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Chora
Church (Kariye Camii in Turkish) is the most interesting
Byzantine church after Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The
importance of the church does not come from the building
itself , the frescoes and the mosaics are superb and
reflect the magnificient heritage of Byzantine Art. The
Chora Church Museum is open every day from 9 a.m to 4:30
p.m except Wed.
The
word "Chora" means "in the country" in Greek because of
the original church which was outside the city walls.
There are no remains left from the original church and
the first form of the present structure dates back to
11C. The church was founded by Maria Doukaina, mother-in-law
of Alexius Comnenos I between 1077-1081. Today's church
was constructed after two centuries, the walls were
revetted with superb mosaics and a pareclession was
added decorated with beautiful frescoes. The founder of
the church was Theodore Metochites who served as a prime
minister during the time of EmperorAndronicus
Palaeologus I. He was also an astronomer, poet,
theologian and philosopher. Actually he lived a very sad
life, after Palaeologus was replaced by another emperor,
he was sent to exie. After he came back to
Konstantinople, he devoted himself to the church as a
monk and he died there. Early in the 16C, the church was
converted to a mosque by Atik Ali Pasha and the mosaics
were covered with plaster. In 1948, it was restored by
Byzantine Institute of America and opened as a museum in
1958.
The
mosaics in Chora Museum dates back to 14th C and they
can be divided into 4 parts, the ones on the nave, outer
narthex(entrance), inner narthex and frescoes in
pareclession(funerary chapel)
Nave; (1) Koimesis,
the Dormition of the Virgin. Before ascending to Heaven,
her last sleep. Jesus is holding an infant, symbol of
Mary's soul; (2) Jesus Christ; (3) The Virgin Mary.
Inner Narthex;
(4) The
Enthroned Christ with the Donor, Theodore Metochites
presenting a model of his church; (5) St. Peter; (6) St.
Paul; (7) Deesis, Christ and the Virgin Mary (without
St. John the Baptist) with two donors below; (8)
Genealogy of Christ; (9) Religious and noble ancestors
of Christ.
The
mosaics in the first three bays of the inner narthex
give an account of the Virgin's birth and life. Some of
them are as follows: (10) Rejection of Joachim's
offerings; (11) Annunciation of St. Anne, the angel of
the Lord announcing to Anne that her prayer for a child
has been heard; (12) Meeting of Joachim and Anne; (13)
Birth of the Virgin Mary; (14) First seven steps of the
Virgin; (15) The Virgin given affection by her parents;
(16) The Virgin blessed by the priests; (17)
Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple; (18) The
Virgin receiving bread from an Angel; (19) The Virgin
receiving the skein of purple wool, as the priests
decided to have the attendant maidens weave a veil for
the Temple; (20) Zacharias praying, when it was the time
to marry for the Virgin, High Priest Zacharias called
all the widowers together and placed their rods on the
altar, praying for a sign showing to whom she should be
given; (21) The Virgin entrusted to Joseph; (22) Joseph
taking the Virgin to his house; (23) Annunciation to the
Virgin at the well; (24) Joseph leaving the Virgin,
Joseph had to leave for six months on business and when
he returned the Virgin was pregnant and he is suspicious
of that.
Here it
continues not chronologically: (42-44) Miracles.
Outer Narthex;
(25) Joseph's dream and journey to Bethlehem; (26)
Enrollment for taxation; (27) Nativity, birth of Christ;
(28) Journey of the Magi; (29) Inquiry of King Herod;
(30) Flight into Egypt; (31-32) Massacres ordered by
King Herod; (33) Mothers mourning for their children;
(34) Flight of Elizabeth, mother of St. John the Baptist;
(35) Joseph dreaming, Return of the holy family from
Egypt to Nazareth; (36) Christ taken to Jerusalem for
the Passover; (37) St. John the Baptist bearing witness
to Christ; (38) Miracle; (39-41) Miracles.(45) Jesus
Christ; (46) The Virgin and Angels praying.
Parecclesion;
The
pictures here are frescoes. This chapel was designed to
be a burial place. Among the major frescoes in the
parecclesion are as follows: (47) Anastasis, the
Resurrection. Christ, who had just broken down the gates
of Hell, is standing in the middle and trying to pull
Adam and Eve out of their tombs. Behind Adam stand St.
John the Baptist, David and Solomon. Others are
righteous kings; (48) The Second coming of Christ, the
last judgment. Jesus is enthroned and on both sides the
Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist (this trio is also
called the Deesis); (49) The Virgin and Child; (50)
Heavenly Court of Angels; (51-52) Moses.
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