As Roy engages in the daunting task of sorting out our photographs, I asked him to share a few on my blog.
Here are a few of The Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, a Byzantine Jewel, which Simon Jenkins of the Ship of Fools had suggested we see. I loved it.
Now over to Roy:
Chora Church is a small church some distance from the historic center of Istanbul, but the mosaics, regarded as the most beautiful surviving Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul, were definitely one of the highlights of our visit. Being out of the way, it is usually not very crowded, and being small allows a much closer view of the mosaics. It was first a church, then a mosque, and now a museum. I have divided the images into sections: exterior, major mosaics of Christ and the Virgin, smaller mosaics of the life of Christ, and the frescoes of the Parekklesion. The last two are the most unusual, at least to the non-Byzantine viewer.
Exterior of the Church
Interior–main images of Christ and the Virgin This picture shows the relative small size of the main part of the church, the ceiling mosiacs, and a tour group. Additional closeups follow.
There is a dome with similar to the one with Christ at the center, but instead with the virgin and child.
Smaller mosiacs
There are numerous smaller mosaics illustrating the life of Christ and saints. This mosaic is on a dome and the arches next to it.
Please correct me if I have the wrong captions!
and many more, but I’ll move on now.
Parekklesion (Side chapel)
This side chapel was used for memorials and family burials, and was decorated with frescoes.
Some other photos from Istanbul:
Views of Istanbul, Including the Little Hagia Sophia
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LA says
Very timely considering what is happening there. Thank you for sharing these. Mosaics always impress the heck outta me…it would seem so hard to keep the bigger picture in mind while working one at a time with those tiny stone pieces.
Anita Mathias says
I love mosaics too. The girls have made some, but I lack the patience (or desire) to!