Kariye Mosque (formerly Chora Church), Istanbul

After reaching the Edirnekapı bus stop and having our fill of some of the tastiest köfte we’ve ever had, we felt warmed inside and confident that we couldn’t be too far away from the the special building we were searching for: The present day Kariye Mosque or Kariye Camii.

About Kariye Mosque

Formerly the Byzantine Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, this multi-layered structure was originally built in the early 4th Century but the shape of the building we see today dates from the 11th Century.

At the time of our visit, it was the Kariye Museum (or Chora Museum) and soon after, the building was closed for restorations.

After those years of restorations, it fully reopened as a mosque in May 2024 both to Muslim worshippers and to non-Muslim visitors.

Istanbul is packed with unexpected pockets of interest and excitement that treat explorers of the city.

This place is one of them.

Kariye & Edirnekapı

After waiting a while to cross the mind-bogglingly busy road at Edirnekapı, we took a short walk, took a right…and walked straight into another world, into a quaint, cobbled area; Kariye.

The word Chora (Kariye in Turkish) means ‘countryside’ and Kariye has most definitely clung on to remain a more tranquil area of Istanbul.

Pastel-coloured wooden houses line the road that leads to the Kariye Mosque.

And it’s not difficult to get a picture of the rolling green hills that must have surrounded this building in times gone by.

These days, the wider Edirnekapı neighbourhood is, like many other areas of the city, densely populated.

With its familiar Byzantine architectural additions, Kariye Mosque resembles a miniature version of the imposing Hagia Sophia.

But while Hagia Sophia takes your breath away and amazes with its majestic proportions, Kariye Mosque more than holds its own with its interior treasures.

A Unique Insight

This building is famous for its mesmerising frescoes and mosaics telling the story of the lives of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary.

The artwork we see today was commissioned in the 14th Century by Theodore Metochites, a principal literary and philosophical scholar of that era.

Lets’ take a look inside…

Due to its location – requiring an uphill trudge if you arrive from the Golden Horn – Kariye Mosque is not packed with the thousands of tourists that crowd into the area of Sultanahmet.

It’s low-key and actually feels quite cosy.

Since it reopened in 2024, there could be a few more pilgrims who make the journey up the hill due to the growing popularity of nearby Fener and Balat neighbourhoods and the tramline that now runs along the shores of the Golden Horn.

But it’s still a world away from the numbers you’ll see around the main sights of Sultanahmet.

As you slowly make your way around the Chora Mosque, prepare yourself for potential aching of the neck because you’re going to spend your time in this building looking up as well as at the walls around you.

Intricately painted, vivid in colour and covering every inch of the ceiling and higher sections of the walls, the frescoes and mosaics are stunningly beautiful and largely intact.

More so than any we have seen elsewhere in Turkey.

Dating from the 14th Century, these spectacular works were uncovered during restorations in 1948 by Paul A. Underwood and Thomas Whittemore of the Byzantine Institute of America and the Dumbarton Oaks Centre for Byzantine Studies.

Imagine the excitement of finding all of this Byzantine art!

Before entering the mosque, it’s possible to buy an audio guide which you can listen to as you follow, in chronological order, the images that display the story of the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary and the miracles depicted in the Bible.

We didn’t take this option on our visit, preferring to just stand in awe.

In Istanbul and in Cappadocia, we have toured and admired sites that have left us with a feeling of wondering what they must have looked like when their frescoes were first painted and mosaics first created.

With its fantastically well-preserved mosaics and frescoes, Kariye Mosque takes away the need for you to stretch your imagination.

The artwork here (artists still unknown) is simply breathtaking.

As far as we’re concerned, this little building of huge significance, nestled (almost hidden) in its pretty setting is a definite must-see if you are in Istanbul.

Make A Day Of It

If you’ve made the effort to get to Kariye Mosque, you can get your steps in and explore the wider area.

Nearby are, of course, the ancient city walls.

You can also link some history and visit the 16th Century Mihrimah Sultan Mosque. Like Süleymaniye Mosque (the mosque of Ottoman Sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent), this mosque was designed by the famous architect, Mimar Sinan.

And Mihrimah Sultan just so happened to be the daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent.

Tekfur Palace Museum (closed on Mondays) is also in the area. This was the Byzantine Palace of the Porphyrogenitus.

After that, why not head downhill towards the Golden Horn and explore the Balat and Fener neighbourhoods and / or take the tram further along the Golden Horn to the fabulous views of Pierre Loti Hill and the neighbourhood of Eyüp Sultan?

Kariye Mosque, Istanbul: Useful Info

• As with Hagia Sophia, there is now an entrance fee for Kariye Mosque. The fee is 20 Euros (2024). Entrance is free for Turkish citizens and Muslim foreign visitors.
• Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00 The mosque is closed to non-Muslim visitors 15 minutes before each prayer time and is completely closed to non-Muslim visitors on Fridays.
• As Kariye is now a mosque, remember to wear appropriate clothing. Females will need to cover their heads and shoulders and shorts are forbidden for both males and females.
• NB: We visited Kariye Mosque when it was operating as a museum. As it is now a mosque, mosaics in the Naos area of the building (the area for Muslim prayers) are now covered with curtains.
• It’s worth reading up on Kariye Mosque before you go. There is lots of useful information online about the stories being told in the Byzantine mosaics.
• Photographers take note: Set your camera accordingly – no flash, other lighting equipment OR tripods allowed.
• Getting there: Edirnekapı is served by various bus routes from places like Eminönü and Taksim Square. You can also link tram services if you want to get as close as possible to the mosque. Alternatively, you can visit as part of an organised tour or take a taxi. If you are making a day of it, you can then head down to Balat and either take a tram or be even more leisurely and take the ferry back along the Golden Horn.
• Istanbul’s UNESCO World Heritage status is due to buildings such as Kariye Mosque.

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