Les Arts Turc team's professional guides that speaks French, Italian, Portugues and Spanish, English makes special tours of Greek, Armenian and Jewish quarters of Istanbul. Recommended by Lonelyplanet guidebook .

Fener and Balat districts are located on the historic peninsula of Istanbul. Once a focal point of the social and cultural lives of Greeks, Armenians and Jews, the Fener and Balat districts are presently inhabited by a mostly Muslim population that immigrated from other cities and rural areas.

Fener was dominantly a Greek neighbourhood since the Byzantine period. In the 17th century, Fener became the residence of upper classes and the bourgeoisie with its hewn stone buildings and richly ornamented house facades. During the Ottoman period, an important segment of Greeks who lived in Fener, who were well-educated and fluent in several languages, held high government positions as interpreters or diplomats. During the 18th century, the majority of new constructions were made of stone or wood; and aristocratic Greek families started to build villas around the Patriarchate.

Balat is known as a Jewish quarter--with a small Armenian population-- dating back to the Byzantine period. Balat's winding streets provided a meeting ground for navigators, seafarers, street vendors and porters. Following the earthquake of 1894 and a series of fires that affected not only the neighbourhood but whole city of Istanbul, the social structure of Balat underwent significant changes: The wealthiest section of the inhabitants left the district and moved to Galata, which is the current location of the Jewish institutions including the Chief Rabbinate and major synagogues. The emigration followed and one fourth of the population of Balat left for Israel after its establishment.

With his experience you will see many nice things and try to find change to get to know how the Greek, Jewish and Armenian community was living in Istanbul.

Idea : This tour gives the story of Turkish Greek, Jews, Armenian and their communities in Istanbul, Turkey today.You will visit  their churches and will listen to their music.

You will eye-witness the some religous  Ceremony. Please send us an e-mail for more information.