Istanbul is a city of many famous landmarks. Most people come to see sites such as the Grand Bazaar, Sultanahmet and Hagia Sophia. But, there is more in Istanbul than these fascinating but obvious and jam-packed tourist magnets.
Start Point: End Point: Duration: Departure:
Start Point: End Point: Duration: Departure:
REQUEST TO BOOK If you want a richer, deeper, and more unique experience of the character, authenticity and traditions of this multi-civilizational city, then a guided walking tour of the Fener and Balat areas in the old city is for you. You will see churches, synagogues and mosques side by side and see impressive sights of religious co-existence dating back centuries ago.
Experience Highlights
Visit Fener, a district famous for being home to Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Wander through the historic streets of Fener and see houses, palaces and more with real historic significance
Take a stroll around the vibrant Jewish district of Balat
See the imposing Bulgarian St. Stephen Church, which is made entirely of iron and steel
Full Description of Fener and Balat Tour
We will pick you up from your hotel. The pick - up time is generally between 08.30 and 08.45 am.
A mosaic of faiths. Istanbul has always been a melting pot of religions and cultures since antiquity. Fener and Balat walking tour is the best way to witness the multicultural background of Istanbul, rich in history, monuments, and gastronomic delicacies. This area has been home to many different communities such as Armenians, Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Although included in the Unesco World Heritage list, these neighborhoods are usually overlooked by visitors.
While we are strolling through the colorful streets of Fener&Balat, we will witness different layers of history and discuss the changing social and political life of Istanbul.
During the walk, we will pass by churches, synagogues, mosques, dervish convents, picturesque ottoman houses, incredible wooden mansions.
Istanbul City Walls
The first city walls of Istanbul were built during 413-477 by the Byzantine Emperor Thedosius II. They extend 6-7 km. starting from the Marble Tower on the Marmara shore up to the Golden Horn. The walls up to the Blakerna area were built in the 5th c. by Theodosius ll. Today's walls are those restored by Leon Ill after a great earthquake in the 8th century. A city wall differs from a sea wall which is a single row of defense wall with bastions on the top.
Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque
The Yavuz Selim Mosque, also known as the Selim I Mosque and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Mosque is a 16th-century Ottoman imperial mosque located at the top of the 5th Hill of Istanbul, Turkey, in the neighborhood of Cukurbostan, overlooking the Golden Horn.
Chora Museum
The Kariye Church has a past dating back to the 6th century. Its present state is the result of restoration done in the Ottoman period and in the second half of the 20th c. The church is the only remaining part of a monastery complex, dedicated to Jesus Christ, the Messiah. It was constructed first as a monastery in 534 by St. Theodius in the time of Justinanus.
Anemas dungeons
Built by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius in the first half of the 7th century AD, the famous Anemas Dungeons were part of the Blachernae Palace, a huge complex of royal residences and administrative buildings at the western end of Constantinople, close to the Walls of Theodosius II.
Panagia Blachernae Holy springs and & church
Saint Mary of Blachernae is an Eastern Orthodox church in Istanbul. The little edifice, built in 1867, got the same dedication as the shrine erected in this place in the fifth century which, until its destruction in 1434, was one of the most important sanctuaries of Greek
Kazasker Ivaz Efendi mosque
Ivaz Efendi Mosque (a.k.a Ayvansaray Kazasker Ivaz Efendi Camii) is a small neighborhood mosque located in Egrikapi, about 800 m north of the Chora Museum.
Holy archangels Armenian church
The Church of the Holy Archangels, is a church located in the town of Vagharshapat, Armenia, within the complex of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, adjacent to the Gevorkian Theological Seminary.
Fener Greek High school
Phanar Greek Orthodox College or Phanar Roman Orthodox Lyceum, known in Greek as the Great School of the Nation, is the oldest surviving and most prestigious Greek Orthodox school in Istanbul, Turkey. The school, like all minority schools in Turkey, is a secular school.
Greek Orthodox Patriarchate
The Church of St. George is the principal Eastern Orthodox cathedral located in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and, as Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine Empire until 1453.
Includes
Private Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Private professional licensed tour guide
All entrance tickets to the museums and sites
Deluxe transportation by air-conditioned vehicle
Lunch
