Chora Church

A number of people like my friend Jack and Jamie Moore have emphasized the importance of including a trip to the out-of-the-way church of Chora to see the most wonderful collection of Byzantine art.

These fresco and mosaic pieces have been preserved through the centuries because the Ottomans covered them up when they converted the church into a mosque.  Only relatively recently have the stunning pieces been revealed to the world again in their glory. 

Perhaps the main reason that I came to this church is that I have in my living room a small iconographic replica of the most magnificent of the chora frescos, the Anastasis. 

This image shows Jesus lifting Adam and Eve out of Hell as part of his victory over death with the Resurrection.  The gates of Hell and a bound Satan are at his feet. 

The artwork in this comparatively little church is overwhelming.  It was very much worth the trip.