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ALL TURKEY TOURS |
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INFORMATION |
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CHORA MUSEUM;
Kariye Museum originally formed the center of a Byzantine
monastery complex. Only the church section, which was
dedicated to Jesus Christ the Savior, has survived. After
the arrival of the Turks in Istanbul, this building, like
the Hagia Sophia, was converted into a mosque. In 1948 it
was made a museum leaving no Islamic element in the building
except the 19C minaret outside in the corner.
"Kariye" is the Turkish adaptation of an ancient Greek word
"Chora" which refers to countryside. Considering the
perimeter of the walls of Constantine (4C AD) the building
was located out of the city. If this theory is correct Chora
Monastery should have been from the 4C. But unfortunately
according to sources, the existence of Chora Monastery
before the 8C is not certain.
Chora went through many restorations the last most
significant instigated by Theodorus Metochitus, prime
minister and first lord of the treasury, in the beginning of
the 14C. The three most important features of the church,
mosaics, frescoes and the funerary chapel (Paracclesion) are
from that period. Theodorus Metochitus built the
Paracclesion for himself and he was buried in the entrance
of the church; his grave bears a marble stone.
The art of painting in frescoes and mosaics were the
indications of a new Byzantine art movement which was
parallel to Italian Renaissance started by Giotto
(1266-1337).
The building consists of the nave, the inner narthex, outer
narthex and the paracclesion. The domes of the inner narthex
and the paracclesion are lower than the main dome and are
only seen from the rear of the church. The drum is supported
on four huge pilasters in the corners and four great arches
spring from these. The transition is supplied by
pendentives. The drum has 16 flutes, each pierced by a
window. Entrance to the nave is through both inner and outer
narthexes. The niches in the paracclesion were built to keep
sarcophagi, as this section was the funerary chapel.
In the mosaics, the lives of Jesus Christ and the Virgin
Mary are depicted. Background elements and architectural
motifs are highlighted to give depth. The scenes are
realistic as if they were taken from daily life with figures
correctly proportioned. Jesus has a humanitarian look upon
his face.
Mosaics can be divided into 7 cycles: the nave panels; the
six large dedicatory panels in the inner and outer
narthexes; the ancestry of Jesus in the two domes of the
inner narthex; life of the Virgin Mary in the first three
bays of the inner narthex; the infancy of Jesus in the
lunettes of the outer narthex; the ministry of Jesus on the
vaults of the outer narthex and the fourth bay in the inner
narthex; and finally the portraits of the saints on the
arches and pilasters of the inner narthex.
Mosaics of major importance are as follows:
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,
Theodorus Metochitus offering 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 Blessed the
Virgin; (14) First seven steps of the Virgin; (15) The
Virgin caressed 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 became angry.
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 Herod;
(30) Flight into Egypt; (31-32) Massacres ordered by 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.
Paracclesion; The pictures here are frescoes. This
chapel was designed to be a burial place. Among the major
frescoes in the paracclesion 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 the Virgin Mary 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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