Balat
An old quarter on the western shore of the Golden Horn, between Fener and Ayvansaray, once the centre of the city's Jewish community. Its steep lanes of colourful old houses make it one of the most photographed neighbourhoods in Istanbul.
- Where
- Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 41.0320, 28.9483
Get the Balat stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Balat. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Istanbul volume with your photos and a note.
Near Balat
Chora Church 0.8 km
A Byzantine church in Edirnekapı, now the Kariye Mosque, famous for its Late Byzantine mosaics and frescos. They cover its domes and walls with scenes from the lives of Christ and the Virgin.
Aqueduct of Valens 1.9 km
Completed in 373 by Emperor Valens to carry water into Constantinople, and kept in use by the Byzantines and Ottomans for centuries. A long stretch of its double row of arches still strides over a main road in Fatih.
Eyüp Sultan Mosque 2.2 km
A mosque complex around the tomb of Ebu Eyüp el-Ansari, standard-bearer and companion of the Prophet Muhammad, near the top of the Golden Horn. The present building dates from the early 19th century, on a much older site.
Süleymaniye Mosque 2.2 km
Commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by Mimar Sinan, founded in 1550 and inaugurated in 1557 on the Third Hill. Its terraces look down over the Golden Horn, and Suleiman's tomb lies in the garden behind it.
Pera Museum 2.3 km
An art museum in Tepebaşı, a few steps from İstiklal Avenue, with a particular focus on 19th-century Orientalist painting. Its best-known work is Osman Hamdi Bey's The Tortoise Trainer.
Galata Tower 2.3 km
A medieval Genoese watchtower built at the highest point of the old Galata walls, now a museum. Its round stone shaft and conical cap rise over Beyoğlu, and the gallery near the top looks across the Golden Horn to the old city.
Rüstem Pasha Mosque 2.3 km
A small mosque by Mimar Sinan, completed around 1563 for Rüstem Pasha, grand vizier to Suleiman I. It sits above shops in the market lanes near the Spice Bazaar, and its walls are covered in İznik tiles.
Galata Bridge 2.5 km
The bridge across the Golden Horn between Eminönü and Karaköy, built in 1994 as the fifth on this site. Anglers line its upper deck, fish restaurants fill the level below, and it has long featured in Turkish novels and poetry.
More hidden gems in Istanbul
Questions
Where is Balat?
Balat is in Istanbul, Istanbul, Türkiye. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Chora Church (0.8 km), Aqueduct of Valens (1.9 km), Eyüp Sultan Mosque (2.2 km).
How do I get the Balat stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Balat and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Istanbul volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Balat before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Istanbul volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.