Orthodox Patriarchal Church is an essential part of this tour because it’s the most sacred site for all of the 300 million Orthodox people in the whole world.
- Church of St. Mary of the Mongols is the only Byzantine church of Constantinople that was not converted to a mosque. Since the fall of Constantinople, Saint Mary of the Mongols was always open to the Greek Orthodox people and has stood tall since it was completed in 1281.
- Fener Greek High School for Boys will welcome us in all its glory. It is the oldest surviving and most prestigious Greek Orthodox school in Istanbul, Turkey. Then we will take the narrow streets and slopes with colorful cafes, restaurants and antique shops of the neighborhood.
- The rest of the tour will be in Balat where the less affluent Greeks and Jews of Istanbul lived in and home to an astonishing number of churches, mosques and synagogues. Walking through the splashes of color and the vibrancy of its street life, the crisscross of washing lines on the crumbling buildings, the synagogues, the churches, and the labyrinth of cobblestone streets.
- Ahrida Synagogue is one of the oldest in the whole of Istanbul. The once-thriving Jewish quarter of Balat was served by the great Ahrida Synagogue and it became one of the most important buildings in the entire neighborhood. Several renovations throughout the centuries have kept it true to its original architectural design.
- Sveti Stefan Bulgarian Church, the only church in the whole world which is made completely of steel.
