Istanbul - Kariye Camii 
Some 300m/330yds northeast of the Mihrimah Mosque in Istanbul stands the beautiful Kariye Camii, originally the church of St Saviour in Chora (in the country), belonging to a monastery which seems to have been in existence before the time of Theodosius II. It is world-famous for its mosaics and frescos of the period of the Palaeologue Renaissance (13th-14th centuries). The date of the church and monastery has not been established with certainty.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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Some authorities believe that the foundation of the church may go back to the fifth century; but much of the present church was built in the late 11th century by Maria Dukaina, mother-in-law of the Emperor Alexius Comnenus. Her grandson Isaac Comnenus repaired the church after it had been severly damaged in an earthquake about 1120. The magnificent decoration of the interior dates from the 13th-14th century.
Things to See
Land walls 
From outside the Edirne Gate, where Istanbul's largest Muslim cemetery is situated, there is a good general view of the land walls of Constantinople, which extend, excellently preserved for much of the way, for a distance of 6670m/7,300yds from the Golden Horn to the Sea of Marmara. With their numerous towers, large and small, they are a superbly impressive sight.
The Theodosian walls, which form the main section of the circuit, were built between 413 and 439, and after an earthquake in 447 were developed into a threefold ring of defenses some 60m/200ft wide, with a height, from the bottom of the moat, of 30m/100ft. There are superb views from the top of the walls.
A little way north of the Edirne Gate the line of the Theodosian walls is continued by the walls of the Blachernae quarter, originally built between the seventh and 12th century Opposite the little Kerkoporta Gate are the ruins of a Byzantine palace, the Tekfur Sarayi (10th century).
The Theodosian walls, which form the main section of the circuit, were built between 413 and 439, and after an earthquake in 447 were developed into a threefold ring of defenses some 60m/200ft wide, with a height, from the bottom of the moat, of 30m/100ft. There are superb views from the top of the walls.
A little way north of the Edirne Gate the line of the Theodosian walls is continued by the walls of the Blachernae quarter, originally built between the seventh and 12th century Opposite the little Kerkoporta Gate are the ruins of a Byzantine palace, the Tekfur Sarayi (10th century).
Mosaics
The mosaics in the Kariye Camii in Istanbul, preserved almost intact in the two narthexes and fragmentarily in the katholikon (nave), cover a wide range of themes, from the ancestors of Christ to the Last Judgment. In the parekklesion (side aisle), which served as a burial chapel, are a unique series of frescos on the themes of death, resurrection and the life after death.
