Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) Tickets — Entrance Fee & Booking Options

Who needs a ticket

Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) is a working mosque with a visitor route. Whether you pay depends on why you come and who you are (source).

The entrance fee for foreign visitors has applied since August 2024, a few months after the building reopened (source). Older blog posts and forum threads that describe walking in without a ticket are out of date.

Official gate price and our price

The gate price is set by the operator and is the same for every foreign visitor. Our price covers the ticket plus the service of booking it for you online. The exact amount for your date and group is shown on the ticket card and again at checkout, before you pay.

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Gate or online: which to choose

Both routes get you through the same visitor entrance. Buying at the gate suits you if your plans are loose and you only want entry. Booking online suits you if you want the day fixed before you travel across the city, or if you want an audio guide included in the same step. Either way, check the opening hours first, because a ticket cannot be used during a prayer pause or on the weekly closed day.

What we sell: entry + audio guide

We sell one package online: entry to the visitor route of Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) on the day you choose, with an audio guide. Full inclusions and the price for your date appear in the booking window.

The audio guide matters here more than at most monuments. The decoration is arranged as connected stories, and it is hard to follow them without some explanation. The inner narthex alone holds a full cycle of the life of the Virgin, from her parents Joachim and Anne to her betrothal (source). Read the mosaics and frescoes guide beforehand and the commentary will make more sense.

Book entry + audio guide

A visit with a live guide is a different product; what a guide adds is explained on the guided tour page. The site is in Edirnekapı, Fatih, Istanbul, away from the main hotel districts, so plan the journey with how to get there.

How booking and QR delivery work

1. Choose your date and number of visitors on the ticket card.
2. Pay in the secure booking window. No account is needed.
3. Receive your QR code by email. It is sent instantly to the address you enter, so check for typing mistakes.
4. Show the QR code on your phone at the visitor entrance. Visitors enter the grounds from Kariye Türbesi Sokak on the north side and pass a security check (source).

If the email does not arrive, look in your spam folder first, then contact our support team using the details at the bottom of this page.

Cancellation and changes

Cancellation and change terms are shown at checkout before you pay, and they are repeated in your confirmation email. Read them before you book, especially if your Istanbul plans are not yet fixed.

Museum Pass and city cards

Museum passes are not accepted at Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) (source). If you bought a pass for other Istanbul museums, you still need a separate ticket here. Do not count on a pass at the gate.

Before you book: check the day and time

A ticket does not override the mosque schedule. Keep these points in mind when you choose a date.

• Tourist hours: 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:55.
• Days open to visitors: Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
• Closed to visitors: Friday. Fridays: worship only, no tourist visits.
• Prayer pauses: Tourist entry stops about 15–30 minutes before each prayer time and resumes after prayers.
• Dress code: Shoulders and legs covered; headscarf for women inside the prayer hall.
• Time needed: about 60 minutes.

The opening hours page explains how the prayer pauses work and which part of the day is calmest.

What your ticket lets you see

Your ticket gives access to the visitor route: the outer narthex, the inner narthex and the parekklesion, the frescoed side chapel. These rooms hold the mosaics and frescoes commissioned by Theodore Metochites between 1316 and 1321 (source). The best-known image is the Anastasis in the apse of the chapel, where Christ lifts Adam and Eve from their tombs (source).

The mosaics in the central prayer hall are covered, because that space is used for worship (source). This is true for every ticket type, ours and the gate's alike. For a full picture of the visit, start with the Chora Church (Kariye Mosque) visitor guide.