The Chora Church is dedicated to Mary, the "Container of the Uncontainable", that is the Virgin Mother of God. It is filled with mosaics from the 14th century, covering the walls, the domes and the ceilings. It is stunningly beautiful, but there is so much that it is overwhelming. Understanding the subjects of the mosaics takes time. I have used a number of sources to describe the mosaics in this blog, including Rick Steves' guide to Istanbul.
Note that "Chora" is written "ΗΧΩΡΑ" in this photo.
The Chora Church is dedicated to Mary, the "Container of the Uncontainable", that is the Virgin Mother of God. It is filled with mosaics from the 14th century, covering the walls, the domes and the ceilings. It is stunningly beautiful, but there is so much that it is overwhelming. Understanding the subjects of the mosaics takes time. I have used a number of sources to describe the mosaics in this blog, including Rick Steves' guide to Istanbul. Note that "Chora" is written "ΗΧΩΡΑ" in this photo. Photo: Nikhil P.
Interior Narthex
Every surface is covered with mosaics. This section is all about Mary, illustrating scenes from her birth, young life and marriage. Don't remember this from the Bible? It's not there. These stories are from "The Protoevangelium of James" (also known as the Infancy Gospel of James) written in the second century.
Mary is blessed by the priests
"And when Mary was a year old, [her father] Joachim brought the child to the priests; and they blessed her, saying: 'O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations.'" Photo: Doug F.
Mary is brought to the Temple
"And [when] the child was three years old...[Joachim, Anna and Mary] went up into the temple of the Lord. And the priest received [Mary], and kissed her, and blessed her, saying: The Lord has magnified your name in all generations. In you, on the last of the days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel." Photo: Doug F.
Joseph is chosen to be betrothed to Mary
"And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him, saying unto him: Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let them bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she [Mary] be.... "And Joseph [went with the other widowers] to the high priest, taking with them their rods...[and the high priest] took the rods and came out, and gave them to [the widowers]: but there was no sign in them, and Joseph took his rod last; and, behold, a dove came out of the rod, and flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to Joseph, You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the virgin of the Lord." [This shows Joseph's rod flowering rather than producing a dove.]
Joseph takes Mary home
"And Joseph was afraid, and took her into his keeping. And Joseph said to Mary: Behold, I have received you from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave you in my house, and go away to build my buildings, and I shall come to you. The Lord will protect you." Joseph takes Mary to his home, with his son leading the way. Wait a minute: Joseph's son? According to tradition, Joseph married Melcha when he was 40 years old. His wife died when he was 89. They had four sons and two daughters.
Journey to Bethlehem
"And there was an order from the Emperor Augustus, that all in Bethlehem of Judea should be enrolled. And Joseph said: 'I shall enrol my sons, but what shall I do with this maiden? How shall I enrol her? As my wife? I am ashamed. As my daughter then? But all the sons of Israel know that she is not my daughter. The day of the Lord shall itself bring it to pass as the Lord will.' "And he saddled the ass, and set her upon it; and his son led it, and Joseph followed."
Enrollment for taxation (at Bethlehem)
The governor of Syria sits on a throne (left) while scribes figure out the tax (center). A very pregnant Mary is in blue (on the right) with Joseph behind her.
The Nativity
The Nativity with Mary resting in the middle, the baby Jesus being bathed and wrapped in cloth by midwives in the lower left, Joseph in the lower right, and an angel speaking to shepherds (and cows) on the right.
The Dormition
The Dormition (or "Falling Asleep") of Mary is recounted on the Orthodox Church in America website: "After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John... As Mary lay dying, "The Holy Spirit transported [John] from Ephesus, [as well as all] the Apostles and the Disciples and the holy Bodiless Powers....the Apostle Paul also appeared in a miraculous manner together with his disciples Dionysius the Areopagite, St Hierotheus, St Timothy and others of the Seventy Apostles. The Holy Spirit had gathered them all together so that they might be granted the blessing of the All-Pure Virgin Mary, and more fittingly to see to the burial of the Mother of the Lord... And then, "descending from Heaven was Christ, the King of Glory, surrounded by hosts of Angels and Archangels and other Heavenly Powers, together with the souls of the Forefathers and the Prophets, who had prophesied in ages past concerning the Most Holy Virgin Mary... Finally, "without any bodily suffering, as though in a happy sleep, the Most Holy Virgin Mary gave Her soul into the hands of Her Son and God..." Photo: Doug F.
Mary Queen of Heaven
The Death of Mary continued... "Only towards evening were the Apostles able to place [Mary's body] in the tomb and seal the entrance to the cave with a large stone. "For three days they did not depart from the place of burial, praying and chanting Psalms. Through the wise providence of God, the Apostle Thomas was not to be present at the burial of the Mother of God. Arriving late on the third day at Gethsemane, he lay down at the tomb and with bitter tears asked that he might be permitted to look once more upon the Mother of God and bid her farewell. The Apostles out of heartfelt pity for him decided to open the grave and permit him the comfort of venerating the holy relics of the Ever-Virgin Mary. Having opened the grave, they found in it only the grave wrappings and were thus convinced of the bodily ascent of the Most Holy Virgin Mary to Heaven." On this dome, Mary is depicted as Queen of Heaven, wearing blue decorated in gold. Photo: Doug F.
