THE TOUR BEGINS

The "front" door of the church you see from the square is actually the exit. The ticket booth is around the left side of the church: Go through the gate, buy your ticket, and pass through the turnstile. Walk around the back of the church to the opposite (south) side, where you'll enter. As you walk, notice the giant buttress at the back of the church. This originally held up the church...but now, due to settling over time, the church supports the buttress.
Stepping inside the building, get your bearings. You're now facing north. To your right is the paracclesion (burial chapel) with its frescoes—we'll wind up here. Straight ahead is a door leading into the interior narthex. Once inside the interior narthex, the nave and apse will be to your right (east), and the exterior narthex and exit will be to your left (west).

• For now, skip the paracclesion and walk straight ahead, into the interior narthex. Walk all the way to the end of the interior narthex (north).
 
You re standing under a dome divided into 16 sections with ribs. Look up to see a medallion representing the...

© Ancestors of Christ: At the center of the dome, in the medallion, is Mary with the baby Jesus. Notice the two figures in each section between the ribs. The upper figures are the genealogical ancestors of Jesus Christ, starting with King David; the lower figures are ancestors outside the official lineage.
• Look directly below Mary, on the right (east) wall, to see the...

© Annunciation to St. Anne: The mother of Mary, St. Anne, wears a long, red scarf over a blue garment and a red shawl that falls down to her knees. Above the fancy fountain before her is a flying angel giving the good news that she will bear a daughter.
• Look across to the opposite (west) wall. In the left corner between the arches, find the...

© Annunciation to Mary at the Well: Now it's Mary's turn. Mary is dressed in a blue tunic and holds a golden pitcher. She's surprised by the angel approaching her, who tells her she will bear the Christ child.
• Now look at the mosaic just to the left of this Annunciation scene, under the arch (andabove the lights), to see...

© Joseph Takes Mary to His Home: A young and helpless-looking Mary follows her new husband. In front of them is Joseph's son. While this figure may be surprising to Catholics, Eastern Orthodox tradition—based on the apocryphal Gospel of St. James—holds that Joseph was a widower with several children when he wed Mary. Joseph seems a little confused, too—which way is he walking?
• Continue under the next vault, and turn 180 degrees (facing east). In the arch under the vault, we see the...

© Birth of Mary: The newborn, naked baby Mary is held by a midwife as a maid prepares Mary's bath. Another maid fans St. Anne, while attending women present gifts.
• Turn 180 degrees again, and look at the opposite (west) wall to find...

© Mary Entrusted to Joseph: On the left side, the local priest Zachariah is behind young Mary, his hand protectively on her head as he presents her to Joseph. Other suitors stand to the side.
• Continue a few more steps, to the biggest door on the left, which leads into the nave. Stop short of the door and look to either side to see...

© St. Peter and © St. Paul: St. Peter is on the left side of the door, holding the keys to Heaven. On the right side is bald and wrinkled St. Paul, holding the codex of Epistles in his left hand. The wrinkles on
Paul's broad brow are said to represent his intellect. The Byzantines often decorate either side of a church's nave door with the twin figures of St. Peter and St. Paul—fathers of the early Christian Church.
• Look above the door to find the...

© Dedication Panel: The enthroned Jesus Christ is at the center, holding the Bible and making the sign of the Trinity. On his right side, squeezed in the corner, is church patron Theodore Metochites, offering Jesus a model of the church (a common Byzantine way to represent a donation). Metochites wears a fancy garment and a big hat reminiscent of a Turkish turban—both are symbolic of his status.
• Directly above this panel, in the vault, we see the...

© Presentation of Mary to the Temple: Mary's parents enthusiastically urge their daughter to go to the priest—Zachariah, father of John the Baptist—who welcomes the Virgin. Behind them, in a separate scene, we see Mary receiving holy bread from an angel.
• We'11 go into the nave later. For now, spin 180 degrees and walk (west) through the door into the...
Exterior Narthex
• Look at the arch above the exit door to find a medallion representing the...

© Incarnation of Jesus Christ: Here the Virgin Mary holds the divine baby Jesus in her womb. She is the Chora, the dwelling place of the uncontainable. The placement of this scene—just above the door to the outside—is interesting. It's likely that when the panel was made, you could see the walls of Constantinople through this door. When the city was in danger, the people would bring icons of Mary to the walls to protect the city. Perhaps this panel was part of that tradition.
• Turn right (north) and walk to the end of the exterior narthex. Look up, above the door, where two scenes are side-by-side. On the left is...

©Joseph Dreaming: In Joseph's dream, the angel explains Mary's pregnancy to him. Behind him are the Virgin and two companions.
• On the right, the holy couple is depicted on their...

