Kariye Museum

A recent article includes the Kariye Museum in Istanbul among the top 30 must-see museums in the world.
Patricia Schultz, author of the book, “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” ranks The Kariye Museum in Istanbul alongside such internationally celebrated art museums as The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Bilbao, Spain; The Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia; Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam; and The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

The Kariye Museum also known as the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, this often-overlooked museum began as a chapel or church built as early as the fifth century, after which it flourished as a mosque during the time of the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul.

Kariye Museum in Istanbul is, after Hagia Sophia, the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul, Turkey. The interior of the building is covered with fine mosaics and frescoes.