SHORT HISTORY OF CHORA CHURCH
There are records showing that the early history of the Chora Church goes all the way back to the 4th century. Some other, perhaps, more reliable information points at the foundation of the monastery in the 7th century. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Chora was a centre of the resistance to Iconoclasm. Anyhow, the early records are patchy and unreliable.
The initial phase of the formidable structure that we see today dates back the 11th century. The church was in a bad state after the end of the Latin rule of Constantinople either because of earthquakes or neglect by the invaders.
The most comprehensive restoration of the Chora Church was by Theodore Metochites, a Byzantine statemen, author, philosopher and patron of arts, around 1315. He was a personal advisor to Emperor Andronikos II Palaiologos. He rebuilt and also decorated the church with mosaics and frescoes that we can see today.
OTTOMAN EXPANSION
At the same time when Chora begun to flourish, the Ottoman army started the siege of Bursa which they finally conquered in 1326. The threat to Constantinople wasn’t imminent, which is reflected in the fact that churches were expanded and embellished. The Byzantine Empire started to lose cities and territories but, it seems, that didn’t matter too much at that point.
However, after the fall of Constantinople in 1453, being so close to the city walls, Chora was among the first churches that was looted by the Ottoman invaders.
Atik Ali Pasha, the Grand Vizier of Sultan Bayazid II, converted Chora into the Kariye Mosque in 1511.
Chora became a museum in 1945 but, once again, it became a mosque in 2020.
CHORA CHURCH FRESCOES AND MOSAICS
Remarkably, despite the fact that it operated as an Islamic religious temple for 434 years, Chora Church retained most of its artistic decoration. Was there an element of guilt by the Ottomans when they saw magnificent frescoes and mosaics? Perhaps, they could’ve left it as a Christian Orthodox temple, although, that was unlikely. Almost all Byzantine churches became mosques either immediately or soon after the conquest of Constantinople.
I took some photos for this post but, the same as many other historic places, you really have to see it in its entirety. Only then you can fully appreciate Chora’s magnificence and value to the world patrimony. This former church is included in a UNESCO list of Historic Areas of Istanbul.
PAREKKLESION
OUTER NARTEX
INNER NARTEX
CHORA IS KARIYE MOSQUE
Kariye Mosque became a museum in 1945. However, they re-converted the museum into a mosque in 2020. A simple internet search will show you that there are more than 3000 mosques in Istanbul. This information is proudly displayed and, perhaps, rightly so.
My question is, was it really necessary for this former Byzantine church, with such magnificent frescoes and mosaics, to be a mosque again? Was the most recent conversion some sort of a political statement?
The main issue with this, which you can see in the photo below, is that you can no longer see mosaics in the naos. They are all covered, because it’s a mosque. What a pity.
I went to see this formidable structure at the beginning of June this year. I was lucky and didn’t have to pay to enter, but I had to pass through rigorous security checks, which is perfectly fine. You really want to make sure that this treasure is safe and well protected.
However, if you check this official link, you will see that now they started to charge 20 euros to enter, unless you go there to pray. The Louvre museum in Paris charges 22 euros, while London museums are all free.
So, the same as with Hagia Sophia, you have to pay an outrageous price to enter into a mosque. Well, Chora is either a mosque or a museum. If it’s a mosque, no fee should be charged.
Regardless, if you go to Istanbul and if you like art, make an effort and go to see this precious historic structure.
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