Balat: Colorful Streets, Deep Stories

Discover Balat, Instagram’s most popular photo spot in Istanbul, beyond its surface beauty. Ebru Hoca, a local born and raised in Balat, knows the real stories behind every street and every door. This neighborhood, where Greek, Jewish, and Muslim communities lived side by side for centuries, is one of the most vivid examples of Istanbul’s multicultural heritage. Old synagogues, Greek churches, and Ottoman inns stand next to one another. Special stop on the tour: we’ll enter the courtyard of a historic Greek school that is normally closed to visitors. Its 150-year-old wall paintings and original wooden desks are still there. Ebru Hoca will also talk about Balat’s gentrification and how local residents are coping with the change — not just beautiful photos, but real life.