Balat (Istanbul)

Balat is the traditional Jewish quarter in the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located on the European side of Istanbul, in the old city on the historic peninsula, on the western bank of the Golden Horn. (Another Istanbul neighborhood deeply associated with Jewish settlement is Kuzguncuk on the Asian shore.)

The name Balat is probably derived from Greek palation (palace), from Latin palatium, after the nearby Palace of Blachernae.