The Kariye Djami

The Kariye Djami was published in the mid-1960s to document the extensive restoration of the Chora Church in Istanbul, a structure celebrated for its well-preserved Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. As the director of the Byzantine Institute of America, Paul Atkins Underwood led the project to uncover and conserve these artworks, which had been obscured for centuries under layers of plaster following the building's conversion into a mosque. This definitive multi-volume work serves as the scholarly record of those meticulous restoration efforts, providing high-quality visual documentation that remains a fundamental reference for historians of late Byzantine art.

The design and production of the publication reflect the academic rigor characteristic of Bollingen Foundation-supported research during this era. Underwood focused on presenting the narrative of the building’s theological program through detailed plates and comprehensive descriptive analysis. Upon its release, the work was received as a landmark achievement in art historical literature, praised for its clarity and the technical excellence of its photography, which allowed scholars worldwide to study the intricate details of the Palaiologan Renaissance style in situ.