Adorning the nave/naos of Chora Church, this panel is hung above the main door. Mary on her deathbed is accompanied by saints, women, apostles, angles and Jesus Christ.

Christ who is dressed in all gold is holding an infant with veiled hand, symbolizing the soul of Virgin Mary. Two angels above are waiting to receive her soul. At the center, Christ is surrounded by a double layered mandorla (a kind of halo). It symbolizes the light that leads to heaven. There is a seraph above Christ’s head whose two wings are ready to fly.

In naos, the mosaic panel describing the death of Mary is a masterpiece. The naos is also famous for its marble ornaments which include the onyx, red and porphyry columns that came from different places of the world.

The Virgin Hodegetria

Mary is holding the Child Christ. Christ is by her as the source of salvation. Above the panel, there are remains of a destructed marble engravings of Christ’s face and two angels.

Jesus Christ and Holy Book

In this panel, Jesus is holding the Holy Book with pages open: ‘’ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give rest’’ Matthew (11:28)

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1- Anastasis Scene:

Meaning ‘’standing up again’’ in Greek, Anastasis is one of the finest example of frescoes in the world. It is located in the semi-dome of the apse.

The fresco symbolizes a physical resurrection of humankind.

In the center, Christ is depicted in a three layered mandorla – symbolizing trinity. In each layer, there are eight pointed stars. Christ wears white garments. He grabs the wrists of Adam & Eve by pulling them out of their sarcophagi. Eve is wearing red clothes. Inside Eve’s sarcophagus, Abel-her son is also standing.

The doors of hell is broken down under the feet of Christ. The locks, nails and chains are scattered around Satan whose hands, feet and neck are tied up.

While Abel is followed by a group on the right of Christ, on the left John the Baptist points Christ to the kings – including Solomon him.

2-Resurrection of the son of a widow.

3- The Judgement Day

Deesis

Seated in the center of a multi-layered mandorla, Christ is surrounded by Mary, John the Baptist, 12 disciples, martyrs prophets. Mary and John the Baptist are praying for the salvation of the humanbeing.

The Last Judgment

Under the Deesis scene, there is Hetoimasia Jesus on a throne (there is no image of him but a cloth of him) accompanied by 2 seraphims. Adam and Eve are paying homage, kneeling down on each side of the throne. Under them, two angels are weighing and recording the good works & sins of mankind. The sinners are depicted to be sent to hell.

Scroll of the sky

An angel carries the scroll of the sky with sun, moon and stars in it. It is surrounded by the choirs of saints, bishops and disciples.

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Mosaics

1- METER THEOU

This mosaic depicts Mary with baby Christ in her womb. Her two hand are outstretched and there are two angels whose hands are veiled to touch sacred one. Around Mary, ‘’Mother of God’’ and ‘’Chora of the unlimited’’. We can say that this name of the museum is named after this Chora Mosaic because Chora means the womb where Christ was born. This type of depiction is named as ‘’blacherniotissa’’.

2-PANTOCRATOR JESUS CHRIST

Signing benediction with his right hand and holding the Holy Book with the left one, Christ is portrayed in a realistic way in the mosaic. His right ear is lower than the left one. His head is surrounded by a nimbus with a cross inside. The inscription around him reads ‘’Jesus Christ’’ and ‘’the Chora of the living’’ which is taken from Psalm 116 (The land of living, the eternal reward for faithful in heaven)

Moreover, this mosaic is made with a special technique; his look catches you wherever you look at him.

3-THE DREAM OF JOSEPH

In this mosaic lunette, we see Joseph thoughtfully in a dream. He is not aware of Mary’s pregnancy. In his dream, an angel announces the good news that Mary will bear a boy named Jesus who comes from the Holy Ghost so not to leave her.

Above him, Mary and Elizabeth is talking. After Joseph has waken up, he takes his family to Bethlehem where Christ will be born. Mary is depicted on a mule pulled by the son of Joseph and followed by Joseph.

4– The birth of Christ (Nativity)

In this scene, we see Mary, in the center lying on a blanket with Christ on her left with a light from heavens on him. There are two animals looking at him, because they are in a stable. Behind Mary, angels are praying and on the right, Gabriel announces the birth of Christ to the shepherds.

On the left below the panel, two women is bathing the baby Christ. And near them, Joseph is sitting broodingly with a halo around his head.

