The Chora museum or The Church of St. Savior in Chora is one of the most beautiful examples of Byzantine with its glorious mosaics and frescoes. According to legend the first churh constructed outside the walls of Constantinople. But from that chuch can’t be seen any trace of remains or anything known about its origin. The present building date 1077 – 1081 and was build by Maria Doukaina, according popular architectural style of that time. Because of unkown reasons the apse of church was collapsed in the 12th century. That part of the building was reconstructed and a narrow chapel added to the south of main nave by by Isaac Comnenus, Alexius’s third son. The church took its actual appareance two centries later with additions of inner and outer nartex to the west side, two storied galleries on the north side and parecclesion south side by Theodore Metochites between 1315 and 1321. The mosaic work is the finest example of Byzantine Renaissance. The artist who embellished the churh is not known. The church is not big but the mosaics and frescos make it one of the most important monument in the world.

The building has three main sections : Entrance hall or Nartex, the main body of the church or Naos and side chapel or Parecclesion. There are two nartexes outer and inner nartex. Outer nartex is the first transverse corridor, from south open to the parecclesion. At that part scenes from Joseph’s dream to Jesus entering to Jerusalem for Passover and Jesus miracles are depicted. On the inner nartex on three north vaults the scenes from rejection of Joachim’s offerings by Zacharias to Joseph reproaching the Virgin Mary scenes are depicted. These scenes are taken from Gospel of Saint James, better known as the Protoevangelium. On the south part of inner nartex miracle of Jesus are depicted. In the two domes of the same nartex Jesus ancestries are depicted. On the main nave there are only mosaic : The dormition of the Virgin Mary, Jesus with a book in hand and baby Jesus with Virgin Mary. On the parecclesion part Anastasia, last Judgement and other prophets frescos can be seen.

The churh was converted into a mosque by Atik Ali Pasa in 1510. The church bell tower, constructed in the southwest corner of the building replaced by the present minaret. In mosque period due to the prohibition of iconic images in Islam, the mosaics and frescos covered with plaster or paint but never obliterated. But in time many of the mosaics was shaken down by earthquakes.

The building between 1948 and 1958 restored by Byzantine Institute of America and open to visitors as Kariye Museum.

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