ered by dome vaults on transverse arches, and is paved
with hexagonal tiles. The centre bay is marked by transverse arches of
greater breadth and projects slightly on the outside, forming a plain
central feature. At the north end a door led to the third narthex, but
has now been built up; at the south end is a door inserted in Turkish
times. To the south of the central bay the exterior is treated with
plain arcades in two orders of brick; to the north these are absent,
probably on account of some alterations. At the south end the narthex
returns round the church in two bays, leading to the parecclesion.
The inner narthex is in four bays covered with cross-groined vaults
without transverse arches, and is at present separated from the body of
the church by three clumsy hexagonal piers, on to which, as may be seen
in the photograph (Plate XXXVII.), the groins descend in a very
irregular manner.
In the inner part of the church is a square central area covered by a
lofty drum-dome of twenty-four concave compartments, alternately
pierced by windows. The intermediate compartments correspond to the
piers, and the dome is therefore twelve-sided on the exterior with angle
half columns and arches in two orders. Internally the dome arches are
recessed back from the lower wall face and spring from a heavy
string-course. They were originally pierced on the north, south, and
west sides by three windows similar to those in the west dome arch of S.
Andrew (p. 114).
The west side is now occupied by the wooden balcony of a Turkish house
built over the narthex, but there are no indications of any gallery in
that position.
Below the dome arches the central area communicates with the surrounding
ambulatory on the north, west, and south sides by large semicircular
arches corbelled slightly out from the piers.
On the east side the dome arch is open from floor to vault, and leads by
a short bema to a five-sided space covered by a dome and forming a kind
of triangular apse, on the south-eastern side of which is the mihrab. As
is clearly shown by the character of its dome windows and masonry, this
structure is a Turkish addition taking the place of the original three
eastern apses, and is a clever piece of planning to alter the
orientation of the building.
The ambulatory on the three sides of the central square is covered by
barrel vaults on the sides and with cross-groined vaults at the angles.
To the east it opened into the eastern
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