Which Byzantine churches with mosaics and frescoes should I visit in Istanbul besides Hagia Sophia?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 2 days ago
TL;DR
Besides Hagia Sophia, visit the Chora Museum (Kariye Camii) with well-preserved frescoes and mosaics, and Kalenderhane Mosque near Suleymaniye, a former Byzantine Church of Theotokos Kyriotissa.
What the community said
Near Suleymaniye Mosque, check out Kalenderhane Mosque — a former Byzantine Church of Theotokos Kyriotissa, converted into a mosque in the 1450s.
2 days ago Kalenderhane Mosque (Kalenderhane Camii)
In Hagia Sophia, the main mosaics depicting emperors, plus the Deesis scene with John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary, are viewable, though some may be under restoration. The Chora Museum is separately recommended.
2 days ago Hagia Sophia mosaics
The Chora Museum (Kariye Camii) is another former Byzantine church, not much newer than Hagia Sophia, but with far more surviving Christian frescoes intact.
2 days ago Chora Museum (Kariye Camii)