, one of the finest gems
of Byzantine Art. It is divided into four bays, and is not
symmetrically placed to the church. The door stands opposite to the
large door of the church and is in the central axis of the building. The
bay which it occupies and that immediately to the north are covered by
dome vaults resting on strong transverse arches and shallow segmental
wall arches.[539] The northern end bay is covered with a drum dome of
sixteen hollow segments pierced by eight windows. The bay to the south
of the door is considerably larger than the other bays, and is covered
by a dome similar in character to that over the northern end bay but of
greater diameter. At the south end of the narthex a small door leads to
the return bay of the outer narthex in front of the parecclesion.

The double-storied annex or gallery on the north of the building is
entered by a door in the north bay of the inner narthex. The lower story
is covered by a barrel vault with strong transverse arches at intervals.
Its door to the outside at the west end is now built up. At the east end
a door, unsymmetrically placed, leads to the small chapel which was
originally the prothesis. This story of the gallery seems never to have
had windows. The upper story, reached by a stone stair at the west end
in the thickness of the external wall, is paved in red tiles, covered
with a barrel vault, and lighted by two small windows in the north wall
and one at the east end. These windows still show grooves and bolt holes
for casement windows or shutters opening inwards in two leaves (Figs.
19, 100). In the south wall is the little window overlooking the church.

[Illustration: PLATE LXXXVI.
S. SAVIOUR IN THE CHORA. EIKON FRAME ON THE SOUTH-EASTERN PIER.]

[Illustration: S. SAVIOUR IN THE CHORA. THE INTERIOR, LOOKING EAST.
_To face page 308._]

The outer narthex has a single door to the exterior, placed on the
central axial line, and is planned symmetrically. The central bay is
larger than the others, and is covered by a dome vault resting on
shallow wall arches. On each side are two bays covered by similar dome
vaults, but as the bays are oblong, the wall arches are brought forward
strongly so as to give a form more approaching the square as a base for
the dome. The transverse arches are strongly pronounced and have wooden
tie beams. At the south end two bays are returned to form an entrance
to the parecclesion. In these the transverse arches are even m