Istanbul Walking Tour - Fener, Balat and Phanar Greek College [ 4K 60fps ]

Entering into one of the most culturally riche and historical neighbourhoods of Istanbul, we will pass through two districts, Fener, and Balat. The first few minutes we make our way through typical local streets with corner shops and markets, we see some traditional Turkish Wood houses as well as some damaged buildings.

This walk continues just before the entrance to the Greek Orthodox Church. As we walk a little further we enter Fener, and Balat, both of which are known for its cafes and boutique shops. The districts of Fener, and Balat are surely the ones that have the richest history and are also on the list of the UNESCO heritage sites, and yet it is still a region rarely visited by tourists. We like to lose ourselves in these areas wandering around because the atmosphere is really unique.

Many young people are sitting at patio tables sipping coffee and tea, eating snacks and enjoying the day. The colourful graffiti adds to the bohemian mix of buildings and street life.

After a few turns we find our way up the mountain hill to Phanar Greek Orthodox College. Εstablished in 1454 by the Patriarch, Gennadius Scholarius who appointed as its first Director. It soon became the school of the prominent Greek and other Orthodox families in the Ottoman Empire, and many Ottoman ministers as well as Wallachian and Moldavian princes appointed by the Ottoman state, such as Dimitrie Cantemir, graduated from it.

The current school building is located near the Church of St. George in the neighborhood of Fener (Phanar in Greek), which is the seat of the Patriarchate. It is known among the locals with nicknames such as The Red Castle and The Red School. Designed by the Greek architect Konstantinos Dimadis, the building was erected between 1881 and 1883 with an eclectic mix of different styles and at a cost of 17,210 Ottoman gold pounds, a huge sum for that period.

From this moment we turn around and meander down towards the waterfront where we will find the Iron Church.

#walkingtour #streetlife #4kwalk #istanbul #türkiye #citywalk

[naloyst]

This was absolutely beautiful! Thank you!

[neithlittle]

My grandfather grew up in the Greek neighborhood of Istanbul. Thank you for giving me this glimpse into his home city.

[lalah]

I loved walking around with you, it's such a quiet place. I would love to know if people are saying something about you going around with a camera. It would have been hilarious if the guy on the phone was the same one over and over 😅

[TanerG]

I lived in Istanbul but never been in this neighborhood, in general it looks lovely but lots of dilapidated houses makes it look shabby and wretched