Guide
Balat lies on the northeast of the historic peninsula, in Fatih, and it is known today for its steep streets and its painted houses. Its colours have made it a natural set for television and film work and a draw for photographers, professional and amateur alike, and there are people taking pictures at the head of almost every street and in front of the coloured buildings; the cafes are busy with visitors.
The reason the quarter looks the way it does is that people of different communities lived here side by side, and mosques, churches and synagogues all stand within it. Among the historic buildings worth seeking out are the Bulgarian church, the Fener Greek high school, the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Aya Yorgi Metohion church, the cistern of the Fethiye Mosque, the Aspar cistern, and the Women's Library and Information Centre. You can reach Balat by water on the Golden Horn ferry line, or by bus from Eminönü.
