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.

Crowning these sacred spaces are six domes: two soaring above the esonarthex, a single dome gracing the parecclesion, and three over the naos, each adorned with intricate mosaics and frescoes that shimmer with gold and colour, bringing the stories of saints and biblical scenes to life. Visiting Chora is like stepping into a living Byzantine manuscript, where every dome, wall, and arch narrates centuries of faith, artistry, and history.

The history of the Chora Church and its architecture is discussed in greater detail in a separate article. 

Exonarthex (outer narthex)

The journey into the Chora Church begins in the exonarthex, or outer narthex, a long, narrow corridor stretching 23 meters in length and 4 meters in width. Partially open on its eastern side to the esonarthex, this space acts as a transitional gateway, and at its southern end, it connects through the esonarthex to form a western antechamber to the parecclesion.

The walls of the exonarthex are alive with stunning mosaics that guide visitors through the narrative of Christ's early life. Here, scenes unfold with dramatic richness: Joseph's dream and the journey to Bethlehem, the enrolment for taxation, the Nativity, the Magi's visit, and King Herod's dark inquiry, followed by the flight into Egypt and the tragic massacres of innocents, with mothers mourning their children. The cycle continues with the Holy Family returning to Nazareth, Christ taken to Jerusalem for the Passover, John the Baptist bearing witness to Christ, and Christ meeting a Samaritan woman at a well.

Beyond the early life of Christ, the exonarthex continues to unfold key moments of his ministry and the holy lineage. The ceiling of the exonarthex is dedicated to the Temptation of Christ, presented in four vivid scenes, portraying the trials Jesus endured in the wilderness and underscoring his steadfast faith and divine mission.

Further mosaics Christ's miraculous works. Visitors can witness the Wedding at Caana, where Jesus performs his first miracle, transforming water into wine; the Multiplication of the Loaves, illustrating his compassion and provision; and a healing at Capernaum, where Christ restores the sick, demonstrating his power and mercy.

The mosaics also honour the Holy Family and saints closely connected to Christ's story. Anne, mother of Mary, is shown cradling the infant Virgin, while Mary herself appears holding the baby Jesus, offering tender glimpses into their early lives. The scene of Elizabeth fleeing, the mother of John the Baptist, reinforces the intertwining destinies of these sacred figures.

Saints revered in the Byzantine tradition are also represented, each serving as a model of faith. Joachim, father of Mary is there, as well as Saint Tarakhos of Cilicia, Saint Andronikos, and Saint George, the famed warrior saint, whose presence evokes courage, devotion, and the protection of the faithful.

One particularly striking mosaic faces the doorway to the inner narthex, showing the Virgin Mary labelled in Greek as "Mother of God, container (chora) of the uncontainable (achoritou)" — a poetic reference both to Christ's divine and human nature and to the monastery's name.

Above the doorway, the Christ Pantokrator — Almighty — blesses visitors with his right hand while holding a jewelled Gospel in his left. This label also plays on the monastery's name, Chora, evoking Christ as the "land of the living," a phrase drawn from Psalm 116:9, often used in Orthodox funeral services. This connection is further underscored by the funerary spaces added under the patronage of Metropolitan Theodore Metochites, who anticipated burial within the monastery, linking the mosaics' spiritual symbolism with the church's earthly purpose.

Esonarthex (inner narthex)

The esonarthex, or inner narthex, of the Chora Church unfolds as a luminous and intimate prelude to the sacred drama of the naos beyond. Running parallel to the exonarthex, it shares its width of four meters but is slightly shorter, extending eighteen meters from north to south. A central eastern doorway leads directly into the naos, the heart of the church, while another passage at the southern end opens into the rectangular antechamber of the parecclesion. Above, two gently ribbed "pumpkin" domes rise — one smaller, poised above the entrance to the northern corridor, and one larger, glowing at the midpoint between the doors to the naos and the parecclesion. These domes, like celestial canopies, sustain the overarching themes of the Virgin and Christ that dominate the mosaic program throughout the narthexes.

Among the masterpieces that animate the esonarthex is the celebrated mosaic of Christ Enthroned with Theodore Metochites. Here, Metochites, the learned Byzantine statesman and patron of the arts, appears kneeling in humble devotion, offering a model of his restored church to the enthroned Christ. The image glimmers with symbolism: Metochites' rich robes and ornate turban speak of his worldly stature, yet his gesture of offering embodies spiritual submission. The scene epitomizes the union of intellectual piety and imperial patronage that characterizes late Byzantine art.

