| Description |  |
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Its central, eastern door opens into the naos, whilst another door, at the southern end of the esonarthex opens into the rectangular ante-chamber of the parecclesion. At its northern end, a door from the esonarthex leads into a broad west-east corridor that runs along the northern side of the naos and into the prothesis. The esonarthex has two domes. The smaller is above the entrance to the northern corridor; the larger is midway between the entrances into the naos and the pareclession.
- 1. Enthroned Christ with Theodore Metochites presenting a model of his church;
- 2. Saint Peter
- 3. Saint Paul
- 4. Deesis, Christ and the Virgin Mary (without John the Baptist) with two donors below
- 5. Genealogy of Christ
- 6. Religious and noble ancestors of Christ.
The mosaics in the first three bays of the inner narthex give an account of the Life of the Virgin, and her parents. Some of them are as follows :
- 1. Rejection of Joachim's offerings
- 2. Annunciation of Saint Anne, the angel of the Lord announcing to Anne that her prayer for a child has been heard
- 3. Meeting of Joachim and Anne
- 4. Birth of the Virgin Mary
- 5. First seven steps of the Virgin
- 6. The Virgin given affection by her parents
- 7. The Virgin blessed by the priests
- 8. Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple
- 9. The Virgin receiving bread from an Angel
- 10. The Virgin receiving the skein of purple wool, as the priests decided to have the attendant maidens weave a veil for the Temple;
- 11. Zechariah praying, when it was the time to marry for the Virgin, High Priest Zechariah called all the widowers together and placed their rods on the altar, praying for a sign showing to whom she should be given;
- 12. The Virgin entrusted to Joseph
- 13. Joseph taking the Virgin to his house
- 14. Annunciation to the Virgin at the well
- 15. Joseph leaving the Virgin, Joseph had to leave for six months on business and when he returned the Virgin was pregnant and he is suspicious of that. |
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