Chora Church

The Chora Church in Istanbul's Fatih district, converted by the Ottomans in 1511 into Kariye Camii, is one of the supreme surviving works of Byzantine sacred art. The present building dates in its core to the early 12th century; its celebrated mosaics and frescoes come from the 1315 redecoration sponsored by Theodoros Metochites, a court scholar under Andronikos II. Together with the churches of Mistra, the cycle is the most complete expression of the Palaeologan Renaissance, including the unusual Anastasis scene in the parekklesion. The building is part of the UNESCO World Heritage zone of historic Istanbul. Since 2020 it has functioned again as a mosque; depending on prayer times, the figural imagery is partly covered and partly visible.