The Church of St Savior-in-Chora was built during the years 1077-1081, at the behest of Maria Doucina, the sister in law of the Byzantine Emperor Alexis I Comnenus. The mosaics and frescoes of he church are some of the most important Byzantine art. (Press here for 51K jpg) Although the church was converted to a mosque (Kariye Camii) in 1510, the mosaics and frescoes were never obliterated or willfully damaged. Some of these work of arts were obscured by plaster, and damaged by earthquakes. Restoration of the church was started in 1948, and is a spectacular and popular tourist site.(Press here for 56K jpg)