Balat and Fener

Balat and its neighbour Fener sit side by side on the south-western shore of the Golden Horn, inside the old city walls, and they are among the most rewarding parts of Istanbul to explore on foot. For centuries the area was home to Jewish, Greek Orthodox and Armenian communities, and churches, synagogues and mosques stand within a few streets of one another. The area forms part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, inscribed by UNESCO in 1985.

Balat became home to a large Jewish community from the late 15th century, when Sultan Bayezid II welcomed Jews expelled from Spain. The Ahrida Synagogue, founded in the 15th century by Jews from Ohrid, is one of the few that remain. In Fener, the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople has its seat beside the Church of St George, and the red-brick Phanar Greek Orthodox College dominates the hillside above. On the waterfront, the Bulgarian St Stephen Church is built from prefabricated iron sections shipped down the Danube from Vienna; it reopened in 2018 after a full restoration.

The main pleasure is wandering. Steep cobbled lanes are lined with painted wooden and brick houses, laundry hangs between windows, and the streets are dotted with cafés, antique and junk shops, small bakeries and restaurants. Kiremit Caddesi and the streets around Vodina Caddesi are the most photographed, and you will often see people posing in front of the brightly coloured houses. Remember that these are residential streets, so be considerate with cameras.

Allow half a day. Wear comfortable shoes for the hills and cobbles, and visit on a weekday morning to avoid the weekend crowds. Places of worship have their own visiting hours, and some synagogues can only be visited by prior arrangement, so do not expect to see inside everything. Several of the area's cafés open from mid-morning.

The area suits photographers, couples and anyone interested in the city's layered history. Golden Horn ferries stop at both Fener and Balat, and buses run along the shore road from Eminönü. The Kariye Mosque, with its Byzantine mosaics, is about 15 minutes uphill, so it makes sense to start there, then walk down through Balat and finish beside the water.