Ancestors of Mary
This view of the dome shows Mary and the child Jesus surrounded by her ancestors. Photo: Doug F.
Mary and Jesus
Detail of Ancestors of Mary. Note that this is a fresco (a painting on wet plaster) and not a mosaic. Photo: Doug F.
Presentation of Mary
And thus we come to Jesus, born of Mary. Now the mosaics turn to his life.
Biblical Genealogy of Christ
Looking up at the dome, we see Christ surrounded by his Biblical ancestors. You can get an idea of the number of mosaics on the walls and ceiling. On the right is the Deesis mosaic (referred to in later photos). At the bottom (in gold) are mosaics from Mary's life. In the triangular corners of the dome (the pendentives) are miracles of Christ: healing two blind men (lower left) and healing the woman with a blood disease (lower right). These details can be seen by choosing the option to "Show Full Size."
Biblical Genealogy of Christ
Detail of Biblical Genealogy of Christ. Photo: Doug F.
Temptation of Christ
Jesus and the Devil are shown in four scenes depicting the Temptation. On the left, the black winged Devil asks Jesus to turn stones into bread. Next, he offers Jesus the kingdoms of the world. Then Jesus (now facing right) stands with the Devil on a mountain, surveying the kingdoms. Finally, Jesus stands on the pinnacle of the Temple while the Devil urges him to prove his divinity by casting himself down. Photo: Doug F.
Jesus Christ
In the upper left is the Miracle at Cana, where Jesus turns water into wine. Photo: Doug F.
Jesus Heals the Leper
St. Peter
St. Peter holds the Keys to Heaven. (The keys appear to be identical. I suppose that if you lose one, it's good to have a spare.)
St. Paul
St. Paul holds the Epistles. Photo: Nikhil P.
Dedication Panel
Theodore Metochites, the patron who paid for the Chora Church, presents a model of the church to the enthroned Jesus Christ, who is holding the Bible and making the sign of the Trinity with his right hand.
Deesis Mosaic
In Orthodox tradition, a Deesis mosaic typically shows Christ flanked by Mary and John the Baptist (John the Fore-runner) interceding for humanity. In this version, John is missing. Photo: Doug F.
Deesis Mosaic
Mary interceding for sinners. The man in the lower left corner is a benefactor of Chora church. Photo: Doug F.
The Last Judgement
This fresco shows Jesus sitting on a throne in the center, flanked by Mary and John the Baptist. The 12 apostles, holding books, are seated on either side. Behind them are angels. The white object above Jesus' head represents the sky. (Notice the sun, moon and stars in it.) The stigmata (nail holes in Jesus's hands) can be seen. (Choose the option to "Show full size." Photo: Doug F.
The Last Judgement
Beneath the figure of Christ is shown the "Weighing of the Souls." Christ's right hand is turned palm up indicating those who will go to heaven; his left hand is palm down for those condemned who will follow the river of fire into Hell. Adam and Eve kneel below the figure of Christ and below them is a scale where a soul is being weighed by two angels. There is (reportedly) a little demon, pulling down on the scale. Some of these details can be seen by choosing the "Show Full Size" option. Photo: Doug F.
The Anastasis or Resurrection
This fresco depicts the descent of Christ into hell to save the righteous people of the Old Testament. Jesus is at the center pulling Adam and Eve out of their coffins.
The Anastasis
Jesus pulls Adam and Eve out of their coffins. Beneath his feet are the broken gates of hell and scattered keys. Photo: Nikhil P.
Our typical pose at the Church
We spent a lot of time looking up at the walls and ceilings of this magnificent church. Many scenes were difficult to identify, as we Protestants are less familiar with Orthodox archetypes (and non-canonical stories of Mary). But it was well worth the time. I could not have assembled this blog without the photos of Doug and Nikhil. My thanks to them both. Photo: Doug F.
The Chora Church is dedicated to Mary, the "Container of the Uncontainable", that is the Virgin Mother of God. It is filled with mosaics from the 14th century, covering the walls, the domes and the ceilings. It is stunningly beautiful, but there is so much that it is overwhelming. Understanding the subjects of the mosaics takes time. I have used a number of sources to describe the mosaics in this blog, including Rick Steves' guide to Istanbul.
Note that "Chora" is written "ΗΧΩΡΑ" in this photo.
The Chora Church is dedicated to Mary, the "Container of the Uncontainable", that is the Virgin Mother of God. It is filled with mosaics from the 14th century, covering the walls, the domes and the ceilings. It is stunningly beautiful, but there is so much that it is overwhelming. Understanding the subjects of the mosaics takes time. I have used a number of sources to describe the mosaics in this blog, including Rick Steves' guide to Istanbul.
Note that "Chora" is written "ΗΧΩΡΑ" in this photo.
Every surface is covered with mosaics. This section is all about Mary, illustrating scenes from her birth, young life and marriage. Don't remember this from the Bible? It's not there. These stories are from "The Protoevangelium of James" (also known as the Infancy Gospel of James) written in the second century.
