The founder of the church was Theodore Metochites, prime minister to Emperor Andronicus Palaeologus I. Theodore Metochites was also an astronomer, poet, theologian and philosopher. Unfortunately he lived a very sad life, after Andronicus was replaced by Andronicus III Palaeologus, he was sent to exile. After he returned to Konstantinople, he devoted himself to the church as a monk and he died there. Early in the 16C, the church was converted into a mosque by Atik Ali Pasha and the mosaics were covered with plaster. Unless you are well informed of Old and the New Testament as well as Byzantine fine art you are advised to take a guide on your tour.
Be warned: closed on Wednesdays
The word "chora" means "outside the city, or countryside". Most probably, a small church was built here before the construction of Theodosian Walls, 5th century Roman city walls. The first chuch initiated the naming of the following edifices on the same foundation. The present-day church is dated to ll th to 14th centuries. Besides its attractive exterior, the mosaics and frescoes inside are considered masterpieces of the Byzantine "renaissance". The interior design and the additions (parecclesion) made in the 14th century were the works of Theodore Metochites.
Mosaic panels in the two narthexes at the entrance depict the lives of the Virgin and Christ in the chronological order described in the Bible. Religious subjects were depicted in the form of frescoes in the side chapel. Prominent church and court personalities also figure in these frescoes.
The Chora monastery and its church gained in importance in time when they became neighbors with the imperial palaces. These rich and meticulous decorations were made by master artists under the difficult conditions of the 14th century.
The famous scholar and statesman Theodore Metochites built the side chapel (parecclesion), the exonarthex and had the church decorated in the 1320's. The mosaic panels were created by a group of artists. The mosaics on the upper sections of the inner narthex have not survived to our day. It was characteristic of Byzantine art to add monograms and inscriptions next to the figures.
The mosaics and frescoes were whitewashed when the church was converted to a mosque in the early 16th century. They were revealed and restored by Thomas Whittemore and Paul A. Underwood from the Byzantine Institute of America in the 1948. After restoration the building was opened as a museum in 1958.
The museum is located in a charming district with old wooden houses, hotels and cafes.
