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Chora Museum, Istanbul

4.4

Art Museum · Hidden Gem · History Museum

Create an itinerary including Chora Museum

See one of the best examples of Byzantine design in the region with a trip to Chora Museum, whose interior is entirely covered in fine mosaics and frescoes. Originally built by Constantine the Great, this church has been reconstructed five times. Most significantly, Ottoman rulers converted the structure into a mosque in the 16th century. A bit off the beaten path, you have to travel to Istanbul's Western Erdinekapı neighborhood to find this building, which opened as a secular museum in 1948. However, the masterful and aesthetically stunning interior makes this trip worthwhile. Choose to start, finish, or center your holiday on a trip to Chora Museum by using our Istanbul online trip itinerary maker.

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Tours to Chora Museum

FROM $160 BOOK WITH VIATOR Highlights of Istanbul Private Tour: 1 Day, 2 Day or 3 Day Private Tour Highlights of Istanbul Private Tour: 1 Day, 2 Day or 3 Day Private Tour

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FROM $700 BOOK WITH VIATOR Private 3 Day Istanbul Tour Private 3 Day Istanbul Tour

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FROM $160 BOOK WITH VIATOR Eyup, Pierre Loti Hill, and Kariye Museum: Guided Day Tour from Istanbul Eyup, Pierre Loti Hill, and Kariye Museum: Guided Day Tour from Istanbul

4.9

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FROM $150 BOOK WITH VIATOR Luxury Small-Group Tour of Imperial Istanbul Including Lunch Luxury Small-Group Tour of Imperial Istanbul Including Lunch

4.9

Duration: 8 hours

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FROM $329 BOOK WITH VIATOR 2 Days Istanbul Tour with Private Guiding Service 2 Days Istanbul Tour with Private Guiding Service

5.0

Duration: 2 days

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FROM $170 BOOK WITH VIATOR 1-2 or 3 Day Private Istanbul Guided Tour 1-2 or 3 Day Private Istanbul Guided Tour

5.0

Duration: 3 days

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FROM $379 BOOK WITH VIATOR Private Tour: Hidden Istanbul Private Tour: Hidden Istanbul

4.8

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FROM $701 BOOK WITH VIATOR 3 Days Private Istanbul Tour Including Ottoman and Byzantine Sites 3 Days Private Istanbul Tour Including Ottoman and Byzantine Sites

5.0

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FROM $43 BOOK WITH VIATOR Semi Private - Constantinople Tour of Istanbul: Discovering the Byzantine Empire Semi Private - Constantinople Tour of Istanbul: Discovering the Byzantine Empire

3.2

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FROM $399 BOOK WITH VIATOR Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3 Days Private Tour with Friendly Local Guide Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3 Days Private Tour with Friendly Local Guide

5.0

Duration: 3 days

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Chora Museum reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating

5,997 reviews

Google

4.4

By Frank D

Not that easy to get to, so I was very disappointed that is was closed for renovation and expected to be closed for at least a year. Apparently doing renovations both inside and outside as it wasn't.... more

Not that easy to get to, so I was very disappointed that is was closed for renovation and expected to be closed for at least a year. Apparently doing renovations both inside and outside as it wasn't.... more »
By DakotaWind

We were eager to see the mosaics and eventually found our way to Chora Church, only to find it closed for renovation and being converted into a mosque (2 April 2022). The kind folks at the Pembe cafe.... more

We were eager to see the mosaics and eventually found our way to Chora Church, only to find it closed for renovation and being converted into a mosque (2 April 2022). The kind folks at the Pembe cafe.... more »
By Adrian R

Shut for renovation , couldn’t get in due to renovations and all restaurants around were closed. In a run down part of town and felt unsafe even in the daytime. Probably best visited with a guide and.... more

Shut for renovation , couldn’t get in due to renovations and all restaurants around were closed. In a run down part of town and felt unsafe even in the daytime. Probably best visited with a guide and.... more »

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Google

By Nichola Zaffino

Beautiful, unfortunately it is still undergoing work so areas are closed off (hence the 4 stars). It is quite nice they have small benches to be able to just sit and take it in. Even the parts where the tiles of mosaics are missing are intriguing as you can see the markings underneath they used as a template. Somewhere I would definitely revisit once all works are finished.

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By Zübeyir Talha Cerrah

Very beautiful church which is under restoration. The conversation of this church into a mosque in the 21th century is a shame. The build should in my opinion remain as a church, or at least be converted into a museum.

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By Terry Brougham

Much of this church/museum is closed for restoration work and the ticket price has not been reduced. However, what was on show was amazing and well preserved. We had a museum pass and this site was included, so it didn't cost us extra and we enjoyed the journey and location as well.

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By Jinn

Amazing frescoes here. Well preserved there are in-house guides you can pay for. They will probably give u more guidance. Building itself is under restoration works, also this will become a msoque in the future so it be interesting to see what happens o the frescoes

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By Isabel Berdeja

This is one of my favorite off-the-beaten-track spots. Used to be Chora church, it has amazing mosaics and is very old. I recommend visiting

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