1. Christ Pantocrator
In lunette over door to inner narthex
The church was dedicated first to Christ Pantocrator (the 
Almighty). The inscription reads: “Jesus Christ, the land (country, 
dwelling-place) of the Living” – with a play on the name of the 
church and a reference to Psalm 116:9: “I will walk before the 
Lord in the land of the living.”

2. The Virgin with Angels
Opposite the above, over entrance door to the building
Secondly the church was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Here she 
is praying in an attitude characteristic of the type known as the 
Theotokos of the Blachernae; Inscription: “The Mother of God, 
the dwelling-place of the uncontainable” – with the same play 
on the name of the church and a reference to the mystery of the 
Incarnation.

3. Theodore Metochites presenting his Church to Christ
Inner narthex in lunette over door to nave 
Theodore offers a model of his church to the enthroned Christ. 
He is dressed in his official robe: the extraordinary turban-like 
hat was called a skiadion, literally a sunshade! Christ has the 
same inscription as in the outer narthex; Theodore’s reads: “The 
Founder, Logothete of the Genikon, Theodore Metochites.”

4. St. Peter

5. St. Paul
To left and right of door to nave

6.  The Deesis
Right of the door in east wall of south bay 
 (A Deesis is a representation of Christ with his mother on his 
right and – usually, though not here – St. John  the Baptist on 
his left.). Here Christ is of the type known as Chalkites from the famous icon over the main gate to the imperial palace. Below 
are the figures of two donors (very unusual in a deesis). At the 
Virgin’s right stands “the son of the most high Emperor Alexius 
Comnenus, Isaac Porphyrogenitus”: this is Isaac Comnenus, 
third son of Alexius I, who was probably responsible for the 
rebuilding of the church in the twelfth century. the inscription 
of the other figure is partly lost: what remains reads “... of 
Andronicus Palaeologus, the Lady of the Mongols, Melane 
the nun.” this was either Maria, half-sister of Andronicus II, 
known as the Despoina of the Mongols, who founded the still 
extant church of St. Mary of the Mongols : or else another Maria, an illegitimate daughter of Andronicus II, who also married a Khan of the Mongols of the Golden Horde: 
in either case she took the religious name of Melane.