• The Insider
  • Planning
  • Sightseeing
  • Transportation
  • Food & Drinks
  • Going Out
  • Shopping
  • FAQ
  • Tours

Istanbul Insider

Istanbul travel guide and advice by locals.

Istanbul Tour in Balat Including Chora Church, City Walls and the Patriarchate

I recently made a three hour Istanbul tour in Balat, one of Istanbul’s oldest neighbourhoods. This part of town is a melting pot of immigrants, including Jews, Orthodox Christians, and of course Turks. It took me to the old City Walls, the Kariye Museum (Kariye Müzesi or Chora Church) and the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate. If you’re interested in Istanbul’s history from the late Roman times to contemporary periods, this is a nice excursion to make.

Picture taken inside the Chora Church or Kariye Müzesi in Istanbul.
Inside the Chora Church or Kariye Müzesi in Istanbul. © Photo by Guillén Pérez

Istanbul Old City Walls

I found my way to the Kariye Museum in Edirnekapı, Fatih. But I didn’t go in yet. Since I was still fresh, I first walked a little uphill followed by a rather steep flight of stairs up the remains of the 5th century (and later) city walls. Although this climb is certainly not for everyone (there is no railing for instance), it is worth it. The view over the city is magnificent and what’s left of the walls — only one third of the original structure — is impressive.

Kariye Museum or Chora Church

Image of the Chora Church or Kariye Camii in Istanbul, Turkey
Chora Church Istanbul. © Sarah Murray

After descending from the city walls, I found my way back to the Kariye Museum or Chora Church. This site developed from a small chapel in a rural setting — Chora means ‘in the country’ — into a Byzantine church (11th century) with convent. Later, after the siege of Constantinople, the church was converted into a mosque and became a museum in 1950.

Luckily the interior of the church was pretty much left untouched after the fall of Constantinople. Even today some of the finest Byzantine mosaics and frescoes can be found in the Kariye Museum, making it the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul after the Hagia Sophia.

It was dedicated to Christ the Savior. The interior of the building is covered with wonderful mosaics and frescoes, illustrating scenes from the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Also pay special attention to its unique construction, and the usage of marble.

Immerse Yourself in Exotic Turkish Culture

Balat

Picture of a street in Balata, Istanbul.
Balat, Istanbul. © Moyan Brenn

After leaving the Chora Church, I walked downhill through the Balat district. First through the Jewish quarter, followed by the Greek quarter. Pay attention to the differences in housing, and a series of authentic wooden houses as well as several (closed) synagogues and churches.

Greek Orthodox Patriarchate

After half an hour I arrived at the seat of the Greek Orthodox Church. The church itself (19th century) is not that impressive, but the icons inside are. A nice ending point for my cultural three hour tour.

Kariye Museum (Chora Church)
Adress: Kariye Camii Sok., Kariye Meydani, Edirnekapi.
Phone: +90 212 631 92 41
The easiest way is to there is by taxi, approximately 16 TL from Sultanahmet, and 25 TL from Taksim.

Further Recommended Reading

  1. The Jewish Community and Notable Synagogues in Istanbul
  2. Istanbul Pedestrian Tips to Keep You Safe on the Road
  3. 250 Useful Turkish Words and Expressions for Tourists

Filed Under: Attractions, Istanbul Neighborhoods, Places to Visit Tips, See & Do, Travel Tips, Trip Planning Tagged With: Architecture, Chora Church, Church, City Walls, Greek Orthodox, Istanbul, Kariye Museum, Kariye Müzesi, Patriarchate, Tours

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Best Sellers

  • Email
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Us

About
Contact
Frequently Asked Questions
Sitemap

Popular Attractions

Hagia Sophia
Topkapi Palace & Harem
Dolmabahçe Palace
Bosphorus Tour
Whirling Dervishes

Travel Tips

Accommodation & Locations
Airport Transportation
Istanbul Kart, Museum Pass, Tourist Pass
Public Transportation
Taxi’s in Istanbul

© 2011–2022 The Istanbul Insider – Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Affiliate Disclaimer
Istanbul Insider
Data and Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site.
Click below to consent ('Accept') to the above or make granular choices
Manage Cookie SettingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.

Your choices on this site will be applied only for this site. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by going to the Privacy Policy page of this site.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
CookieDurationDescription
_gat1 minuteThis cookies is installed by Google Universal Analytics to throttle the request rate to limit the colllection of data on high traffic sites.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.
visitor_id5 yearsThis cookie include cookie name plus the unique identifier of the visitor account. The value stored is the unique ID of the visitor which is used for tracking the visitor.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.