kariye final report

8/3/2019 Kariye Final Report

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KARIYE CAMIIChurch of Holy Savior in Chora

Conservation of a World Heritage Site IstanbulProf. Dr. Zeynep Ahunbay

Istanbul Technical University Susanne Boss, 9910636



The Kariye Camii is the former Byzantine churchof the Holy Savior in Chora in Istanbul‘s Ed-irnekapi neighbourhood inside the old city wallsof the historic peninsula. It is the only remain of the Chora Monastery situated around the church

and was converted into the Kariye Camii in the15th century. Today‘s structure mainly datesback to the Palaeologian era between 1315 and1321, when it was also furbished with the today restored frescoes and mosaics. It was seriously damaged and rebuilt several times likely due toearthquakes and the sloping topography.

Early history

First traces of occupation of the area on the north-

ern slope of the 6th hill of Constantinople are dat-ing back to circa 300 AD, when Christians usedthe site for the burial of St. Babylas1. Accordingto Symeon Metaphrastes, in the legend of Syn-

axarion, the saint, who was martyred in 298, was buried at a place in the North-west out-side of the city, were there is a monastery calledChora. At this time it was situated outside of thecity limits of the Constantinian walls. The ruralenvironment may have also inspired the nameChora, which can be translated as ‘countryside’.Nothing of this periods survives, leaving the ex-

act origin of the building uncertain. Other theo-ries assign the foundation to a historically notproved uncle of empress Theodora, Theodore, who built a monastery with several churches atthe western periphery of the city with help of Em-peror Justinian around the year 5362. Historicalrecords also mention the existence of a Michaelmonastery in the beginning of the 6th century as well as a foundation by Crispus, the son-in-law

1 R. G. Ousterhout, p.122 W. Müller - Wiener, p.159

of Emperor Phokas (602 - 610)3. However, in the5th century the site was enclosed in the Theodo-sian walls.

Building Phases

With remains of a 6th century substructure, thearchaeological building history starts and can bedivided into six different phases (after R.G. Oust-erhout):

Phase I: 6th century Phase II: 9th century

Phase III: 11th century

Phase IV: 12th century

Phase V: 14th century

Phase VI: after 1350

3 W. Müller - Wiener, p.160

KARIYE CAMIIChurch of Holy Savior in Chora

siteplan of the historic peninsula Istanbul A Kariye Müzesi (Chora church)

A

Kariye Camii (Chora church) in 1904, Gertrude Bell



Phase I

The church is situated on an artificial terrace onthe sloping site, with remains of a 6th century arcade spanning under the eastern part of the

church. The two surviving brick arches are vis-ible from the exterior, each one having a nearly 4.5 metre wide opening and resting on com-posite brick and limestone piers. Besides this ar-cade, two less massive other walls, one in closer distance to the east, another parallel one withdifferent wide openings in the west below thebuilding were excavated. Due to the little re-mains, it is not possible to give a restitution of how the building has looked liked in this periodor for what is was exactly used: R.G. Ousterhoutimagines a possible burial crypt, since a similar substructure of this time in Hebdomon (modernBarkirköy) was used for this purpose4. However,two vaulted tombs were excavated which wereinserted before the next phases.

With attribution of this phase to the 6th centu-ry, it could also be related to Emperor Justinian(527 - 565) himself, as Nicephorus Gregoras,an inhabitant of the Chora Monastery in the14th century, claims, adding another theory tothe uncertain original foundation - even thoughscholars consider it to be more likely that he only restored an earlier building.5 Furthermore it is

not mentioned in Procopius’ record of Justinian’sbuilding program.

During the 8th century, the monastery is used asan exile and burying place, including PatriarchGermanus in 740. During the period of Icono-clasm the Chora church was not damaged seri-ously, even though the monks temporary left themonastery 6.

4 R. G. Ousterhout, p.135 A. v. Millingen, p.288; R. G. Ousterhout, p.136 W. Müller - Wiener, p.160

N

I II III IV V VI

0 10 m

superstructure

substructure

phase

NAOS

BEMA

APSE A

B

C

D E

F

G

H

P A R E

C C L E S I O N

N

O R T H E R N A

N N E X

ESONARTHEX

EXONARTHEX

phases (R. G. Ousterhout)

building A prothesis

B diaconiconC tombs under naosD oratory E arcosolia of MetochitesF south passageway G storageroomH staircase to former belfry

mosaics

1 Christ Pantocrator 2 Maria Blacherniotissa3 Virgin Mary

4 Christ Pantocrator with his ancestors

5 Theodore Metochites6 Koimesis7 Jesus Christ8 Mary Theodokos

9 Deesis

frescoes10 hymnographers11 Virgin Mary 12 Last Judgement13 Christ resurrection14 fathers of the

eastern church1

2

3 4

5

6

7

10

8

9

11

12

13

14

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