Chora Museum

Chora Architecture

Max Crandale — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:49:57 +0000

The early fourteenth century rebuilding of the Chora included the reconstruction of the naos dome and the pastophoria, as well as the addition of a twostory annex to the north side, inner and outer narthices to the west, and the parekklesion to the south. The additions have proved to be the result of a single [...]

Thomas Whittemore has been chipping away plaster walls off for 14 years.

Max Crandale — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 13:56:42 +0000

From Time – Jan. 27, 1947, Glory be to God, who hath thought me worthy to accomplish so great a work; 1 have vanquished thee, O Solomon! This was the proud thanksgiving uttered by Justinian the Great at the dedication of the church of St. Sophia (”Divine Wisdom”) in Constantinople 14 centuries ago. Justinian had something to [...]

Drama in the Round

Max Crandale — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:44:38 +0000

by Robert Ousterhout, author of The Art of the Kariye Camii Article with historic photgraphs published in Cornucopia 27 The dramatic mosaics and frescoes of Istanbul’s Kariye Camii, or Church of the Chora, blew away the stiff conventions of Byzantine art. Their energy leaves Giotto looking staid. But theyare now in danger of turning to dust. The powerful [...]

Paul Atkins Underwood

Max Crandale — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:11:02 +0000

Date born: 1902 Place Born: Aguadilla, Puerto Rico Date died: 1968 Place died: Knoxville, TN Byzantinist and Dumbarton Oaks scholar. Underwood’s father was a Presbyterian missionary in Puerto Rico when his son, Paul, was born. He graduated from Princeton University in 1925 with a B. S. in architecture, continuing for a master of fine arts degree in architecture from [...]

Thomas Whittemore

Max Crandale — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:04:29 +0000

In 1948, Thomas Whittemore (1871 – 1950) and Paul A. Underwood, from the Byzantine Institute of America and the Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, sponsored a programme for restoration of the Chora Church in Istanbul. Thomas Whittemore was a scholar, archaeologist and the founder of the Byzantine Institute of America. He was born in [...]