Theodore Metochites mosaic at Chora and the relics of the True Cross

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the ktetorial composition depicted above the west portal of the Chora church (Kariye Camii). Although many researchers provided a description of this composition, the representation of the church in the hands of Logothetes tou Genikou, Theodore Metochites, has not been specifically examined. No matter that the church is depicted with the majority of the architectural elements which correspond to the reality, it is interesting to notice that two large crosses are depicted laterally of the west portal. These crosses do not correspond to the elements of the brickwork of the west facade. Nevertheless, careful analysis of the marble portal between naos and narthex area contains quite particular detail: in the lower third of two jambs of the portal were inserted pectoral crosses (encolpia) which testified to the keeping of small particles of the True Cross relic, hope for salvation and inscribing of the ktetor in the circle of the protected by True Faith.

Keywords

• Theodore Metochites
• the Chora church
• ktetorial composition
• mosaic
• relics of the True Cross
• pectoral crosses
• marble portal

Supporting Institution

Faculty of Philology and Arts, University of Kragujevac

Project Number

177015, 177036, CA19131

Thanks

I express my deepest gratitude to Dr. Nicoletta Isar (Copenhagen University) and Dr. Branislav Cvetkovic (Institute for Balkan Studies, SASA) for their insightful comments which improved the quality of this article. I am also thankful to Dr. Ivana Jevtic who was an instructor during my short fellowship within the program "Istanbul through the Ages" at Koç University (Istanbul). My gratitude goes also to Mr Vladimir Božinović, a doctoral student at the Department of Art History Istanbul University (Istanbul) for providing me translation of an abstract in the Turkish language.

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