The back story
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The back story
Balat & Fener: the back story
Greek, Jewish and Armenian quarters on the Golden Horn, now the city’s most photogenic streets.
Neighbourhood guide · on the Golden Horn
Balat & Fener: Our Favourites
The old quarters on the Golden Horn: colourful houses climbing the hill, the iron church of St Stephen, Chora’s mosaics, the land walls and the cafés of Balat.
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What to see
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Colourful lanes on the Golden Horn
Balat & Fener
The old quarters on the Golden Horn: painted houses, churches, synagogues, antiques and cafés.
Balat, FatihExplore View on map
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A church made of iron
Bulgarian St Stephen Church
The cast-iron Bulgarian Orthodox church of 1898 on the Golden Horn shore at Balat, restored and reopened in 2018.
Mürsel Paşa Caddesi, Balat, FatihExplore View on map
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The finest Byzantine mosaics
Chora (Kariye Mosque)
A former Byzantine monastery church near the land walls, with early 14th-century mosaics and frescoes; a mosque since 2024.
Derviş Ali, Kariye Camii Sokağı, FatihExplore View on map
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The walls that held for a thousand years
Theodosian Walls
The 5th-century land walls of Constantinople, running nearly 6 km from the Sea of Marmara to the Golden Horn.
Edirnekapı, FatihExplore View on map
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A Roman aqueduct over the traffic
Valens Aqueduct
The great 4th-century aqueduct that carried water into the city, striding over Atatürk Boulevard.
Atatürk Bulvarı, FatihExplore View on map
Where to eat
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Pide from the oven
Fatih Damak Pide
Long, boat-shaped pide from a wood-fired oven, near the Fatih Mosque.
Haydar Bey Caddesi, FatihExplore View on map
Cafés
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Coffee in colourful Balat
Coffee Department
A specialty coffee shop in the lanes of Balat, among the painted houses.
Kürkçü Çeşmesi Sokağı No:5/A, Balat, FatihExplore View on map
Share your Balat & Fener tips
Know a lovely corner of Balat & Fener? Share your tips with other visitors.
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