Art & History Lessons – July 2020

Posted on by Susan

We explored several of Istanbul’s most distinguished museums during our July visit: Chora Church and Istanbul Archeology Museums.

Church of the Holy Savior in Chora (Kariye Mosque) – The name Chora, which is a Greek word for outside the city, was descriptive of the chapel’s location, just beyond the 5th century stone walls surrounding Constantinople. Kariye is the Turkish derivation of the name Chora. The structure went through many phases of building, destruction, restoration, and additions between the 4th and 20th centuries, as well as changing from a Greek Orthodox Church to a monastery, to a mosque, and then to a museum. When the building was a mosque, the mosaics and frescoes were covered with plaster. In 1945 the Turkish government changed the building to a museum and art restoration work began. Two months after our visit, the president of Turkey reverted this historic site back to an active mosque.

  • Christ as “The Land of the Livng”

Story of the birth of Jesus

  • Pregnant Virgin Mary
  • Journey to Bethlehem
  • Birth of Jesus
  • Herod’s edict to kill baby boys

Jesus’ ministry

  • Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator
  • Leper asking to be healed

Nave

  • Jesus on the left and Mary with young Jesus on the right
  • The large mosaic above the nave entrance depicts the funeral of Mary, mother of Jesus.
  • Funeral of Mary with Jesus holding a baby which represents her soul

Old city walls and gate from Constantinople era

Istanbul ArcheologyMuseums – The collection of over 1 million items is really a group of three museums and yes, we visited the trio of buildings one sunny afternoon. 

The Archeological Museum, the main edifice, includes an exhibit of four very well preserved, fourth century BC sarcophagi discovered in Lebanon in 1887.

  • Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women, created for Strato I, king of Sidon

The most significant piece in the entire museum collection is the Alexander Sarcophogus, surrounded by glass walls and displayed under many bright lights. Historians concluded that this marble creation, decorated with carvings of Alexander the Great, was made for Abdalonymus, King of Sidon, Lebanon.

Fifth century BC, marble Lycian sarcophagus depicts Greek mythological figures

A few other interesting items we photographed in the Archeological Museum:

  • Bes, Egyptian guardian diety of women in labor
  • 6th century BC marble statues of priest (center) and two priestesses
  • Lion and bull statues made from marble in 6th century BC

The exhibits in the Museum of the Ancient Orient were much more interesting than we expected.

  • Dragon relief at Ishtar Gate in Babylon, 600 BC
  • Glazed tile relief along “Procession Street” leading to Ishtar Gate, 600 BC
  • Treaty of Kadesh
    oldest peace treaty in the world, written in cuneiform script
  • Carpenters guild funerary stele, from Luxor, 1550-1070 BC
  • 2570-2342-BC inscription, South Mesopotamia
  • Sandstone sundial with Aramaean inscription, 1st century BC

The Tiled Kisok Museum, officially named the Islamic Art Museum, contains hundreds of intricate blue tile pieces.

  • Exterior detail
  • Mihrab (niche in mosque wall pointing towards Mecca) from the 15th century
  • 16th century hexagonal tiles, similar to ones used in Topkapi Palace
  • Glazed plate, 16th century
  • 19th century pottery