Kariye Mosque

Kariye, located in the Edirnekapı district of Istanbul and known as one of the city’s symbolic monuments with its artistic and historical features, has a history dating back to the 6th century. Originally a palace church and chapel during the Eastern Roman period, Kariye Mosque stands as a rare example that defies time. With its multi-layered structure, Kariye is a part of Istanbul’s historical and cultural richness, showcasing unique architectural style, spatial design, dimensions, decorative elements such as mosaics and frescoes, and various period additions. It not only represents one of the most elaborate and enduring examples of late Eastern Roman art in Istanbul but also globally.

The Name

The exact reason why the structure is named Kariye is not definitively known, but there are two common views. Both views are based on the meanings attributed to the word Kariye being consistent with the structure.

According to the first view, the mystical significance attributed to the word aligns with the dedication of the sanctuary to “Soteros,” which means the Savior Jesus. The term “Khora” signifies a realm that transcends all frames of reference. During that era, descriptions signifying the boundlessness of God were also attributed to Jesus and Mary. Therefore, in the mosaics depicting Jesus and Mary inside the structure, alongside their names, the word “Khora” is also inscribed.

The second view suggests that the structure was named Kariye because it stood outside the walls of Constantinople. The word “Khora” linguistically denotes the outskirts or countryside. In Turkish, “kariye,” derived from the word for “village,” somewhat translates this meaning. The structure was situated outside the city walls until the construction of the Theodosian Walls in the fifth century.

History

The history of the mosque is divided into three periods: the Eastern Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Republic of Turkey. Today, we will only discuss the period of the Republic of Turkey.

Previously used for various purposes such as a church, madrasa, and mosque, the building was converted into a museum by a decision of the Cabinet on August 2, 1945.

Between 1945 and 1946, maintenance work was completed by Cahide Tamer, an architect from the Directorate of Foundations. Subsequently, from 1947 to 1958, restoration work was carried out by the Byzantine Institute of America and Dumbarton Oaks Research. Led by Paul Underwood, this restoration project spanned 12 years and involved a team entirely composed of foreigners. During this restoration, all artifacts from the Ottoman period inside the sanctuary and all parts belonging to the mosque were removed from the building. Even the hexagonal flooring tiles of the external narthex and parekklesion from the Ottoman period were dismantled.

Over the course of 75 years, Kariye continued to exist as a museum and museum storage facility. However, similar to the decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque for worship, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s decree in August 2020 transferred Kariye to the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) to reopen it for worship. Restoration work is currently ongoing, and once completed, Kariye Mosque, another cornerstone of Istanbul’s historical and cultural heritage, will once again be open for worship, similar to its past use.

Architecture

If we talk about the architecture of the mosque, from the outside, Kariye Mosque appears as a simple structure with stone and brick walls, but inside, it is enhanced with decorative mosaic elements, making it a work of art.

The building took its present form after undergoing significant construction and restoration efforts in different periods.

The dome of present-day Kariye Mosque retains only its original drum. The collapsed dome was made of wood and covered with plaster. The 12th-century naos plan remained unchanged in the 14th century, preserving its original form. The high drum of the dome rests on four piers and is supported by four short barrel vaults, forming the arms of the plan. This high drum provides light to the interior through sixteen tall windows.

Kariye consists of five main architectural units: Outer Narthex, Inner Narthex, Naos, a two-story annex on the north side, and Parekklesion on the south side.

At the eastern end of Naos, there is a bema. Dome-covered pastophorion rooms are located on both sides of the bema. The main entrance to Naos is through the central large portal from the Inner Narthex and a smaller door on the north side without a counterpart on the south side. The pastophorion room on the north side opens directly to the bema, while the room on the south side opens to the southern parekklesion. On the south side of Naos, athere is a corridor connecting Naos to Parekklesion.

Adjacent to the north side of Naos, the two-story annex has longitudinally vaulted rooms on each floor. The upper floor contains a passage corridor measuring 2.97m x 9.97m, while the lower floor room measures 2.99m x 10.14m.

Inner Narthex is located on the west side of Naos and consists of four unequal-sized units. The units on the south and north sides are covered with domes, while the others are covered with vaults. The entrance to the Inner Narthex is through a large central door from the west, which opens from the Outer Narthex.

Outer Narthex is composed of five uneven-sized units on the west side of Inner Narthex and two large units on the south side, which connect to an additional chapel and surround the Inner Narthex from the south. These units are also covered with vaults.

The structure contains a total of eight tomb arcosolia: four in Parekklesion, one on the north wall of Inner Narthex, and three on the west wall of Outer Narthex.

Parekklesion, built in the 14th century, is adjacent to the south side of Naos. Its single-aisle longitudinal rectangular plan is seen as a direct extension of the narthex. Parekklesion consists of a square plan and two adjacent units of the same size, with a bema section almost as wide as the nave.

There is architectural coherence inside, with three arches—one on the east side, one in the center, and one on the west side—separating the functional and visual integrity of the eastern and western units with pilasters that extend slightly from the walls to the ground.