Dominating another wall is a monumental Deesis — Christ flanked by the Virgin Mary, though notably without John the Baptist, who traditionally appears in such scenes. Here the Christ is of the type known as Chalkites from the famous icon over the main gate to the imperial palace. In this particular mosaic, there are small images of Isaac Komnenos and the nun Melane, former founders of the Monastery of the Chora who supplicate themselves before God. Normally, John the Baptist appears on the opposite side of Christ. Beneath them stand two sponsors of the church: Isaac Komnenos and a nun identified as "Melanie, the Lady of the Mongols," likely the daughter of Emperor Michael VIII. This mosaic's scale and subject evoke the grand Deesis in the south gallery of Hagia Sophia. Through such imagery, the Chora's esonarthex becomes a space where history, devotion, and dynastic memory intertwine.

Another series of mosaics unfolds the genealogy of Christ, linking sacred and royal lineage through generations of prophets, patriarchs, and kings. These figures form a shimmering tapestry of divine ancestry, proclaiming Christ's dual heritage — human and divine, humble and majestic.

The panels that follow move into more intimate territory: the life of the Virgin and her parents, Joachim and Anne. These mosaics, which adorn the first three bays of the esonarthex, weave together tenderness, miracle, and human feeling in a sequence of vivid narrative scenes. The story begins with the Rejection of Joachim's Offerings, capturing his sorrow as his sacrifice is turned away for his childlessness. Yet divine mercy soon intervenes: the Annunciation to Saint Anne shows the angel appearing to her, announcing that her prayers have been heard.

The Meeting of Joachim and Anne follows — a tender embrace before the Golden Gate, their joy radiating a warmth rare in earlier Byzantine art. Then comes the Birth of the Virgin, a domestic and graceful scene that glows with maternal affection. In the First Seven Steps of the Virgin and the Virgin Given Affection by Her Parents, the artists explore the theme of familial love with remarkable emotional depth, a hallmark of late Byzantine sensibility.

The narrative continues with the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple and the Virgin Receiving Bread from an Angel, scenes that blend sacred ritual with quiet wonder. In the Virgin Receiving the Skein of Purple Wool, Mary is depicted in the act of preparing the temple veil, a task foreshadowing her own role as the living temple of Christ.

The mosaics then turn to the question of her betrothal: Zechariah Praying and the Virgin Entrusted to Joseph depict divine selection and human obedience entwined. The final episodes — Joseph Taking the Virgin to His House, the Annunciation to the Virgin at the Well, and Joseph Leaving the Virgin — carry the story toward its mystery and tension. In the Annunciation, Mary, surprised at the well, twists gracefully within the triangular space of the lunette, her gesture both startled and receptive. In Joseph Leaving the Virgin, his doubt and inner turmoil are rendered with quiet psychological depth, an image of human frailty set against divine design.

At the threshold of the nave, where the sacred world of the sanctuary beckons beyond the esonarthex, the art of devotion gathers in concentrated splendour. Flanking the great door that leads into the naos stand the solemn, full-length portraits of Saints Peter and Paul, the twin princes of the apostles. Their presence, serene yet commanding, frames the passage into the divine. Peter, the steadfast rock upon which the Church was built, gazes with the calm authority of faith unshaken by trial. Paul, the apostle of intellect and revelation, stands as his spiritual counterpart, holding the scroll of divine wisdom.

Above, the south dome of the inner narthex soars like a firmament of faith, crowned by the majestic figure of Christ Pantocrator. His visage, stern yet compassionate, commands the entire space. With one hand raised in blessing and the other holding the Gospel, Christ presides as ruler of heaven and earth, his omnipotence radiating from the deep blues and molten golds of the mosaic. From this celestial vantage, he surveys the faithful below — a reminder that the divine gaze is ever-watchful, encompassing both the splendour and frailty of the human condition. The dome itself, set within the narrow confines of the esonarthex, becomes a microcosm of the universe, its surface alive with spiritual authority and transcendence.

