Fener

Fener is partway up the Golden Horn, these streets are a collection of historic buildings including wooden mansions, churches, and synagogues that date back to the Byzantine and Ottoman era. The name of the district came from the original Greek name that translates as ‘lantern or beacon’ due to a column with a light that was used as a public light along the waterways.

Following the fall of Constantinople, the Patriarchate moved to this area and the office has remained here. This move coincided with the Fener district becoming home to many of the Greeks in the city. These people became known as ‘Phanariotes’ and were important to the various offices of the Sultan as assistants becoming governors of provinces in Turkish Europe and Greece. The oldest Greek school to have survived the generations in Istanbul is found in the Fener district having been established in 1454.

The buildings in Fener offer a collection of wide streets and narrow alleys with a blend of Byzantine, Ottoman, and modern Turkish styles making it a fascinating place of architecture and history.