Exploring Istanbul: The Fener and Balat District with Dr. Luca Orlandi

The Fener and Balat districts in Istanbul are two must-see destinations stretched along the shore of the Golden Horn. From antiquity to modern-day, its colorful and picturesque narrow streets have hosted Jewish and Greek Orthodox communities, showing an incredible and rich architectural environment in which synagogues and churches alternate wooden houses and stone masonry mansions, between the steep hills and the waterfront. 

During this conversation, we will explore the Fener and Balat districts from an urban and architectural point of view, exploring several landmark buildings that contribute to the history and culture of Istanbul itself. 

Fener and Balat has been for centuries a unique crossroad of different religions and Turkish elements were later introduced in these neighborhoods, adding even more color and creating with its new historical layers a cultural mix of fascinating contrasts. Strolling among the small cafes, the artisan shops, the sumptuous buildings in ruins, the old traditional wooden houses, the mosques, synagogues and churches of these neighborhoods – now populated mainly by Turks from the rural areas of Anatolia – can restore calm to the frenzy and confusion of everyday life in the metropolis of Istanbul. 

Led by an expert on Ottoman Architecture, Luca Orlandi, this interactive seminar will discuss the urban development and the architectural environment of Fener and Balat through the main phases that characterize the districts’ history. Tailored to give accurate details and to inform curiosity as well as future travels, participants will come away with an increased and deep knowledge of the impressive and rich cultural heritage still visible across Fener and Balat districts.