The four pendentives supporting this dome unfold a sequence of miracles, each a testament to Christ's compassion and healing power. On one, Peter's mother-in-law rises from her sickbed. On another, the Woman with the Issue of Blood stretches forth her hand, touching the hem of Christ's garment in desperate faith — her healing an act of both physical renewal and spiritual salvation. A third scene shows a Blind and Dumb Man restored to wholeness, speech and sight returned through divine grace. In the fourth, Two Blind Men receive their vision, their faces lit with the first astonished glimmer of the world regained. These pendentives together form a radiant cycle of mercy, illustrating Christ's dominion not through might, but through compassion.

Beneath this dome, the western lunette of the esonarthex extends the theme with a grand tableau titled Christ Healing Those Afflicted with Various Diseases. Here, the crowd presses close — cripples, lepers, the weary and the sorrowful — each rendered with tender individuality. The artist's mosaic tesserae catch the anguish in their faces and the wonder of their release, as Christ's calm presence radiates authority over suffering. The scene swells with life and movement, a mosaic symphony of human need answered by divine grace.

Elsewhere along the ceiling, more fragments of miracle shimmer into view. In one panel, Christ Healing the Leper captures the moment of transformation as decay yields to purity; the leper's skin, once blemished, now gleams with restored vitality under Christ's gentle touch. In another, Christ Healing the Man with a Withered Hand, the act of healing unfolds with quiet dignity. The man's arm, once shrivelled and lifeless, stretches forth renewed, emblem of the soul's awakening to divine power.

Parecclesion

To the right of the esonarthex, a set of doors opens into the side chapel, or parecclesion. This space served as a mortuary chapel for family burials and memorials, reflecting its solemn purpose through both architecture and decoration. The parecclesion is crowned by the second-largest dome in the church, which dominates the centre of its roof. A small passageway connects the chapel directly to the naos, and from this corridor, one can access a modest oratory and a storeroom. Every surface of the parecclesion is richly adorned with frescoes that underscore the theological message of salvation — an appropriate theme for a funerary setting. Within the Christian worldview, God raises the dead at the end of time, a belief vividly captured in the frescoes of the Anastasis and the Last Judgment that decorate the ceiling.

The image of the Anastasis, or Resurrection, occupies a central position and is among the most celebrated examples of late Byzantine art. The fresco depicts the Harrowing of Hell: Christ, radiant in white garments and encircled by a luminous mandorla, stands triumphantly in the centre, grasping the hands of Adam and Eve as he pulls them from their tombs. Behind Adam stand John the Baptist, King David, King Solomon, and other righteous figures of the Old Testament, while beneath Christ lies the bound personification of Hades, portrayed as an African figure. Above this dramatic composition, the archangel Michael is depicted, and to the left, another scene shows Christ raising the dead son of the widow of Nain, further reinforcing the theme of resurrection.

The dome of the parecclesion, located in the western bay, presents a majestic vision of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child within a medallion at its centre. Surrounding them, twelve angels fill the curved surfaces between the windows, four of whom — Gabriel, Michael, Uriel, and Raphael — are archangels. Each archangel holds an orb inscribed with the letter Chi (X), symbolising Christ, and two of the orbs are marked with crosses.

Beneath this dome, the four pendentives display portraits of prominent Byzantine hymnographers whose works are used in the Orthodox Church's memorial services. In the northeast pendentive is John of Damascus, the renowned eighth-century theologian and poet, depicted wearing a turban as he writes the Idiomela for the funeral service. To the southeast is Kosmas the Poet, his student, shown with an uninscribed book on his lap. In the southwest pendentive, Joseph the Poet holds a scroll inscribed with his Canon for the Akathistos Hymn, one of the most significant hymns dedicated to the Virgin. Theophanes Graptos, a ninth-century monk of the Chora, appears in the northwest pendentive, writing lines from the funeral service that allude to the Virgin's role in salvation.

The Last Judgment, or Second Coming, unfolds in a sweeping fresco of divine order and cosmic drama. Christ sits enthroned at the centre, flanked by the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist in a composition known as the Deesis. Surrounding them are vast assemblies of intercessors pleading for humanity's salvation. Above, an angel rolls open the scroll of heaven, revealing a gilded sun, moon, and stars. Below, on clouds, the Choirs of the Elect are arranged in four tiers — bishops and hierarchs, holy men and saints, holy women and martyrs, apostles, and, closest to the Deesis, the prophets. Beneath this celestial vision unfolds the weighing of souls and the procession of the damned led to hell, underscoring the moral gravity of the scene.

