Mid-range · 3-hour walk · Istanbul
Balat and Fener in three hours
The Greek Patriarchate, an iron church shipped down the Danube, the red castle of a school, the painted houses of Balat and the Byzantine mosaics of Chora.
Along the Golden Horn, west of the old city, are the neighbourhoods where Istanbul's Greeks, Jews and Armenians lived for centuries: Fener around the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, and Balat beside it. Their steep lanes of painted houses are now the city's favourite backdrop for photographs. This route climbs through both to the Chora, whose mosaics are among the finest Byzantine art anywhere.
The route, stop by stop
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Ecumenical Patriarchate
The seat of the Greek Orthodox Church since the start of the 17th century, at the church of St George. Its main gate has been kept shut since 1821, when the patriarch was hanged from it.
20 min here Walk here → -
Bulgarian St Stephen Church
A Gothic church made entirely of cast iron, prefabricated in Vienna and shipped down the Danube in pieces in the 1890s.
20 min here Walk here → -
Phanar Greek Orthodox College
The red-brick castle on the hill, built in 1881 for the oldest Greek school in the city. Still a school, and seen from outside.
10 min here Walk here → -
Balat
The lanes around Kiremit Caddesi, with painted houses, antique shops and cafés.
30 min here Walk here → -
Chora
The church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, covered in 14th-century mosaics and frescoes. A mosque again since 2024, it closes to visitors at prayer times.
40 min here Walk here →
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