Chora (Kariye) Mosque: How to Visit

In short: the former Chora Church, now the Kariye Mosque, holds some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in the world, made in the early 14th century. It reopened as a mosque on 6 May 2024. Tourists can visit every day except Friday, outside prayer times. Foreign visitors pay an entry fee, and the Museum Pass is not accepted. The nearest stop is Edirnekapı on the T4 tram.

Last checked: 11 November 2026. Visiting hours follow prayer times and can change; check the official page before you go.

From monastery to museum to mosque

Chora began as a monastery outside Constantinople’s walls; the Theodosian land walls of the early 5th century later brought it inside the city. Most of the building you see today was rebuilt in the late 11th century. Between about 1315 and 1321 the statesman and scholar Theodore Metochites paid for its famous mosaics and frescoes, including the side chapel (parekklesion).

In the early 16th century it became a mosque. It was turned into a museum by a 1945 decree and opened to the public in 1958 after restoration by the Byzantine Institute of America. A presidential decree in August 2020 made it a mosque again, and after four years of restoration it reopened for worship and visits on 6 May 2024.

What to see

• The narthexes (entrance halls): mosaic cycles of the lives of the Virgin Mary and of Christ, and the dedication mosaic of Theodore Metochites offering the church to Christ.
• The parekklesion (side chapel): the frescoes here include the Anastasis, where Christ pulls Adam and Eve from their tombs, one of the best-known images of Byzantine art.
• The main prayer hall: a few mosaics here, mainly above the main door and beside the mihrab, are now covered with curtains. Nearly all the other mosaics and frescoes stay visible.

Visiting rules

• Days: open to tourists every day except Friday.
• Prayer times: tourist entry stops shortly before each prayer, and visitors cannot be inside during prayers. Plan your visit between prayer times.
• Entry fee: foreign visitors pay an entry fee; worshippers enter free. The Museum Pass Istanbul is not valid here.
• Dress: no shorts for anyone; women cover their hair (scarves are sold at the ticket booth).
• Photos: no flash.
• Entrance: visitors enter the garden from Kariye Türbesi Sokak on the north side and go through a security check.

Getting there

• By tram: take the T4 tram to Edirnekapı and walk about five minutes. From Sultanahmet, take the T1 to Topkapı and change to the T4.
• From Balat: the mosque is up the hill from Balat and Fener.
• Paying: use your Istanbulkart. See getting around Istanbul.

Nearby

• The Theodosian land walls: the great 5th-century walls run right past Edirnekapı.
• Mihrimah Sultan Mosque: a Mimar Sinan mosque at Edirnekapı, built for Süleyman the Magnificent’s daughter.
• Tekfur Palace Museum: a restored Byzantine palace by the walls, run by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and closed on Mondays.

Sources we checked (November 2026): DEM Müzeleri: Kariye (official visitor page) · Wikipedia: Chora Church · Religion News Service: Chora reopens as a mosque · Hyperallergic: mosaics and frescoes intact · Bianet: entry fee for foreign visitors · Arab News: Kariye opens for worship · Hürriyet Daily News: closed to visits on Fridays · İBB: Tekfur Palace · Metro Istanbul: T4 tram

Chora (Kariye) Mosque: questions

Header photo: the Chora (Kariye) Mosque. Photo: Alexander Hatley, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.