On the north wall of the eastern section, a related fresco continues the narrative of the Last Judgment with the Entry of the Elect into Paradise. A cherub, sword in hand, stands guard at the gates, while to his left a procession of the saved, led by Saint Peter holding the key to heaven, approaches. To the right stands the good thief, the repentant man crucified beside Christ, now in paradise and welcoming the elect. The Virgin Mary appears to his right, flanked by two angels, completing this vivid testament to divine mercy and eternal salvation.

Along the walls of the Chora's parecclesion lie the arcosolia — arched recesses designed to hold tombs — most likely intended for Theodore Metochites and his family. These elegant niches once contained sarcophagi, transforming the chapel into both a place of worship and a family mausoleum. At the same level, frescoes of soldier saints line the walls, their drawn swords appearing to guard the resting places of the departed.

The southwestern arcosolium was dedicated to Michael Tornike, the Grand Constable under Emperor Andronikos Palaiologos. Only faint traces of Tornike and his wife, depicted to his right, remain. Above them, a cross adorns the centre of the arch, while on either side appear the damaged portraits of the couple, Tornike shown in monastic robes. The frame surrounding them features Christ at the centre with two archangels flanking him. Above this arcosolium, frescoes illustrate the March of Israel to the left and the Installation of the Ark to the right, linking Tornike's tomb to the biblical theme of divine covenant and faithfulness.

Guarding the arcosolia are a series of soldier saints — Eustathius Placidus, Samonas, Gurias, Procopius of Scythopolis, Sabbas Stratelates, George, Theodore of Amasea, and Theodore Stratelates. These figures, shown in military attire, embody courage and faith, serving as spiritual sentinels over the resting dead.

Saint Eustathius, once the Roman general Placidus, is portrayed as a model of steadfast faith. According to legend, while hunting near Tivoli, he saw a vision of a crucifix between a stag's antlers and was immediately converted to Christianity. Renamed Eustace, he and his family endured a series of trials that tested their devotion — loss of wealth, separation, and captivity — yet he never wavered in his belief. Ultimately, his refusal to sacrifice to pagan gods led to his martyrdom under Emperor Hadrian. Though embellished by later legend, the tale of Eustace became one of the most enduring narratives of Christian perseverance.

Saints Samonas and Gurias, close companions from Edessa, are depicted together as inseparable brothers in faith. Arrested during the persecutions of the early 4th century, they refused to renounce Christ and were subjected to brutal tortures before being beheaded outside the city walls. Their martyrdom inspired devotion across the Christian East, symbolising friendship and fidelity under trial.

Saint Procopius of Scythopolis, remembered as both scholar and martyr, is described by Eusebius of Caesarea as a man of learning and piety. Born in Jerusalem, he later served in Scythopolis as a reader and interpreter of Scripture. When persecution under Diocletian reached the city, Procopius was taken to Caesarea Maritima, where he was executed. Later traditions elevated him to the status of a soldier saint and miracle worker, capable of driving away evil with the sign of the cross, blending his intellectual and martial virtues into one enduring image of spiritual heroism.

Saint Sabbas Stratelates, the "General of Rome," embodies the archetype of the Christian warrior. A Gothic by birth and a Roman commander under Emperor Aurelian, Sabbas was renowned for his courage and compassion. Refusing to renounce his faith, he was tortured with fire and thrown into boiling tar, yet miraculously remained unharmed. His steadfastness inspired seventy of his soldiers to convert to Christianity, who were then martyred alongside him. In the end, Sabbas was drowned in the Tiber River, his story becoming a powerful testament to divine strength in the face of earthly power.

At the far end of the parecclesion, light enters through a window framed by frescoes of six patriarchs, grouped in pairs of three. To the left stand Nicholas of Myra, Athanasius of Alexandria, and John Chrysostom — figures representing charity, orthodoxy, and eloquence. To the right appear Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Cyril of Alexandria, theologians whose writings shaped Byzantine spirituality. Their serene presence reinforces the theological depth of the space, linking it to the continuity of the Church Fathers.

Also within the parecclesion two Old Testament scenes mirror the Christian theme of divine revelation. To the left, Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven and wrestles with an angel — a vision of struggle and grace. To the right, Moses stands before the burning bush, witnessing the mystery of God's presence. Together, these frescoes weave the stories of patriarchs and prophets into the broader message of salvation that permeates the parecclesion.