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Kariye
Camii
Professor Ousterhout
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The
discussion of the Late Byzantine monastic
church of the Kariye Camii focuses on the period of rebuilding
and expansion during the years from ca. 1316 to 1321.
Theodore
Metochites, minister and subsequently prime minister
of the Byzantine Empire, during a short period of cultural
revival, undertook the rebuilding and renovation of the
Kariye Camii The greatest intellectual of his age, and
thus knowledgeable and involved, he was wealthy and powerful
and therefore in a position to assume the patronage of
this church.
Metochites early fourteenth-century rebuilding included
the reconstruction of the naos
dome; the pastophoria;
the addition of a two-storied annex to the north, an inner
and outer narthex
to the west; and the parecclesion to the south. The appearance
of incongruity in the structure resulted from several
factors including the use of the Middle Byzantine core
of the building, the sloping site, as well as the varying
functions of the ancillary chambers.
The monastery was dedicated to the Virgin, as Theodore
Metochites indicated in a long poem he wrote to the Virgin:
"To thee I have dedicated this noble monastery, which
is called by thy precious name of Chora." The naos of
the church, however, was dedicated to Christ, as is suggested
by the mosaic of Metochites presenting the church to Christ.
Located at the edge of Constantinople near the Land Wall
of Emperor Theodosius, the Kariye Camii gained in importance
due to its proximity to the main imperial residence at
the Blachernae Palace (mostly ruined).
In addition to its architectural significance, the Kariye
Camii also preserves one of the finest and most extensive
cycles of Later Byzantine mosaic and fresco decoration
recounting the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ.
 Click
here to explore the pictorial decoration of the Kariye
Camii in greater depth.
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Istanbul, Kariye Camii, Plan, Identification of components
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Istanbul,
Kariye Camii, Exterior view from the Southwest
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Istanbul,
Kariye Camii, Anastasis, early 14th century
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Istanbul,
Kariye Camii, Nativity
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