© Journey to Bethlehem: Mary is seated on a donkey; in front of her is Joseph's son. Joseph walks at the back, trying to catch up. The city behind the hill is Nazareth.
• Turn 90 degrees right (east) to see the story continue in the...

© Enrollment for Taxation: The governor of Syria is seated upon a throne, wearing the outfit and hat of Byzantine's high government officials. He likely represents Theodore Metochites, who served as a tax collector (and made his fortune as the empire's treasurer) before becoming prime minister. At the center, another official holds an unrolled scroll. On the right is pregnant Mary, her belly straining her tunic. Joseph is behind her.
• Turn another 90 degrees to the right, and walk a few steps back the way you came (south). Go under the next vault and turn left (east) tofind the...

© Nativity: This representation of the birth of Jesus Christ is typically Byzantine, in that all the events related to Jesus' birth are shown next to one another. Notice the stable, animals, Joseph in deep thought, Mary resting, and maids bathing the newborn Christ.
• Look at the vault directly above you, and turn 90 degrees left (north) to find...

© John the Baptist Bears Witness of Christ: John talks with a group of priests and Levites and gestures towards Christ. The Baptist is dressed in his usual animal-skin outfit, and sports the long beard of a wilderness man.
• Turn 180 degrees (south) and look up within the same vault to see the...

© Temptation of Christ: The story of the temptation of Christ is told in four scenes arranged in a semi-circle in the vault, with the Devil represented as a dark, ugly, winged creature. In the first section, the Devil appears above a chest full of stones, asking Jesus to turn them into bread. Next, the Devil offers Jesus the world's many kingdoms (the tiny kings with crowns make the place look like Legoland). In the third scene, we see Jesus on a hill, overlooking the kingdoms. In the last scene, Jesus stands on a tower, as the Devil asks him to prove his divinity by jumping down without hurting himself.
• Continue straight ahead to the next (mostly damaged) vault, between the doors. This vault's north and south ends depict two miracles of Christ. For the first one, face into the church, and look at the left part of the vault.
 
© Miracle of Cana: Here we see Jesus turning water into wine to help out a wedding party that had gone sour. Jesus is holding a small scroll with the Virgin Mary behind him. A servant is pouring water into one of five huge jars. Notice that the jar mosaics are made of terra-cotta—the same material the original jars would have been made of.
• On the right side of the same vault, we see the...

© Multiplication of the Loaves: By blessing five loaves of bread, Christ feeds a multitude. Jesus is seen behind three big baskets of bread, giving pieces of bread to his disciples, who pass them to the crowd. If you follow the vault to the right, you'll see the happy conclusion: After everyone was fed, the remaining bread filled 12 large baskets.
• Continue one more vault to the south, and turn left to look at the scene iti the arch on the east wall. On the left is the...

©Journey of the Magi: Three wise men—Melkior, Balthazar, and Gaspar—ride their horses and follow the star to find the newborn Christ Child.
• On their right side, you see the next event, the...
© Magi B efore Herod: The wise men offer their gifts to Herod, who sits on a throne.
• Now continue to the end of the exterior narthex (toward the bookstore) and look straight up at the south wall. On the left, find the...

© Massacre of the Innocents: Herod orders the murder of all young male children, in an effort to find and kill the baby Jesus.
• To the right, we see...

© Mothers Mourn for Their Children: The mothers are grief-stricken, cradling the bodies of their brutally slain children.
• Now turn left, walk into the paracclesion, and go left again through the door, back into the south end of the interior narthex.
Interior Narthex—South End
• Stop under the first dome and turn right, looking at the giant mosaic on the east wall.

© Deesis Mosaic: This monumental scene, known as a deesis in the Greek Orthodox Church, is a representation of Christ flanked by both Mary and John the Baptist, interceding on behalf of sinners. But John must have been late for his Chora Church sitting, because he's not depicted here. Instead, behind Jesus and Mary are two small figures representing church donors. Mary is asking Jesus to forgive their sins. The woman kneeling before Christ is Melanie, the illegitimate daughter of a Byzantine emperor who married a Mongolian king. After the king died, she came back to Constantinople and lived as a nun.
• Now look up to the dome. This is another ribbed dome, divided into sections. The medallion and surrounding sections represent the...

© Biblical Genealogy of Christ: In the center, Jesus Christ—in the usual pose—holds the Bible in one hand and makes
the sign of the Trinity with the other. In the sections of the dome are Christ's Old Testament ancestors. Most of the figures come with attributes that help to identify them. The cycle starts in the upper level with Adam, standing on a snake (he's the one with a long white beard under Jesus' left hand).
If your neck isn't killing you, spend some time here, and try to identify other familiar figures—such as Noah carrying an ark. Hmm...a vessel for holding precious life...yet another metaphor for the Virgin.
• Also notice, between the wall and the dome, mosaics showing other Miracles of Christ...
© Christ Heals the Two Blind Men
© Christ Heals the Woman with Blood Disease
© Christ Heals the Leper
© Christ Heals the Multitude
• Now pass through the door on the right (east), between Saints Peter and Paul, into the...