5- The three Magi 

The three Magi (aka three Wise men) are traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations. We see them coming from the East on horses following a star and arriving in Bethlehem. They ask the king Herod where the newborn King of Jews. One of them has a box full of gifts in his hands to present the new King. The King askes them to let him know if they find him so that he could worship him, too.

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Mosaics

1- Inside the northern dome of the inner narthex, the 16 ancestors of Virgin Mary are depicted in double rows. In the center, Mary and baby Christ on her leap are seated. We can see the monograms of ‘’Mother of God’’ around her.

2- Inside the northern dome of the inner narthex, the 24 ancestors of Christ Pantocrator are depicted in 2 rows. In the center Christ is performing benediction with his right hand. He has a bread and a nimbus around his hand. The names of each ancestor are inscribed over their heads.

3- In this mosaic, we see Zacharios whose hands are open as a sign of rejecting. He doesn’t accept the sacrifices of Joachim and Anna -the parents of Mary- because they are childless.

Zacharios whose hands are open as a sign of rejecting – Inner Narthex Mosaics of Chora

4- Joachim whose sacrifices have been rejected is seen praying & fasting for forty days. We see him inside bushes sitting broodingly. There are two shepherds near him.

5- Under the mosaic of Joachim, there is a scene of good news. The archangel Gabriel is announcing Anna that she will have a baby. Anna is in the garden, her hands are open to sky like she is praying. Behind her, a servant sitting in the niche is looking at them.

6- The Birth of Theotokos: In this scene, while Anna is greeting the gifts the women has brought after birth, baby Mary is ready for a bath. A maid is making her cradle Joachim is watching them .

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Housing the best examples of the Byzantine mosaic art, The museum of Chora is located in Edirnekapı district, Istanbul. Though its first construction date is unknown, the Chora Church was originally built atop a necropolis. Due to its location which was countryside, the church was named as ‘’Chora’’ suburban in Greek.

PANTOCRATOR JESUS CHRIST MOSAIC OF CHORA MUSEUM

The monastery was rebuilt by Justinian in the 6^th century and it was dedicated to Christ. Having survived a number of earthquakes, the building was used as a burial site for a while.

No matter it was rebuilt in 1120 by Isaac Komnenos, the church was in ruins until the 14^th century.  Theodore Metokhites (1270-1332)who was a pre-eminent statesman of the of the Byzantine Empire is renowned most for his contribution to Chora. Granted as a Megas Logothetes and the ‘’letetor’’ (the one who constructed on Orthodox church), Metokhites was also the Minister of Treasury and a poet. After building the Chora Church, Metokhites dedicated the church to ‘’Meter Theou’’ (Mother of God) and founded also a rich library.

Inside the northern dome of the inner narthex, the 16 ancestors of Virgin Mary are depicted in double rows. In the center, Mary & baby Christ on her leap are seated. We can see the monograms of ‘’Mother of God’’ around her.

Metokhites was sent to exile for 2 years in 1328. When he returned, he was only permitted to live in Chora for the rest of his life. His tomb was placed in a burial recess in the parakklesion.

Later, his friends were also buried in this part of the church. In the church, there were eight tombs which were destroyed during the Ottoman Period.

In this glamorous church, the life of Mary and Christ was narrated visually chronically.

The Chora has also a mystical meaning ‘’the womb’’ which is a representation of the womb of Mary. The womb that contains Christ is depicted on the entrance door.

In Ottoman times, the Chora remained as a church until Sultan Bayezid II. When it was turned into a mosque a mihrab, a minbar, and a minaret were added to the structure. The main dome carried by four arches and destructed mostly was built by Turks in a later time.

Fragments of Painted Windows Glass from the Chora Church, Istanbul Archaelogy Museums

Chora, 1905, Ottoman Period.

Mosaics of Chora

Chora Museum consists of five main parts: the annexes, the parakklesion, the inner & outer narthexes and the naos . Inner & outer narthexes house most of the mosaic works that tell the life story of Mary and  the miracles of Christ. The parakklesion is decorated with astonishing frescos with the scenes from the Judgment Day & Resurrection.

Anastasis Scene in Chora Museum

The outer narthex shows us the nativity, the miracles of Christ and the massacre of the innocent.

The mosaics were covered with a thin layer of paint in Ottoman Period which made them survive today.

Death of Mary, Chora.

In naos, the mosaic panel describing the death of Mary is a masterpiece. The naos is also famous for its marble ornaments which include the onyx, red and porphyry columns that came from different places of the world.

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