The Art of the Kariye Camii (Chora Museum)

A touchstone of Byzantine artistic achievement, the church now known as the Kariye Camii in Istanbul preserves impressive cycles of mosaic and fresco, for which it is justifiably famous. Once the heart of the Chora Monastery, the building was reconstructed around 1316-21, under the patronage of the Byzantine statesman and scholar Theodore Metochites. Besides its painting and mosaic decoration, the building itself is well-preserved. Enveloped by narthexes, a burial chapel and other additions, and topped by an array of domes, the Kariye Camii stands at the forefront of Late Byzantine architectural developments. This illustrated guide chronicles the building's history and provides a scene-by-scene guide to its spectacular decoration. As the author insists, the art of the Kariye Camii 'is as sophisticated and erudite as a contemporary work of Byzantine literature, structured like a vast epic poem'.