İdil Özenel

21.12.2023

Understanding an Era Through the Chora Church

What is known today as the Chora Mosque, located in Edirnekapı of today’s İstanbul,
was originally built as the Church of St. Savior in the Chora as part of a monastery complex
outside the walls of Constantinople. The meaning of the expression "Chora" implies the
approximate period of the church's foundation: “Hē Ekklēsia tou Agiou Sōtēros en tēi Chōrai”
being the original Greek name, “Chōrai” translating as “outside the city, rural”, indicates that the
original date of construction goes back to the 4th century, when the location of the monastery
was outside initial the walls of Constantine the Great. Later, in the 5th century, Theodosius II
built new walls, enlarging the citadel, and the church stood inside the walls, however the name
carried on (Van Millingen 289).
After going through several collapses caused by earthquakes, destruction in the
Iconoclastic Period and the invasion of the Latins during the Fourth Crusade, Chora Church was
renovated by Theodore Metochites, a wealthy aristocrat, scholar and statesman. The restoration
took place between 1316-1321, an outer narthex and a funeral chapel called parekklesion were
added to the core building. Metochites desired to be buried in Chora after his death, and the
mosaics and frescoes crafted in this period were designed by himself, indicating his dedication to
the church and his quest in salvation after death (Freeman).
Around sixty years after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the church was
converted into a mosque, resulting in the imagery being covered with plaster and removable
wooden shutters. A restoration program that took place between 1948 and 1958, which was led
by Thomas Whittemore and Paul A. Underwood revealed the rich artwork that had been hidden
for almost five centuries. In 2019, the church was ordered to be reconverted into a mosque by the
Turkish Council of State, and has been closed for visit since then (“Chora Mosque”).
 Fig. 1. Chora Exterior (Arın, 1984)

The architectural plan of the church consists of three main parts: the narthex – divided
into two as exonarthex (outer) and esonarthex (inner) – naos and the parekklesion (side chapel).
Naos is built in square form, a large central dome is supported by four primary pillars and
pendentives. The pumpkin dome is equipped with 16 niches and windows. The inner narthex
(esonarthex) is the horizontal corridor from which visitors enter the naos. Dating back to the 9th
century, this corridor provided a transitional space for the flow from the non-sacred to the sacred.
In his renovations, Metochites added the outer narthex (exonarthex) and parekklesion sections in
respect to the characteristic elements of the older structure. The dome of the parekklesion is built
on the same axis as the central naos dome and the details of the apse are repeated on the new
chapel (Ousterhout 126). After the reconquest by the Palaiologos dynasty following the Latin
occupation, economic conditions in the empire did not support new architectural production;
instead, efforts were directed towards the renovation of existing monasteries and the addition of
minor enhancements. What distinguishes the artistic output of this period is the revolutionary
embellishments found in mosaics and frescoes. In contrast to the early Byzantine period, the
tesserae in the final century of the empire diminished in size, and the narrative in mosaics and
frescoes moved away from linearity, approaching a more three-dimensional representation. This
era, known as the Palaiologan Renaissance, is recognized as the pioneer of the Italian
Renaissance in the art world (Kuban 72-79).
 Fig. 2. Chora Church 12th Century
Renovations Plan (Ousterhout, 2021, p. 112)

Fig. 3. Chora Church Plan

(Ousterhout, 2021, p. 126)

Art displayed in public buildings was a didactic method of transferring verbal and visual
knowledge to illiterate people. The hierarchy in the integration of art and architecture showed
many details about the significant elements of the narrative (Güven). The exonarthex is filled
with mosaics following the life of Jesus from his birth to his adulthood. However, to follow the
story in a chronological order, one has to start from the esonarthex. The mosaics on the walls,
pendentives and the domes of the esonarthex are describing the stories of the life of Mary, which
are not found in the 4 canonical Gospels, but are from the apocryphal Gospel of James. It follows
the birth of Mary, her submission to the sanctuary, her engagement with Saint Joseph, news of
her pregnancy, her telling the news to Saint Joseph and lastly the scene of Nativity. A distinctive
characteristic of the mosaics is that Jesus and Mary are wearing blue garments, separating them
from other people and emphasizing their holiness while helping the viewers distinguish them on
the damaged artworks. The most interesting, almost provocative mosaic in this section is the
portrayal of Saint Anna and Saint Joachim (Mary’s parents) performing the act of love. This is
very reformist considering the perspective towards sexuality of the period (Tabakoğlu).

Fig. 4. Saint Anna and Saint Joachim

On the walls of the exonarthex, Jesus’s life is portrayed starting from his birth. The
mosaics’ focus shifts from Jesus to the three Magi informing King Herod about the newborn
baby who is to be the new king of Israel. The king then gives the order of killing every male
child younger than the age of two. The following mosaics are showing the violence and the
slaughter. In contrast, the pendentives on the exonarthex are depicting many miracles performed
by Jesus such as augmentation of wine and bread, healing blindness and leper. This is a form of
propaganda in which individuals who come to pray witness the "evil" and become more
determined in Christianity and Jesus, who symbolize the "good." The mosaic that visitors
confront as they walk in the church, depicts Jesus Christ as the Pantocrator, the “Lord and
Creator of the Universe'' (“Museum”). He is making the blessing hand gesture with one hand and
holding his message written in parchment on his other hand. The mosaic is located on the
exonarthex on top of the doorway opening to the esonarthex, demonstrating the supremacy and
the glory of Jesus on a large scale, filling the worshiper with modesty and prepares them for
prayer. On the other hand, the opposite wall is covered with the mosaic of Mary with two angels,
bidding farewell and filling them with relaxation and joy.

Fig. 5. Christ Pantocrator

(Piker, 2013)

On top of the entrance threshold of the naos is a scene where Theodore Metochites is
presenting the model of the Chora to Christ Pantocrator. The intriguing aspect of this mosaic is
the clothing of Metochites. He is seen wearing a robe and a headdress in a Turkish style.
Considering the Ottomans being near Byzantine at that time, this is a clear proof of the cultural
interaction between the two states (Tabakoğlu). Inside is the naos, which is the main room for
worship and ceremonies, two sides of the apse are decorated with two large mosaics. On the left
is a depiction of Jesus standing and holding the holy book. On the right is Virgin Mary, holding
baby Christ. Above the exit threshold of naos, a mosaic is portraying the dormition of Mary. with
the color of the fabric covering her coffin being purple, representing the color of the Empire.

Fig. 6. Theodore Metochites (Underwood, 1996)

 Fig. 7. Dormition of the Virgin
(Marjanovic, 2017)

To the south of Naos, is the parekklesion. On the walls of this side chapel, there are no
mosaics for decoration, but frescoes are painted on the walls and the dome. Unlike the mosaics,
matte frescoes on this section give the feeling of mystery and tranquility as the visitors step in.
This is deliberate: the parekklesion used to shelter the tombs of notable church members and was
open to rituals only for funerals. The two big frescoes are in context, one portraying the
resurrection of Adam and Eve, and the other portraying the last judgment, with large
representations of heaven and hell.

Fig. 8. Last Judgment

(Yenen, 2020)

Even though not a large building, the Chora Church has endured as a preeminent
exemplar of late Byzantine art in contemporary times. The depictions on the mosaics along with
the integrated letters and symbols, emphasize the spirituality and sanctity. The artworks,
exemplifying Byzantine artistic achievement, depict theological narratives with meticulous
craftsmanship. In essence, the Chora Church serves as a repository of Byzantine art and culture,
reflecting both historical and artistic dimensions.