Nave

This square, domed room is the oldest section of the building, probably dating from the 11th or 12th century. Straight ahead is the main apse—the holiest section of the church, where the altar once stood.
• Notice the marble niche a little to the right of center. This is the...

© Mihrab: This was added by the Muslim Ottomans when this church became a mosque. Representing a doorway to the holy city of Mecca, the mihrab's purpose was to show Muslims the correct direction in which to pray.
• Two mosaics in the central nave use the word "Chora" to describe Jesus and Mary. On the left side of the wall, before the apse, is a framed mosaic depiction of...

© The Living Jesus Christ: The inscription originally was "Dwelling-place (Chora) of the Living."
• On the right wall before the apse is...
 
© Mother Mary with the Child Jesus: The inscription originally was "Dwelling-place (Chora) of the Uncontainable."
• Turn around and look above the door you entered through. This is one of the church's most impressive panels, the...

© Dormition of the Virgin: Mary's death scene is made of very small mosaic pieces, allowing the artists to show palpable emotion in the faces of the apostles and other mourners around her deathbed. Behind the bed, in a large heavenly halo, is Jesus Christ. He holds the innocent soul of Mary, in the form of a baby. Angels appear in the outer ring of the halo. To the left of the bed, St. Peter swings an incense burner, while on the right, St. Paul bends toward the bed in sorrow.
Take a few moments in the nave to study the marble, and notice the slender recycled pieces in the panels placed higher on the walls—these were columns before being cut into panels.
• Now backtrack out into the long passage you passed when you first came in, the...

Paracclesion

This funerary chamber is entirely decorated with frescoes. A fresco
is painting applied to wet plaster, which provides a smooth surface for the artist. The plaster absorbs and preserves the pigment, making frescoes more durable than regular wall paintings.
Most of the frescoes on the paracclesion walls deal with the afterlife and salvation—appropriate themes for a burial chamber. Unlike most other Byzantine churches, here the dead were not interred in the ground, but instead were laid to rest in the now-empty niches in the chamber walls.
• Walk down the paracclesion until you're under the main dome. Looking up, in the center of the dome you 11 see...

© The Virgin and Child and Attendant Angels: Mary is depicted here as the Queen of Heaven, dressed in her usual blue tunic, now decorated with gold. This is another rib dome, made more impressive by the light from windows at its base. Within the dome's sections are winged angels worshipping Mary and Christ.
The angels wear clothing typical of Byzantine officials.
• Beneath the dome, on the fourpendatives (the triangles at the corners), we see...

©Four Hymnographers: These four serious-looking Byzantines are poets who were renowned for their verses in Mary's honor: John of Damascus, in the northeast corner wearing a turban; Kosmas the Poet, in the southeast corner with a blank book in his lap; Joseph the Poet, in the southwest corner holding a scroll; and Theophanes Graptos, in the northwest corner, where he's writing verses.
• Turn 90 degrees to the left (north). In the wall, find the large...

© Burial Niche of Theodore Metochites: The largest of all the chamber's burial niches, this probably belonged to Theodore Metochites. Most of its decorations were lost over the ages, although the inscriptions and decorations in some of Chora's other burial niches are among the best sources of information about the lives of 14th-century Byzantine aristocrats.
• Turn right (east) and walk a few steps, then look up and to the right
 
(south). This wall is filled with various scenes from the Dedication of Solomons Temple, including...

© The Ark of the Covenant: Men are carrying something that looks like a coffin. This is the Ark of Covenant being taken to Solomon's Temple (where, presumably, it's destined to be discovered by Indiana Jones many centuries later). This ark, like Noah's ark, is a metaphor for the Virgin Mary: All three contain the treasures of God.
• Look above the vault to see the most impressive fresco in the church, the...

