//
Chora means countryside, and when built as a monastery in the 4th century it stood outside the Constantine walls; a century later, it was incorporated into the Theodosian walls. It was rebuilt in the 11th century then wrecked by an earthquake, so the structure and fabulous mosaics you see now are from the 14th century. When the church was converted to a mosque in 1500 the mosaics were plastered over, and only restored in 1958 when it became a museum. In 2020 it was again proclaimed a mosque but here (unlike Fethiye Mosque) they saw the sense and tourist income of preserving the mosaics. About 15 minutes before prayer times, visitors are sent out and (if they have kept their ticket) can come back around half an hour later through the main entrance. Those who attend prayer are sent out after prayer; they cannot stay to visit and can only access the parts of the chora that lead to the prayer room.
The Chora Church or Kariye Mosque was a Byzantine church, now converted to a mosque, in the Edirnekapı neighborhood of Fatih district, Istanbul, Turkey. It is famous for its outstanding Late Byzantine mosaics and frescos.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
This was built in the 1430s by Grecian Jews ("Romaniotes") from the city of Ohrid, now in North Macedonia. The district of Balat was a Jewish quarter, swelled from 1492 by those expelled from Spain. The synagogue is only open for pre-arranged tours.
Pammakaristos Church
The Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos ("All-Blessed Mother of God") was built between the 11th and 12th centuries. The parekklesion or side-chapel was added maybe 1300, with rich mosaics. The main building became a mosque in 1591, named for Sultan Murad III's conquest (fetih, hence Fethiye) of Georgia and Azerbaijan: the interior was opened up, but the chapel was undisturbed and in modern times became a museum. In 2020 the entire building was proclaimed a mosque, and every scrap of Byzantine artistry was covered up, so now there's nothing worth seeing.
Turkish: Özel Fener Rum Lisesi, Greek: Μεγάλη του Γένους Σχολή
This is the red-brick castle seen south of St George. Built 1881/83, it teaches the standard Turkish curriculum plus Greek language and culture, and the tower houses an observatory. No visits.
Sveti Stefan Kilisesi
A remarkable Bulgarian Orthodox church better known as Demir Kilise, "Iron Church", as it's a cast iron prefab. The Bulgarians split from the Greek Orthodox and established their own wooden church in 1870, which burned down. The ground was too weak for a masonry or concrete structure so they opted for cast iron. The sections were cast in Vienna, shipped here and assembled, to open in 1898. The church was renovated in 2018, but the archpatriarchate building across the street remains a gaunt shell.
Turkish: Aya Yorgi, Greek: Agíou Geōrgíou
This is modest from the outside, as the Ottomans would not permit non-Muslim religious buildings to rival the mosques. The interior is lavish but its chief importance is as the senior Eastern Orthodox church. Their Patriarchate has been housed here since 1586 when they were ejected from Agia Sophia.