The Marbles used for the Revetments in the Kariye Camii

The marble most often employed in the revetments of the naos is Prokonnesian marble, originally quarried at the island of Prokonnesos (Marmara Asasi) in the Sea of Marmara, which is white with distinctive gray veining. A green Breccia, sometimes called verde antico,is also commonly used. The framed panels on the upper naos walls include red (rosso antico), white and black (bianco e nero),honey-colored (onyx), yellow and purple (pavonazetto),red-veined granite (cipollino rosso),and purple granite (porphyry). What is most impressive about this colorful display is that none of this marble came directly from the quarry. In fact, after the seventh century, the Byzantines no longer maintained quarries of luxury stones. Those used to decorate the church are all spolia,reused pieces, and although they originally came from Italy, Greece, even North Africa, for the decoration of the Chora they were taken from the ruined ancient buildings in and around Constantinople. That they have been put together in such an impressive arrangement is to the credit of the marble workers, not to mention the pocketbook of the patron.