City of Istanbul - Fener Balat Ayvansaray
- Professional guiding
- Edirnekapı
- The streets of Fener and Balat
- Aya Nikola, Fener Greek Patriarchate, places of worship, churches, schools...
- Walking through Istanbul
Custom tour
There are no planned dates for this tour yet.
If you would like to arrange a private tour, please contact us. We are here to listen to your requests and prepare an unforgettable experience for you.
Tour days
Our tour will begin at 9:30 AM with a meeting at the cafeteria of the Rezzan Has Museum, located inside Kadir Has University in Cibali, also known as the "old tobacco warehouse." (The easiest way to get here is by taking the Yenikapı-Taksim-HacıOsman metro line and getting off at the Haliç station.)
First, we will explore this building, which has been transformed from an old industrial facility into a distinguished educational institution thanks to extensive restoration. After viewing the Rezzan Has Museum’s world-renowned Urartu Jewelry Collection, we will start our walk through the streets of Cibali. We will see the historic Cibali Gate and Cibali Police Station, and then proceed to the Gül Mosque. Once a lavish church of Byzantium, this structure was turned into a mosque after the conquest and will astonish you with its remarkable interior decorations.
Next is the Ayakapı St. Nicholas Church (Aya Nikola). Here we’ll listen to the story of Saint Nicholas of Patara, one of the most important saints in the Christian world, who is also known outside Christianity for bringing gifts to children and helping those in need. Afterward, our next stop will be the Fener Greek Patriarchate’s St. George Church. The religious and political history of the Patriarchate, which stands as the center of global Orthodoxy, is sure to capture your interest. After touring the Patriarchate, we’ll stroll through the historic streets of old Fener, observing the unique atmosphere. Passing by the remnants of the Kantemiroğlu Palace, Sancaktar Slope, Fener Greek High School (Red School), and Mesnevihane, we’ll then visit the Church of St. Mary of the Mongols, whose poignant story and striking architecture will deeply move you. After seeing the Yovakimyan School, we will head to lunch.
We’ll enjoy lunch at a small, charming neighborhood restaurant known for its delicious meals.
Following lunch, our route leads us to Balat. During our walk along the old Balat streets, you will have the chance to see and photograph many fascinating architectural examples. In Balat, historically home mostly to members of the Jewish community, we’ll visit the Çana, Yanbol, and Ahrida Synagogues and hear their stories. Passing by Surp Hraştagabed Armenian Church and the Ferruh Kethüda Mosque, we move on to Ayvansaray—the last neighborhood of our trip. Here, we will see the Hz. Cabir Mosque and conclude our tour by visiting Blaherna, famed worldwide for the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary (Panagia Blaherna) and recognized as one of the most important holy springs by Orthodox Christians. We’ll finish our tour in Ayvansaray at around 4:00 PM.
Other information
- Professional Licensed Cultural Guide
- Donations/tips given for places visited
- Headset System for groups of 15 or more
Flight Tickets
Our tours are sold without flight tickets. Please do not buy flight tickets before the tour is confirmed or we have not confirmed it. If you want to buy flight tickets in advance, please buy them from the refundable and changeable class. We remind you that all responsibility for flight tickets belongs to you.
Single Difference
The difference you need to pay when you want to stay alone in the hotel room. This difference is not requested by Bukla Tour, but by the hotels, and generally the full cost of the second person's accommodation. All single room requests are adjusted according to the availability of the hotels, but are not guaranteed.
Special Tours
Other names are Closed Groups. These are tours prepared according to your requests and requests, or tours prepared by changing existing tours. We can prepare tours for you according to the number of people you want, at the date you want, at the place you want, and only for you.
Cash Installment
This is a payment method where the cash price of the tour is divided into 3 fixed installments. In this method, your information is taken with the mail order form, and when the day comes, you are expected to make the installment by bank transfer. If you do not pay the installment, the payment is made by adding the overdue fee to your credit card.
Bukla Güvencesi
Bukla, 26 yıllık tecrübesiyle Türkiye’nin en güvenilir butik tur operatörlerinden biridir. Bukla, tüm turlarını bölge uzmanı rehberlerle, güvenli rota planlamasıyla ve kurumsal operasyon standardıyla yürütür, konaklanacak otelleri özenle seçer. Küçük gruplar, yüksek kalite standartları, güvenli rota planlaması ve operasyonel uzmanlık Bukla’nın öncelikleridir. 26 yıllık deneyim, binlerce başarılı tur ve misafir memnuniyeti Bukla’nın temel güvencesidir.