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| The exterior of the Chora Church. |
The Kariye Müzesi, also called Kariye Camii or Kariye Kilisesi ("the Chora Museum", "the Chora Mosque", "the Chora Church") is one of the most beautiful Byzantine churches in the whole world. It's located in western Istanbul, in the Edirnekapi district. The church was converted into a mosque in the 16th century, and in 1948 became a secularized museum. Thousands of visitors come here daily to admire its intricate frescoes and mosaics.
The Kariye Müzesi was firstly constructed in the early 5th century, and it was made south of the Golden Horn, outside of Constantinople. Its full Greek name was "he Ekklesoa tou Hagiou Soteros en te Chora", the Church of the Holy Saviour in the Country. The "Country" refers to the area outside Constantinople where the church was built. The church stood outside Constantinople's walls laid down by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. However, as his successor Theodosius II built more walls in 413-414, the new walls included the church as a part of the city, although the church still kept the name Chora. There is also a theory that the "Chora" in the church's name has a symbolic meaning as well; the mosaics found in the church's narthes describe Jesus Christ as "the Land of the Living" (he Chora ton zonton), whereas his mother Mary is described as "the Container of the Uncontainable" (he chora tou Achoretou). Most of the material in the church that stands today dates back to 1077-1081. Maria Dukaina (mother-in-law of Alexius I Comnenus) rebuilt the church as a quincunx (inscribed cross), which was the peak of architectural fashion of that time. In the 12th century, the church collapsed partially, most probably due to an earthquake, and was later rebuilt by Alexius' third son, Isaac Comnenus. Nevertheless, it took two hundred more years for the church to appear as it is today, as Theodore Metochites, a wealthy Byzantine statesman, enriched the church with frescoes and mosaics somewhere between 1315 and 1321. The mosaics of the Chora Church represent the finest works of the Palaeologian Renaissance, although its artists are unknown.
In 1328, Metochites is exiled by Andronicus III Palaeologus, but is allowed to come back after two years. He lived his last years as a monk in the very same church he helped build. Cut to 1423, the last Siege of Constantinople. The Christians bring a powerful relic to the Chora Church, namely the Icon of the city's protector, the Theotokos Hodegetria, in order to help them defend against the Ottoman invaders. Skip fifty years ahead, and Atik Ali Pasha, Sultan Bayezid II's Grand Vizier, orders the church to be converted into a mosque, the Kariye Camii. As Islam forbids any iconic imagery, all mosaics and frescoes get covered with thick layers of plaster. This wasn't really a smart idea when it comes to preserving art, especially in an area where earthquakes are frequent. Since we're already skipping ahead like crazy, why not skip all the way to the 20th century, 1948. Enter Thomas Whittemore and Paul A. Underwood. These gentlemen came, respectively, from the Byzantine Institute of America and the Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, in order to fund a restoration programme for the Chora Church. And from this time onward, the building wasn't a mosque anymore. Ten years later, the building opens its doors to the public as a museum called the Kariye Müzesi.
The Kariye Müzesi covers 742,5 square meters, so it's rather small compared to Istanbul's grandiose Hagia Sophia or the Blue Mosque. However, as Master Yoda put it, "Size matters not...Look at me. Judge me by size, do you?" The building is comprised of three parts:
There are six domes, three are in the naos, two in the esonarthex and one in the parecclesion. The esonarthex (outer narthex) is the first area you enter. A 4m wide, 23m long corridor, it opens partially into the eastern parallel esonarthex. The southern part opens through the esonarthex making an antechamber to the parecclesion on the western side. Some of the most notable mosaics in the exonarthex are:
The inner narthex is similar to the exonarthex, and it runs parallel with it. It's also 4m wide, but a bit shorter, having only 18m in length. The central, eastern door takes you into the naos, and the southern door leads you into the parecclesion's square antechamber. In the north, a door will take you into a wide corridor running along the naos' northern side into the prothesis. The inner narthex has two domes, the larger one being positioned between the naos and parecclesion entrances, whereas the smaller one is above the entrance to the north corridor. More artworks can be seen here, including the following:
There is also a series of mosaics in the inner narthex depicting the life of the Virgin Mary and her parents:
The esonarthex's central doors will take you into the naos, which is the main body of the church. Above its centre is the largest dome of the church, measuring 7,7m in diameter. The apse is flanked by two smaller domes - the northern one over the prothesis and the southern one over the diaconicon. The artworks seen here include:
The pareclession, or the side chapel, is reached via the doors on the right of the esonarthex. This area used to serve as a mortuary chapel for memorials and family burials. The parecclesion's roof features the second dome, which measures 4,5m in diameter. There is a small passage connecting the parecclesion with the naos, where you can also spot a storeroom as well as a smallish oratory. The parecclesion features frescoes such as the:
