Istanbul - Kariye Camii

Some 300m/330yds northeast of the Mihrimah Mosque in Istanbul stands the beautiful Kariye Camii, originally the church of St Saviour in Chora (in the country), belonging to a monastery which seems to have been in existence before the time of Theodosius II. It is world-famous for its mosaics and frescos of the period of the Palaeologue Renaissance (13th-14th centuries). The date of the church and monastery has not been established with certainty. Some authorities believe that the foundation of the church may go back to the fifth century; but much of the present church was built in the late 11th century by Maria Dukaina, mother-in-law of the Emperor Alexius Comnenus. Her grandson Isaac Comnenus repaired the church after it had been severly damaged in an earthquake about 1120. The magnificent decoration of the interior dates from the 13th-14th century.