Church of Chora
Istanbul's Byzantine Marvel
The Church of Chora, a Golden Award-winning book is the most interactive museum guide describing some of the oldest and finest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in Chora museum, Istanbul, Turkey.
The Church of Chora, a Golden Award-winning book is the most interactive museum guide describing some of the oldest and finest surviving Byzantine mosaics and frescoes in Chora museum, Istanbul, Turkey.
The main dome of the Chora church is the Naos. It has a size of 10.5 m x 15 m., it is supported by four columns, surrounded by six-teen long windows and is well illuminated by natural light. The main room’s floor and walls are covered with marbl eup to the cornice level,one is also decorated with Theodoros Metochite’s monograms. Inside the apse is the mihrab made in the Ottoman period, indicating the direction of Mecca. The Naos includes the Death of the Virgin (Greek: “Η Κοίμηση της Θεοτόκου”), the Virgin the Hodegetria (Greek, Oδηγήτρια, One who shows the way), and Jesus Christ holding the Book of Gospels, open to Matthew.
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Outer narthex (Greek: Εξωνάρθηκας) is the first part of the church one enters. It is a transverse corridor 4 meters wide, 23 meters long and its parallel to inner narthex. It contains narrative images from the Cycle of Infancy of Christ represented in the lunettes as well as numerous of scenes of the miracles of Christ. The stories of the Journey of the Magi in front of the enthroned King Herod and the Massacre of the Innocents where King Herod commands to execute all male children, are also represented in multiple scenes.
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Inner narthex is a rectangular space of 4 meters wide and 18 meters long and runs parallel to outer Narthex. It consists of lunettes and vaults which are decorated with the lives of the Virgin and miracles of Christ as well as standing images of saints. Inner narthex hosts an oversized representation of the Deesis, decorating the eastern wall of the nar-thex depicts Christ and the Virgin with the former founders Isaac Komnenos and the nun Melanie kneeling at their feet.
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The Parekklesion (Greek: Παρεκκλήσιον) is rectangular and single aisled, the funerary chapel houses fresco paintings, figural representations and portraits, lunettes, and four arched tombs or Arcosolia. It was designed as a shelter for the tombs including the one of Metochites’ but was also used for the performance of the rituals related to death and burial as this is evident throughout with scenes of resurrection, afterlife, and saintly intercession. On its walls hosts a plethora of full-figure portraits of martyrs and warrior saints, holy persons recognized by the Byzantines as mediators to reach God.
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