K
ariye (The Church of St. Saviour in Chora) does not have an impact on the visitor as monumental art, at first sight. In fact, it is not monumental at all. The ashy brick-colour on the outer walls and the softly curved cylindrical forms which support the cupolas may strike you if you have any love for those Byzantine structures scattered all around Istanbul. While Haghia Sophia stands for the substantial Byzantine monument, the unquestionable symbol ofChristianity, in the city of Istanbul, Kariye looks inward; it is almost silent from the outside.
On the right bank of the Golden Horn, on one of the soft hills which overlook the canal, Kariye stands in its unaffected beauty in a natural environment, which still bears the quiet atmosphere of the ancient city.
The vicinity of Kariye is one of the
unique spots which gives you an unforgettable experience of the continuation or blend of two great Imperial cultures; Byzantine and Ottoman. As you turn the road which takes you to the small square before the entrance of the museum, you see many narrow side roads, Istanbul streets, like tributaries of a great river. The square itself is also surrounded by old Turkish houses. These wooden structures bring out the chastity and purity of Kariye without effort.
So when you walk up to Kariye, you are stripped off of all feelings of grandeur, magnificence and awe. The stunning experience lies in the cheerful confluence and harmony of two different ways of life.
Once you enter the museum, though, a totally different kind of adventure awaits you. Here you find the most important
The Anastasis - Resurrection
and extensive series of Byzantine art treasure. No doubt Kariye excels and surpasses even Haghia Sophia in this respect. For centuries it has remained singular from the point of view of Byzantine mosaics and painting. Although the church is divided into the usual main buildings, narthexes, apses or cupolas, it looks as if it were only divided into sections with mosaics and frescoes. The great value of the church lies in its walls which have been transformed into resplendent mosaics and frescoes in the hands of Christian artists.
Kariye has been built in the 11 th century. But its present structure and its works of art date from years 1315 - 22. During the reign of Andronicus Paleólogos it became what it is in the present day. But we owe this church and its magnificent works of art to another
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great man of that time: Theodore
Methocites. He was one of the intellectuals of the late Byzantium renaissance. He was a diplomat, a high court official, a distinguished philosopher, historian, astronomer, poet and patron of arts. After the Turkish conquest in 1453, the church remained as it was for more than one century. Later on, in the 16th century it was converted into a mosque. It underwent a terrible earthquake in 1766, and it was restored. But the final
restoration has been achieved in 1976. The Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey, under the supervision of the General Director, a true lover of Istanbul, Mr. Çelik Gülersoy, handed down to history the entrusted treasure in its chastest form. We all know that great monuments like temples, churches, mosques, statues, fountains or mausoleums all speak for kings, emperors or the like. They speak for eternity, for prosperity. But
Byzantine art speaks for the people. And there was a time in history, when few
people could read and write, when pictures spoke only. And when pictures spoke, it was for the people, the common people. Pictures could reveal the meaning of the Bible to the great masses. We know that the naivety of Byzantine art derives its strength from this particular quality.
For centuries Kariye has served this relatively modest and straightforward purpose as well as fascinating the lovers of art.
The mosaics deal with the life of Christ and the Virgin Mary. Altogether, there are fiftyeight mosaics. They cover the outer walls of the narthex, inner narthex and the nave.
The thirty nine frescoes which decorate the parecclesion represent the
Resurrection and the life, The Last Judgement, Heaven and Hell, and the Mother of God as the bridge between Earth and Heaven.
The semi-dome of the apse is covered by
a famous frescoe, the Anastatis or Resurrection. It is one of the
masterpieces of Byzantine art and one of the greatest paintings in the world.
The great master artist who made the mosaics and painted the frescoes is unknown.
Of the contributors to Kariye, Theodore Metochites is buried in the parecclesion. One of the four tombs belongs to him, and luckily, we can see his portrait in one of the niches.
Kariye has a very well prepared guide book including detailed information on the mosaics and frescoes, as well as, explanation on the history and architecture of the building. It is sold nearly in all information offices and at the bookstall near the entrance of the museum.
There is also a teashop right in the corner, an old wooden house, the upper floor exhibiting the interior of an old Turkish
house. <H>
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Kişisel Arşivlerde Istanbul Belleği Taha Toros Arşivi
P H O T O G R A P H S : Ç E L İK GÜ L E R S O Y 'S C O L L E C T IO N
