FENER & BALAT Private Walking Tour (Updated → 2025)

Hello, I am Serhat Engul. I have been a licensed tour guide in Istanbul for about 20 years. If you are reading this article, you have probably asked me about the details of the Fener and Balat private walking tour that I offer in Istanbul.

Fener and Balat, two districts on the shores of the Golden Horn, the iconic port of Istanbul, have been important settlements throughout history.

However, these two districts came to the fore as places where non-Muslims lived in Ottoman Istanbul between the 15th and 19th centuries.

During the Ottoman period, Fener was the district where the city’s leading Greek families lived. Its neighbor, Balat, was the most important Jewish neighborhood of Istanbul.

Today, these districts still carry the legacy of those years. Fener and Balat’s colorful houses and stairs, which are famous on Instagram these days, each have their own story.

My half-day Fener and Balat walking tour starts from Kadir Has University (former Tobacco Factory) on the main road and ends in front of the Iron Church on the banks of the Golden Horn after a 4-hour history tour.

I have shared detailed information about this tour in the lines below. However, if you want to book your private Fener Balat tour directly instead of reading this long article, you can contact me by filling out the form on this page.

Fener and Balat Private Walking Tour

Fener and Balat private walking tour includes churches from the Byzantine period, pastel colored houses and stairs, authentic cafes of the district, and mosques and synagogues from the Ottoman period.

While doing this tour, you can see churches, mosques and synagogues that the average tourist (and perhaps even the average Istanbulite) has not seen.

The churches and even mosques of Fener and Balat are not normally open. However, a local guide who knows the officials in these historical buildings can make a special visit possible for you.

In my opinion, what makes the Fener and Balat walking tour special is the ability to individually visit hundreds of years old structures and have an insightful trip away from the incredible tourist crowds and noise of the city.

1. Kadir Has University

Kadir Has University is a building located on the main street and is easily found with its distinctive architecture. The building dates back to the 19th century and was originally a tobacco factory.

In front of the university there is the Cibali stop of the T5 tram line. In this way, you can come to the university from Sultanahmet with T1 and T5 connections. Those coming from Taksim can get off the M2 metro at the Golden Horn Bridge (aka Halic Station) and walk in 5 minutes.

The district where the university is located is known as Cibali and takes its name from a gate (Cibali Gate) opening to ancient Constantinople from the Roman walls surrounding the Historical Peninsula.

2. Church of St Theodosia

Church of St Theodosia is dedicated to an icon-loving woman who was killed during the Byzantine iconoclasm and later declared a martyr and saint by the church.

It is impossible not to get excited when we come across such a 1000-year-old Byzantine structure at the end of our walk near the Roman walls. Built in the 11th century, this structure is one of the highest-domed Byzantine churches in the city.

Hagia Theodosia Church was converted into a mosque in the 15th century and was named Gul Mosque. Gul means “Rose” in Turkish and I share with you a very interesting story about how it got this name during my Fener Balat private walking tour.

3. Church of St Nicholas

Church of St Nicholas is a hidden treasure that even many Istanbulites do not know its location. Even someone who knows the place cannot enter unless he knows the church officials.

This is one of the places where you will feel most special during the Fener and Balat tour. Because when we visit the church, there is no one else but us, and here I can present a narrative about the history of Istanbul that can create a timeline in your mind.

After briefly talking about the Ancient Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods of Istanbul’s history, we examine in detail the features of a typical Greek Orthodox church in Istanbul.

4. Fener Greek Orthodox School

Greek Orthodox School stands at the top of the Fener district, as if it came out of a fairy tale, with its distinctive architecture. This building was the most respected educational institution of the Greeks in Ottoman Istanbul and is still a high school with special status.

I had organized the Fener and Balat walking tour for the first time for a photography club. For this reason, we follow a special route where we can photograph such picturesque buildings from the most beautiful aspects.

5. Church of St George (Fener)

The Church of St George is where the 1700-year-old Patriarchal seat of Constantinople is located today and therefore has great spiritual significance for Orthodox Christians all over the world.

This church has the most valuable icons from the Byzantine period. It also contains the relics of the most important clergy of the Eastern Church. Among them is the legendary archbishop John Chrysostom, who lived in the 4th century.

As a local guide introducing Istanbul’s off the beaten paths, I try to offer alternative tours away from the tourist center. If you have a special interest in Byzantine history, you can also learn about this other unique tour I offer on the relevant page here.

We can say that the Church of St George is the peak point of the Fener Balat private walking tour with its fascinating atmosphere. From here, the second half of the tour begins, where we will see colorful houses, retro cafes and lively streets.

6. The Colorful Stairs

The Colorful Stairs has become the most instagrammable spot in Fener and Balat districts in recent years. At any time of the day, you can see dozens of people taking selfies here.

These stairs also take us to the Church of St Mary the Mongols, one of the insteresting stops of the tour. There are wonderful stories associated with this church and I unveil them on the tour.

7. The Colorful Houses

The Colorful Houses became one of the most picturesque spots in Istanbul with the repainting of 19th-century Greek houses. These colorful houses have become the cultural ambassadors of Fener and Balat, which were forgotten districts.

As we leave the Fener district behind and move towards Balat, we pass through Kiremit Street, where these houses are located, and of course, we do not forget to take a souvenir photo.

8. Ahrida Synagogue (Balat)

Ahrida Synagogue was built by Ohrid Jews who came from Macedonia and settled in Ottoman Istanbul. Today, this synagogue is located in the heart of the Balat district.

In order to visit synagogues in Istanbul, you need to apply and get permission in advance. For this reason, I explain the history of this synagogue to my guests from the outside.

9. Colorful Streets of Balat

The colorful streets of Balat offer us great photo opportunities during the tour. Leblebiciler Street, which used to host the shops of the city’s Jewish settlers, is now a cute tourist street.

10. Iron Church

Iron Church was built as a patriarchate church by Bulgarians living in Istanbul in the 19th century. The structure, originally named St. Stephen’s Church, is indeed made of iron and steel.

This church has been recently restored, so it shines brightly and looks great both from the outside and the inside. This is also the last stop of our Fener and Balat walking tour.

Conclusion

Many people have joined my Fener and Balat private walking tour so far and they found this experience far beyond their expectations. They were very impressed by being able to witness hundreds of years of history, away from the tourist crowds.

There is information about my references on the about page of this site, but if you wish, you can also read reviews about me on TripAdvisor. Although some of these comments are about other tours, a significant part of them are feedback about my Fener and Balat tours.

If you want to embark on this historical journey that starts from the Byzantine period and continues throughout the Ottoman period, you can contact me by filling out the form on the contact page. As a licensed tour guide in Istanbul, I am ready to share with you all I know.

Written by Serhat Engul