Discover the Fener and Balat districts of Istanbul on a guided walking tour. See the Bulgarian Church, the Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols, and the Ahrida Synagogue.
See another side of Istanbul in an area of the city with Greek, Armenian, Jewish, and Bulgarian heritage. Stroll around Fener and Balat districts, which are popular with locals for having breakfast and coffee. Pass by churches, synagogues, mosques, and many other historic sites.
Begin your walking tour in the district of Fener to see a Greek church and a Greek primary school, followed by lots of colorful stairs. Then, see the house of Romanian prince Dimitrie Cantemir, the Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols, built in 1266, and Phanar Greek Orthodox College.
After this, go to the Panagia Paramythia Church. Continue to the district of Balat, where you can see the Bulgarian Church, also known as the Iron Church due to the cast iron used in its production. Next, check out the famous timber houses in the area.
Finish up your tour at the Ahrida Synagogue, one of the oldest synagogues in the city, dating back to the 15th century.
Itinerary:
The Ecumenical Patriarchateis one of the fifteen autocephalous churches that together compose the Eastern Orthodox Church. It is headed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, the first among equals in the Orthodox Church's Hierarchy, currently Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople. The Patriarchate has been located at the Phanar (Fener) district of Istanbul since the late 16th century.\"