Along the Golden Horn - Strolling Through Istanbul: The Classic Guide to the City - page 316

The oldest and most historic synagogue in Balat is a short way
to the south on Kürkçü Çeşme Sokağı. This is the recently restored
Ahrida Synagogue, which dates back to the first half of the fifteenth
century, the only synagogue in Istanbul remaining from the Byzantine
era. (Permission to visit the synagogue can be obtained from the office
of the Chief Rabbinate in Beyoğlu.)
BALAT TO AYVANSARAY
We now retrace our steps to Ferruh Kethüda Camii and continue
walking northwards. About 150 metres beyond the mosque we see
on the left side of the street the gateway of a little Greek church,
interesting only because of its great age. This is the church of the
Panaghia Balinu, which is known to have stood on this site as early
as 1597, although the present structure dates only from 1730, with
later alterations. There are a great many so-called “modern” Greek
churches in Istanbul of comparable antiquity, although few of their
present structures predate the nineteenth century. The earliest list of
post-Conquest Greek churches is that by Tryphon Karabeinikof,
who was sent to Istanbul in 1583 and again in 1593 by the Czar to
distribute money to the Christian churches there. Tryphon listed seven
monasteries and convents and 47 churches which were functioning
in Istanbul at that time, including the Panaghia Balinu.
About 100 metres farther along we see on the right another of
the churches mentioned by Tryphon, that of St. Demetrius Kanabu.
Although the present church dates only to 1730 at the earliest, its
origins go back to Byzantine times, for a church of that name is
known to have existed on this site as early as 1334. It is suggested
that the church may have been founded by the family of Nicholas
Kanabu, who became emperor for a few days in April 1204, in the
brief interval between the deposition of the co-emperors Alexius IV
and Isaac II and the later usurpation by Alexius V. St. Demetrius
served as the Patriarchal church from 1597 until 1601, when the
Patriarchate moved to its present site.