© Last Judgment: This colorful fresco depicts scenes from the Book of Revelations: Christ's victory over death and the salvation of the righteous. Jesus sits on a glorious throne in the center, flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist. The 12 apostles, holding books, are seated at either side. Behind them are groups of angels. The white shell-like object held aloft by an angel represents the sky at the end of time. All around the vault are choirs of the chosen, floating in clouds.
Below this triumphant scene is the dramatic Weighing of the Souls. Christ's right palm is turned up, showing the lucky bunch who will go to heaven. His left hand is turned down and points toward the condemned, as does the river of fire flowing from his left foot.
Notice the stigmata (nail holes) on Jesus' hands. Try to imagine his gold-colored robe and the halo behind his head as they once appeared, covered in sheets of gold (some of the gold still remains in his halo).
Under Jesus are two figures on their knees. These are Adam and Eve. Farther down, you can see a scale. Naked bodies on the right are the souls awaiting judgment. At the center, another naked soul trembles while he is judged. Barely visible is a little demon, craftily trying to pull down the scale. Look closely at the river of fire to see ugly little demons giving the condemned a helpful push.
• Look on the wall to the left (north) for another scene from the Last Judgment, the...

© Entry of the Elect into Paradise: A cherub with closed wings protects the entrance into heaven. On the left, St. Peter unlocks the door. The Good Thief—carrying a cross—greets the chosen and points toward the Virgin Mary on her throne.
• Continue to the end of the hall and take a look at the larger-than-life scene on the semi-dome. This is the...

© Anastasis: Also called The Resurrection, this fresco depicts the descent of Jesus Christ into hell to save the righteous people of the Old Testament. You can see Jesus pulling Adam and Eve by their arms out of their coffins. Under Jesus' feet are the broken gates of hell, scattered keys, and Satan bound and powerless.

Mosaics 101

Mosaic art was expensive and time-consuming, which is why it's generally seen only in royal residences or churches decorated by wealthy patrons. Mosaicists generally worked in groups, like a small union or lodge. The most experienced—the master—was usually the leader. A metropolis like Constantinople supported several competing mosaics groups.
Mosaics are made of tiny pieces of glass or other materials stuck to moist plaster to create a larger image. It took about three years to complete the mosaics in the Chora Church. The Chora's art was ahead of its time, and in a way anticipated the Renaissance: art for the sake of religion, but without neglecting aesthetics. You'll notice an attempt to create emotive faces, moving bodies, and realistic perspective. The Chora Church was often used after sunset, lit by candles and oil lamps. Imagine the flickering light sweeping across the walls, each tile glittering in turn.
Feeling inspired? Here's a recipe for your own Byzantine mosaic:
1. Prepare a blueprint. Mosaics require detailed planning.
2. Gather the mosaic pieces, or tesserae. Common materials
include glass, stone, marble, and brick. Gold and silver tessarae
are not solid metal—but instead a thin layer of metal sandwiched
between two glass pieces. A very thin pink marble can represent the color of human flesh.
3. Stud the walls at random with nails, leaving about one inch of the nail exposed. This helps the plaster adhere to the wall. (Make sure you don't use iron nails—in the past, rusting iron nails ruined many mosaics when they expanded and forced chunks of plaster to crack and fall from the wall.)
4. Apply three layers of plaster, up to two inches thick. The first layer—made of crushed lime and large pieces of straw— should cover the entire work surface, and then be scored so the next layer will adhere better. When the first layer is completely dry, it's time to apply a second layer, consisting of more finely crushed lime and straw pieces. While the second layer is still damp, you can apply the third and finest layer of plaster: crushed lime and marble dust.
5. Transfer your blueprint to the plaster in the form of a rough painting. This will serve as your guide. (Often, these colored, rough figures can be seen in older mosaics where pieces have fallen out.)
6. Begin by applying smaller pieces to define the contours of your mosaic design, then fill in the rest with the bigger pieces. The frame, hands, feet, face, and hair of any figures require the most skill and are traditionally completed first by the master mosaicist. Then the other mosaicists fill in the spaces. Place your pieces at different angles to capture the light.
7. Stand back and enjoy.

The Marble of Marmara

Most of the marble used in the Chora Church came from Marmara Island, which is in Turkey's Sea of Marmara. (In fact, marmara means "marble" in Greek.) But some of the marble was recycled from buildings in Italy, Greece, and North Africa. These pieces were reshaped before being reused.
Most of the marble panels in the building are slices of stone, cut in half and placed next to one another. The workmanship involved in cutting marble was as painstaking as the workmanship of the mosaics. Only a couple of inches of marble could be cut each day, using a smooth piece of metal that—combined with sand—operated like a saw.
Notice the marble slabs of the nave's upper level. These tall, slender, recycled pieces were formed from columns cut into slices.
The marble lintels above the church's doors and door frames, and most of the column capitals, were recycled as well. The marble arches decorating the paracclesion are the best examples of stone carving from the late Byzantine period.
Whether recycled or genuine, Chora's marble decorations fit harmoniously with the rest of structure. Originally, many of the marble works were painted or glazed with gold. Throughout the church, note the small holes and niches in the marble—once used to hold icons, crosses, lamps, and holy relics. (s3)