FENER BALAT WALKING ASIAN SIDE FOOD TOUR

We begin our Fener – Balat & Kadikoy Asian Side Food Tour from your hotel around 09.00 AM.

Two different neighborhoods with very different histories names of Fener and Balat have become almost interchangeable . Our final stop will be Fener and Balat.                 Fener’s name comes from the Greek name ‘Fanarion’ meaning lighthouse cause Fener was a trade hub that received a lot sea traffic due to its position on the shore of Golden Horn.  By conquiring Istanbul, Mehmed the conqueror declared freedom of religion for all inhabitants of new empire. Those who had left the Istanbul returned back and settled down in Fener area. Balat was a famous Jewish neighborhood even before Ottomans took over the Istanbul. The name Balat probably derived from Greek palation (palace) from Latin palatium after the nearby Palace of Blachernae. Balat first became home to large Jewish population in the late 15th Century when Sultan Beyazid II offered citizenship to Jewish and Muslims fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Africa. Balat was to 18 synagogues though only two are still in use today (Ahrida – Yanbol Synagogues). We will be using local transportation to get Kadikoy to visit local bazaars and try some local, street foods. We will be tasting around  6 – 7 different food and see local neighborhood here.