"And when Mary was a year old, [her father] Joachim brought the child to the priests; and they blessed her, saying: 'O God of our fathers, bless this child, and give her an everlasting name to be named in all generations.'"
"And [when] the child was three years old...[Joachim, Anna and Mary] went up into the temple of the Lord. And the priest received [Mary], and kissed her, and blessed her, saying: The Lord has magnified your name in all generations. In you, on the last of the days, the Lord will manifest His redemption to the sons of Israel."
"And behold an angel of the Lord stood by him, saying unto him: Zacharias, Zacharias, go out and assemble the widowers of the people, and let them bring each his rod; and to whomsoever the Lord shall show a sign, his wife shall she [Mary] be....
"And Joseph [went with the other widowers] to the high priest, taking with them their rods...[and the high priest] took the rods and came out, and gave them to [the widowers]: but there was no sign in them, and Joseph took his rod last; and, behold, a dove came out of the rod, and flew upon Joseph's head. And the priest said to Joseph, You have been chosen by lot to take into your keeping the virgin of the Lord."
[This shows Joseph's rod flowering rather than producing a dove.]
"And Joseph was afraid, and took her into his keeping. And Joseph said to Mary: Behold, I have received you from the temple of the Lord; and now I leave you in my house, and go away to build my buildings, and I shall come to you. The Lord will protect you."
Joseph takes Mary to his home, with his son leading the way.
Wait a minute: Joseph's son? According to tradition, Joseph married Melcha when he was 40 years old. His wife died when he was 89. They had four sons and two daughters.
"And there was an order from the Emperor Augustus, that all in Bethlehem of Judea should be enrolled. And Joseph said: 'I shall enrol my sons, but what shall I do with this maiden? How shall I enrol her? As my wife? I am ashamed. As my daughter then? But all the sons of Israel know that she is not my daughter. The day of the Lord shall itself bring it to pass as the Lord will.'
"And he saddled the ass, and set her upon it; and his son led it, and Joseph followed."
The governor of Syria sits on a throne (left) while scribes figure out the tax (center). A very pregnant Mary is in blue (on the right) with Joseph behind her.
The Nativity with Mary resting in the middle, the baby Jesus being bathed and wrapped in cloth by midwives in the lower left, Joseph in the lower right, and an angel speaking to shepherds (and cows) on the right.
The Dormition (or "Falling Asleep") of Mary is recounted on the Orthodox Church in America website:
"After the Ascension of the Lord, the Mother of God remained in the care of the Apostle John...
As Mary lay dying, "The Holy Spirit transported [John] from Ephesus, [as well as all] the Apostles and the Disciples and the holy Bodiless Powers....the Apostle Paul also appeared in a miraculous manner together with his disciples Dionysius the Areopagite, St Hierotheus, St Timothy and others of the Seventy Apostles. The Holy Spirit had gathered them all together so that they might be granted the blessing of the All-Pure Virgin Mary, and more fittingly to see to the burial of the Mother of the Lord...
And then, "descending from Heaven was Christ, the King of Glory, surrounded by hosts of Angels and Archangels and other Heavenly Powers, together with the souls of the Forefathers and the Prophets, who had prophesied in ages past concerning the Most Holy Virgin Mary...
Finally, "without any bodily suffering, as though in a happy sleep, the Most Holy Virgin Mary gave Her soul into the hands of Her Son and God..."
"Only towards evening were the Apostles able to place [Mary's body] in the tomb and seal the entrance to the cave with a large stone.
"For three days they did not depart from the place of burial, praying and chanting Psalms. Through the wise providence of God, the Apostle Thomas was not to be present at the burial of the Mother of God. Arriving late on the third day at Gethsemane, he lay down at the tomb and with bitter tears asked that he might be permitted to look once more upon the Mother of God and bid her farewell. The Apostles out of heartfelt pity for him decided to open the grave and permit him the comfort of venerating the holy relics of the Ever-Virgin Mary. Having opened the grave, they found in it only the grave wrappings and were thus convinced of the bodily ascent of the Most Holy Virgin Mary to Heaven."
On this dome, Mary is depicted as Queen of Heaven, wearing blue decorated in gold.
Looking up at the dome, we see Christ surrounded by his Biblical ancestors. You can get an idea of the number of mosaics on the walls and ceiling.
On the right is the Deesis mosaic (referred to in later photos). At the bottom (in gold) are mosaics from Mary's life. In the triangular corners of the dome (the pendentives) are miracles of Christ: healing two blind men (lower left) and healing the woman with a blood disease (lower right).
These details can be seen by choosing the option to "Show Full Size."
The Chora Church is dedicated to Mary, the "Container of the Uncontainable", that is the Virgin Mother of God. It is filled with mosaics from the 14th century, covering the walls, the domes and the ceilings. It is stunningly beautiful, but there is so much that it is overwhelming. Understanding the subjects of the mosaics takes time. I have used a number of sources to describe the mosaics in this blog, including Rick Steves' guide to Istanbul.
Note that "Chora" is written "ΗΧΩΡΑ" in this photo.
