An illumination of Byzantine themes in Istanbul

Haghia Sophia

Ayasofya

This is the first place to visit in the hunt for Byzantine Istanbul.
It is famous, and of course, there are so many reasons to be so famous. Grand scale of architecture, fantastic mosaics, over 1400 years old ...

I shall leave all detailed/ historical information to the links...
wikipedia-Haghia Sophia
www.virtualistanbul.com/HaghiaSophia
www.hitit.co.uk/Istanbul/ayasofya

I was most impressed by its elaborate density --- mosaics are framed by stone carved friezes which were originally richly coloured, and surrounded by fresco paintings... in addition, marble pillars in dark deep colours...
All of these elements contribute to a symphony of heavy condensed tones ...







My photos from Flickr

Hagihia Sophia

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Chora--- Church of St. Saviour in Chora

Kariye Camii

Away from heavily tourlismized central Istanbul, this church -- later mosque, now museum -- stands in North Istanbul, in a downtown residential area. From the outside, a charming little domed church, but once we step into it... it is an entirely different world... This 11th c church redecorated in the 14th c is a much smaller version of Haghia Sophia. yet smaller means higher density... Again mosaics, stone friezes and fresco paintings glorifying over 50 well preserved biblical scenes. It is nearly impossible to capture all of them in one's camera. A real gem. I found this church most moving...

More information can be found in -
wikipedia- Chora Church

sacred-destinations.com







My photos from Flickr.

Church of the Pammakaristos

Fethiye Camii

This great 14th c Byzantine renaissance church is again small and charming. Inside there are fewer mosaics are left than at Chora. But still, the quality of the remaining mosaics is breathtaking... Christ Pantocrator ( all powerful ) and the prophets mosaic in the main dome is in perfect condition, and makes an impressive contrast with the exposed brick walls surrounding it.

More information can be found in-
wikipedia-Pammakaristos_Church

sacred-destinations.com





My photos from Flickr

SS Sergius and Bacchus' Church

Kucuk Ayasofya Camii

Known as "Little Haghia Sophia", this 6th c church is older than the great " Haghia Sophia", and was also founded by Emperor Justinian and his empress Theodora. This continues to function as a mosque and is beautifully maintained, but alas, no original mosaics or frescoes remain.
However, the green marble columns are still here, and stone carved friezes also remain. And we can still see remnants of the original green and red colouring on the friezes....





More photos from Flickr

Church of Constatine Lips

Fenari Camii

This 10th c monastic church is still a functioning as a local mosque. It is only open at the times of prayer. Luckily we met the caretaker and he kindly opened the door for us. Inside, the just few remaining stone carvings show its ancient origin. The main focal point of this church is the building's exceptionally imaginative exterior walls. Decorative brickwork friezes surround the mosque which continue to display it's splendid charm.





My photo from Flickr

Byzantine details...

I collected Byzantine images from museums...