Chora Church mosaics and frescoes

Submitted by Iza on Sun, 11/02/2025 - 16:15

Though smaller in size than many of Istanbul's surviving Byzantine churches — measuring a modest 742.5 m² — the Chora Church stands out as a true jewel of Byzantine art, thanks to its remarkably well-preserved interior decoration, which offers a rare window into the religious and artistic life of the late Byzantine period.

The church's layout is elegantly structured into three main sections: the first one is the narthex, or entrance hall, where worshippers would first arrive. It is divided into the outer narthex (exonarthex) and the inner narthex (esonarthex). The next section is the naos, the central nave and heart of the church. Finally, there is the parecclesion, a side chapel often used for private devotion or funerary rites.

Exonarthex mosaics - Christ as "The Land of the Living" with the Wedding at Caana top left and the Multiplication of loaves top right

October 2025 in Turkish archaeology

Submitted by Iza on Sat, 11/01/2025 - 08:35

In October 2025 archaeologists in Turkey unveiled several major finds that deepen our understanding of past societies and human migration. In western Anatolia near Ayvalık a previously unknown Ice‐Age land bridge has been proposed after the discovery of 138 Paleolithic stone tools across 10 sites, suggesting a new corridor by which early humans left Anatolia for Europe. Meanwhile near Denizli a 2,700-year-old sanctuary likely dedicated to the Phrygian mother-goddess (Matar/Cybele) was found, complete with rock monuments, twin rock-carved idols, a sacred cave and drainage features — shedding light on ancient Anatolian religious practices.

In the southeast at Şanlıurfa Castle archaeologists uncovered a richly decorated 1,500-year-old mosaic with Greek inscription, animal and botanical motifs, and some associated burials - offering fresh insight into the region's late Roman/early Byzantine Christian life. Also of note was the unearthing of a large 1,600-year-old wine production facility in the mountains of Adıyaman's Gerger district, with cisterns, grape‐processing equipment and industrial infrastructure, pointing to the scale and sophistication of late Roman era rural production in Anatolia. Together these discoveries span from Paleolithic migration, to Iron Age cults, and Roman industrial landscapes - illustrating the richness of Turkey's multi-layered archaeological heritage.

Sitting Kybele from Kula in Manisa Province, Roman period, Izmir Museum of History and Culture (now closed)

Chora Church (Kariye Mosque)

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 10/31/2025 - 08:53

Tucked away in the Derviş Ali neighbourhood of Istanbul's historic Fatih district, the Chora Church, now known as the Kariye Mosque, is one of the city's most extraordinary monuments. Once a Byzantine church, later transformed into an Ottoman mosque, and then a museum, it embodies the deep and complex layers of Istanbul's cultural and religious history.

Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, south dome of the inner narthex (esonarthex), Chora Church/Kariye Mosque

Gate of the Spring (Silivrikapı) of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 10/27/2025 - 10:13

The Gate of the Spring, also known as the Pege Gate, Balıklı Kapı, and Silivrikapı, forms one of the southern gates of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople. Located between the Second Military Gate and the Third Military Gate, it originally occupied a position of both practical and symbolic significance. It lies in the modern suburb of Balıklı, between the heptagonal towers 35 and 36, which were extensively rebuilt in later Byzantine times: its southern tower bears an inscription dated to 1439 commemorating repairs carried out under John VIII Palaiologos. The gate arch was replaced in the Ottoman period. In addition, in 1998, a subterranean basement with the 4th/5th century reliefs and tombs was discovered underneath the gate.

Gate of the Spring (Silivrikapı) of the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople

Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Karagümrük

Submitted by Iza on Mon, 10/20/2025 - 10:11

Perched near the ancient Gate of Charisius (Edirnekapı) along the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople, the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque in Karagümrük is the second and larger of two mosques commissioned by the beloved daughter of Suleyman the Magnificent. Unlike its smaller namesake across the Bosphorus in Üsküdar, this European-side mosque rises majestically on one of Istanbul's highest hills, asserting both spiritual presence and architectural grace. It is here, amidst the echoes of the city's Byzantine past, that Mihrimah Sultan's vision of monumental devotion and Sinan's genius converge in stone and light.