In an inconspicuous place of the usual residential area of Istanbul, the old Chora church (Hare in the Turkish version) was modestly sheltered . Not everyone is ready to highlight in his busy tourist schedule time to get here, and in vain . The ancient Byzantine church of Hora is a real Istanbul pearl, and its main attraction is the museum with the rarest collection of Byzantine mosaics and frescos. . Outwardly the church looks rather modest and even absurd, that she was got a mosque, but look inside and you will be amazed by the beauty that opened to your eyes. . After the museum inspection, do not rush to say goodbye to this quarter. . Next to the caribbean is the mosque of Mihrymakh-Sultan - look here, and then stroll along the local streets, then here and there discovering examples of old Istanbul architecture .
A bit of history
Church of Hora was founded by the Byzantines in the 5th century and was located at that time in an area that did not belong to Constantinople . By the way, the word "Chora" in the Russian translation literally means "behind the settlement" . During its existence, it repeatedly changed its purpose: served now as a monastery, then a church or a mosque . Now it is no longer considered a religious structure, performing only the functions of the museum . The opening of the museum of mosaics and frescoes of Hurray took place in 1958 ., now it is supervised by the same employees, and that Aya-Sofia .
Internal its decoration of the church
When you go to the temple, the interior space is much larger than it looks from the outside. The Hare Museum consists of three rooms: the vestibule, the main hall and the funerary chapel. The mosaics of the lobby and main room in beauty and variety can compete with the decoration of the most famous Byzantine churches. They are considered almost the standards of Byzantine art of the 14th century and the only illustrative material for the Bible made of mosaic.
In the nave of the church are represented quite well preserved mosaics of the 14th century: Jesus, St. Mary and the Child, Assumption of the Virgin Mary . Plots of frescoes and mosaics are based on stories from the childhood of Christ, stories about his miracles . As you know, in the Christian church, with the Bible simple parishioners who were largely illiterate . At the same time, Islam forbade images of people and animals, in the mosque there is no subject painting, only patterns and quotations from the Koran, so Muslims had to learn to read .
Useful information
Address: Kariye Camii Sokak, Edirnekapı
Phone: (212) 631-92-41.
E-mail: ayasofyamuzesi@kulturturizm.gov.tr.
Opening hours: Thursday - Tuesday: 9:00 - 19:30 (during the period from April to October, the rest of the time the museum runs until 4:30 pm), Wednesday: closed. The ticket office closes its work 30-60 minutes before the museum closing.
Entrance: 15 TRL, Museum entrance Istanbul is free.
At the entrance you can take an audio guide in Russian, it will help you to orient yourself in the exposition and provide useful information about (cost - 10 TRL).
From the central districts of Istanbul to the museum of Hara can be reached by high-speed tram and metro (line T1). Go to the stop Aksaray, take the subway (line M1) and exit at the stop Topkapı-Ulubatlı. From here you can take a bus, take a taxi or take a walk. You can also take bus No. 910 to Emineni, go to the "Edirnekapy" stop, then change to TR4 and go four stops to Edirnekapy, then follow the signs to the museum by foot.
Another option is the most convenient, but also the most convenient expensive - take a taxi from Sultanahmet Square
The souvenir shop is open at the museum
All prices are for November 2014