Byzantine art at its height
Among the last produced before Constantinople fell a century and a half later.
Tadam — CC0 · Canercangul — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Limes Sorabicus — CC0 · Limes Sorabicus — CC0
A Byzantine building in the Edirnekapı district west of historic Istanbul, holding some of the most important mosaics and frescoes surviving from the Byzantine world. It was a monastery known as Chora, meaning in the country, because it stood outside the city's first walls before they expanded. The present structure is eleventh century, but what makes it important was added in the early fourteenth: mosaics and wall paintings covering the vaults and walls, funded by a Byzantine minister. What distinguishes them artistically is that they are among the last things Byzantine art produced before Constantinople fell a century and a half later, and they carry movement, depth and human expression unlike the stiffer icon painting that came before. Many historians regard them as that art's high point. After the conquest the building became a mosque and the images were covered, then it became a museum in the twentieth century and they were uncovered and restored, and in recent years it has been returned to use as a mosque. That means the arrangements have changed: some mosaics may be covered within the prayer area, and hours are tied to prayer times. Check the current position before going.
Among the last produced before Constantinople fell a century and a half later.
Unlike the stiffer earlier icon painting — faces and bodies with life in them.
It stood outside the city's first walls before they expanded.
Edirnekapı, Fatih
The position has changed in recent years with the building's return to use as a mosque, and some work within the prayer area may be curtained during prayer times. Other parts — particularly the outer narthex and the side chapel — remain visible. Check the current arrangement before making the journey.
West of the historic centre near the Theodosian walls, away from Sultanahmet. Buses and taxis reach it, about twenty minutes from Sultanahmet. It can be combined with a visit to the Byzantine city walls and the Fatih Mosque in the same area.
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