Of all the churches in Constantinople, the one that impressed me most was the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, part of the Chora Monastery complex

Of all the churches in Constantinople, the one that impressed me most was the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora, part of the Chora Monastery complex. In present-day Istanbul it is the best-preserved Byzantine church; the current building dates from the 11th century and stands on the site of an earlier church, probably of the 6th to 9th centuries. Much of its decoration has survived because from 1948 it served as a museum, with the restoration carried out by the Byzantine Institute of America. The church is now part of the historic areas of Istanbul inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The most recent restoration took place in 2013.

This is the very church where the great icon of the Mother of God Hodegetria, protectress of Constantinople, found its last refuge, having been brought here during the Turkish siege of the city in 1453. It is believed that, on account of its magnificent precious setting of gold and stones, the icon was hacked to pieces by Turkish looters.

Since 2020 a mosque has once again been active within the walls of one of the most emblematic churches of Eastern Christianity. But most of the mosaics are not covered over, unlike in the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, and are open to view, delighting the eye after the masterly restoration work.