Mosaic Museum (Open everyday except Monday)
This Museum was built to preserve "in-situ" the exceptionally fine mosaic pavements from the 5th and 6th centuries which were in the Great Palace of the Byzantine Emperor.
Turkish&Islamic Arts Museum
Built in 1524 by Ibrahim Pasa, grand Vizier of Suleyman the Magnificient, it was the grandest private residence ever built in the Ottoman Empire. It is now used as a museum for many beautiful Turkish and Persian miniatures, Seljuk tiles, Korans and antique carpets.
St. Irene Museum
St.Irene was the first church in Istanbul built by the Constantine in the 4th and rebuilt by the Justinian. It is reputedly the site of a pre-Christian temple.
Theotokos Pammorikastos Church-Fethiye Mosque
This was the Byzantine church known as the "Joyous Mother of God" a building splendidly restored in the 1960's by the Byzantine Institue of America. The main body of the church was constructed in the 12th century by two member of the nobility, John Commenus and his wife. The Ottoman Sultan Murad the 3rd converted the building into an Islamic place of worship, naming it Fethiye Mosque.
St. Saviour Chora-Kariye Museum&Mosque (Open everyday except Tuesday)
The 11th century church of "St. Saviour" in Chora is, after St. Sophia, the most important Byzantine monument in Istanbul.The walls are decorated with superb 14th century frescoes and mosaics on a gold background. The church is remarkeble museum of Byzantine art that influenced European Rennaisance. Here you will find quite carefully tended garden facing old wooden houseswhere you can enjoy tea or coffe.
St. John of Studius Church-Imrahar Mosque
About 500 yards in front of the Yedikule, on the right, is an enormous but dilapiated and roofless building. This is the Imrahor Mosque converted from the ancient Ayios Ioannis Prodomos, St. John the Forerunner which is extremely diffcult to get into. Its central entrance is composed of four magnificient Corinthian columns in-antis supporting a sumptuously carved architrave, frieze, and cornice.
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