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Hagia Sophia Mosque vs Chora Museum
Hagia Sophia and Kariye Museum are both praised by writers. Overall, Hagia Sophia is preferred by most reviewers compared to Kariye Museum. Hagia Sophia ranks #6 in Istanbul with positive reviews from 8 reviewers such as Time Out, Afar Magazine and Frommer's.
Hagia Sophia Mosque
Fodor's
Concierge
Frommer's
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
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Sultanahmet, Eminonu District, Istanbul, Turkey
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Fodor's
"This soaring edifice is perhaps the greatest work of Byzantine architecture and for almost a thousand years... it was the world's largest and most important religious monument. "
Full review
Concierge
"Don't even dream of leaving Istanbul without visiting this holy trinity of sights."
Frommer's
"For almost a thousand years, the Ayasofya was a triumph of Christianity and the symbol of Byzantium."
Full review
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"Sophia in Latin, Haghia Sofia in Greek and the Church of the Divine Wisdom in English, this extraordinary building is İstanbul's most famous monument."
Full review
Travel + Leisure
"Hagia Sophia reigned as the greatest church in Christendom from the fourth century to the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453."
Full review
Chora Museum
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
Let's Go
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Kariye Camii Sokak,No:26 Edirnekapi, Istanbul 34087, Turkey
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Fodor's
"The dazzling mosaics and frescoes in the former Church of the Holy Savior in Chora are considered to be among the finest Byzantine artworks in the world."
Full review
Concierge
"Tucked away in a far corner of the Old City, just by the Edirnekapı gate, is the tiny Kariye Museum, also known as the Chora Church."
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"İstanbul has more than its fair share of Byzantine monuments, but few are as drop-dead gorgeous as the Chora Church."
Full review
Travel + Leisure
"This pumpkin-domed church-turned-museum is one of the great surviving jewels of Byzantine art and architecture."
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Let's Go
"Chora Church requires some serious ceiling-gazing, cramp-in-the-neck-calming skills—you’ll find some of the most beautiful surviving Byzantine art on the domes above your head."
Full review
