Chora Church

Fatih, Turkey

Open to visitors

The interior is normally open, possibly ticketed.

Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.

Opening hours: 09:00-18:00
Wheelchair access: Accessible
Phone: +90 212 631 92 41

From OpenStreetMap — confirm before travelling

Find out more

The Chora Church, a Byzantine structure begun in 1001 and located in the Edirnekapı neighborhood of Fatih, Istanbul, stands as a masterwork of Late Byzantine art. Originally built as a church, it was converted to a mosque during the Ottoman era in the 16th century, then transformed into a museum in 1945 before returning to mosque status in 2020. The building's interior is renowned for its outstanding surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes, which remained visible throughout Ottoman Muslim worship and were subsequently restored after the structure's secularization. Oriented east-west in the manner typical of Byzantine churches in the city, the building sits on a northern slope and represents a fusion of Byzantine and Ottoman architectural traditions, now recognized as part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.