Jakarta, CNN Indonesia –
After Hagia Sophia, now is the turn Museum kariye in the city of Istanbul which was changed function by the President Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan become a mosque.
Originally, the Kariye Museum was the Chora Church, an ancient orthodox church that was once a mosque and later a museum.
This building is known as the Chora Church which literally means country. This church is known as the Holy Savior Outside the Walls or the holy savior outside the walls. This nickname signifies that this building was first built outside the monumental walls of Theodosius II or the fortress of Constantinople.
The Kariye Museum is included in the Byzantine monument, which is a building built during the Byzantine or Byzantine Empire in the middle ages. Like any other Byzantine architecture, the Kariye Museum is built full of artful mosaics and paintings.
Since it was first established in the 5th century, the Kariye Museum building has been reconstructed five times. The most significant changes occurred in the 11th, 12th, and 14th centuries. In 2013, the museum was also gradually restored.
Today, the Kariye Museum has five main architectural units namely the nave, pavilion, inner narthex, outer narthex, and chapel for tombs.
Classical interior decorations from the mosaics to the frescoes that decorate the Kariye Museum date from 1320. Its creation was funded by Theodore Metochites, the poet and poet under Emperor Andronikos II.
Most of the museum’s interior is decorated with mosaics depicting the life of Christ and Mary. In the dome, for example, there is a depiction of the genealogy of Christ. In the left dome of the narthex there is a mosaic of Mary and the baby Jesus surrounded by their ancestors. In the center are three mosaics namely Christ, Mary and the Baby Jesus, and the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin (Assumption).
Quoted from Lonely Planet, one of the most beautiful mosaics lies above the doorway to the nave on the inner narthex. The mosaic depicts Theodore dedicating the church to Christ.
In contrast to mosaics, the frescoes at the Kariye Museum depict much of death and its afterlife. There is a painting of the gates of hell under Christ’s feet. There are also paintings of Mary and 12 angels.
During the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, the Chora Church was converted into a mosque and was named Kariye Camii or Kariye Mosque. Quoted from All About Istanbul, the Christian mosaics and frescoes are covered with plaster. A mihrab and tower were also added to the building. In the early 20th century the tower collapsed in an earthquake. The dome was rebuilt.
Then, when Turkey became a republic, this ancient building was again turned into a museum. This building has also been recognized by UNESCO as a cultural heritage.
(ptj / sfr)
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