Church of St. Savior in Chora (Kariye Müzesi)
- Type: Churches/Religious Sites, Museums, Sightseeing
- Time to Spend: 2 hours to Half Day
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Originally built as a Byzantine church, later converted to a mosque and now serving as a secular museum, the Church of St. Savior in Chora is definitely deserving of a visit. There, you'll find a series of beautiful mosaics and frescoes that many consider some of the best surviving examples of Byzantine art in the world.
Parts of the structure were built in the 400's, but the building as it stands today was constructed in the 11th century. When the building was transformed into a mosque in the 1500's, the mosaics were covered up with plaster. They were eventually unveiled (again) and the building officially opened as a museum in 1958.
The church is located approximately 3 miles northwest of Sultanahmet. The museum is open every day of the week except Wednesday and the hours are 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Admission is roughly $6 USD. The easiest way to get here is taking a taxi (around $10 USD from Sultanahmet). For more information, click here.
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