Chora Church

Chora literally means ‘country’, reflecting the fact that when this church (also known as the Church of the Holy Saviour Outside the Walls) was built in AD 527–65 it was located outside the original city walls built by Constantine the Great. However, within a century it was engulfed by Byzantine urban sprawl and enclosed within a new set of walls built by Emperor Theodosius II. The environs of the church weren’t the only thing to change over the years – after centuries of use as a church the building became a mosque, Kariye Camii, after the Conquest and it now functions as a museum. And what you see today is not the original church-outside-the-walls. Rather, this one was built in the late 11th century, with reworking in the succeeding centuries. Virtually all of the interior decoration – the famous mosaics and the less renowned but equally striking frescoes – dates from 1312 and was funded by Theodore Metochites, a man of letters who was auditor of the Treasury under Andronikos II (between 1282 and 1328). One of the museum’s most wonderful mosaics, found above the door to the nave in the inner narthex, depicts Theodore offering the church to Christ. The mosaics, which depict the lives of Christ and Mary, are stunning. Look out for the Khalke Jesus, which shows Christ and Mary with two donors – Prince Isaac Comnenos and Melane, daughter of Mikhael Palaiologos VIII. This is under the right dome in the inner narthex. On the dome itself is a stunning depiction of Jesus and his ancestors (the Genealogy of Christ). On the narthex’s left dome is a serenely beautiful mosaic of Mary and the Child Jesus surrounded by her ancestors. In the nave are three mosaics: of Christ, of Mary and the child Jesus and of the Dormition (Assumption; map item 50a) of the Blessed Virgin – turn around to see this, as it’s over the main door you just entered. The ‘infant’ being held by Jesus is actually Mary’s soul. To the right of the nave is the parecclesion, a side chapel built to hold the tombs of the church’s founder and his relatives, close friends and associates. It is decorated with frescoes that deal with the themes of death and resurrection, depicting scenes taken from the Old Testament. The striking painting in the apse known as the Anastasis shows a powerful Christ raising Adam and Eve out of their sarcophagi, with saints and kings in attendance. The gates of hell are shown under Christ’s feet. Less majestic but no less beautiful are the frescoes adorning the dome, which show Mary and 12 attendant angels. Though no one knows for certain, it is thought that the frescoes were painted by the same masters who created the mosaics. Theirs is an extraordinary accomplishment, as the paintings, with their sophisticated use of perspective and exquisitely portrayed facial expressions, are reminiscent of those painted by the Italian master Giotto, the painter who more than any other ushered in the Italian Renaissance. Between 1948 and 1959 the decoration was carefully restored under the auspices of the Byzantine Society of America. Plaster and whitewash covering the mosaics and frescoes was removed and the works were cleaned. This is one of the city’s best museums and deserves an extended visit. On leaving, we highly recommend sampling the delectable Ottoman menu at the restaurant Asitane, which is in the basement of the next-door Kariye Oteli; access it via the stairs on the left-hand side of the hotel. Finally, a plea: despite signs clearly prohibiting the use of flashes in the museum, many visitors wilfully ignore this rule. Please don’t be one of them.

It was not only the environs of the church that changed over the years. For four centuries the building served as a mosque, Kariye Camii, but it's now a museum. And what you see today is not the original church-outside-the-walls. Rather, this one was built in the late 11th century, with reworking in the succeeding centuries. Virtually all of the interior decoration - the famous mosaics and the less-renowned but equally striking frescoes - dates from 1312 and was funded by Theodore Metochites, a man of letters who was auditor of the Treasury under Andronikos II (between 1282 and 1328). One of the museum's most wonderful mosaics, found above the door to the nave in the inner narthex, depicts Theodore offering the church to Christ.

The mosaics, which depict the lives of Christ and Mary, are stunning. Look out for the Khalke Jesus which shows Christ and Mary with two donors - Prince Isaac Komnenos and Melane, daughter of Mikhael Palaiologos VIII. This is under the right dome in the inner narthex. On the dome itself is a stunning depiction of Jesus and his ancestors. On the narthex's left dome is a serenely beautiful mosaic of Mary and the Child Jesus surrounded by her ancestors.

In the nave are three mosaics: of Christ, of Mary and the child Jesus and of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin - turn around to see this, it's over the main door you just entered. The 'infant' being held by Jesus is actually Mary's soul.

To the right of the nave is the parecclesion, a side chapel built to hold the tombs of the church's founder and his relatives, close friends and associates. It is decorated with frescoes that deal with the themes of death and resurrection, depicting scenes taken from the Old Testament. The striking painting in the apse known as the Anastasis shows a powerful Christ raising Adam and Eve out of their sarcophagi, with saints and kings in attendance. The gates of hell are shown under Christ's feet. Less majestic but no less beautiful are the frescoes adorning the dome, which show Mary and 12 attendant angels.

Though no one knows for certain, it is thought that the frescoes were painted by the same masters who created the mosaics. Theirs is an extraordinary accomplishment, as the paintings, with their sophisticated use of perspective and exquisitely portrayed facial expressions, rival those painted by the Italian master Giotto, the painter who more than any other ushered in the Italian Renaissance.

Between 1948 and 1959 the decoration was carefully restored under the auspices of the Byzantine Society of America. Plaster and whitewash covering the mosaics and frescoes was removed and the works were cleaned. Unfortunately, the mosaics seem to be in need of further work today, with damp appearing under the Perspex covers on some of the outer narthex's examples.

This is one of the city's best museums and deserves an extended visit. On leaving, we highly recommend sampling the delectable Ottoman menu at the Asitane restaurant, which is under the next-door Kariye Oteli.

Finally, a plea: despite signs clearly prohibiting the use of flashes in the museum, many visitors wilfully ignore this rule. Please don't be one of them.