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Kariye museum or Chora Museum (Kariye Muzesi, Chora Museum) - this is a historical architectural museum in the former ancient Church of Christ the saviour in the fields. It is the best preserved church of the Byzantine period, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Originally built in the VI century, it was destroyed during the invasion and rebuilt in the XII century. Inside the church is decorated with mosaics and frescoes depicting episodes from the earthly life of Jesus and biblical stories.
The Kariye museum is rarely visited by tourists, perhaps for the reason that it is relatively difficult to get here. Indeed, despite the significance of the historical monument after such a long road and high entrance fee inside you will spend no more than 15 minutes, and come out of there to put it mildly disappointed. In addition, as of 2019, you will not be able to inspect the outside of the temple at all, it is all closed with scaffolding and an awning due to reconstruction. But if you bought Museum Card Museum Pass Istanbul, which is free of charge, it may be worth getting here.
🕐 Working hours
in summer (from April 1 to October 31) – 09:00-19:00; in winter (from November 1 to March 31) – 09:00-17:00. Wednesday is a day off, but as of 2019 the museum is open seven days a week, you can check the schedule here. Yandex. checkout stops working 1 hour before closing.
💵 Entrance fee / ticket price
65 lire (1.42 USD, see Turkish currency and exchange rate), children under 12 years old free of charge. According to the museum map of Istanbul, the visit is free.
🚶 How to get there
the museum is located in the Fatih district, but not in the historical quarter of Sultanamet, but in the quarter of Fener / Fener almost 6 kilometers from Sultanahmet (Museum on the map. You can get here on the metro line M1A/M1B to ulubatli station and then walk one and a half kilometers. You can get even closer by tram T4, but with transfers (see Istanbul transport lines on the map. There are also many buses and taxis here, and to find the one you need, you can use urban transport route planner, or a Google map. Another option is from the Eminonu Marina (Eminonu on the map) by ferry to ayvansaray pier, and then on foot. Learn more about Istanbul transport here.
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