During Ottoman rule, the Turks removed two marble columns from the north side of the parakklesion and replaced them with a wide arch.
Restoration in 1963
In 1963, the arch was removed, and the original structure was restored using bricks. Concrete columns were created to match the original marble ones that remained on the south side The Loss of Pammakaristos.
Decorations on the Columns
The column capitals, made in the 14th century, were gilded in red and blue, a style also used in Hagia Sophia in the 11th century. Some of this decoration still remains today.
Lost and Surviving Mosaics
Two mosaic icons, one of the Hodegetria and the other of John the Baptist, were removed from the church and survive today Local Ephesus Tour Guides.
The Fire of 1784
A major fire in June 1784 damaged the church. During repairs, the mosaics in the main church were scraped off, while those in the chapel were covered with plaster. However, the dome of the chapel remained visible in the 19th century.
Decoration of the Dome
The dome is decorated with a medallion of the Pantokrator (Christ) in the center, surrounded by twelve prophets.
Gold and Windows
The dome’s drum has twelve windows, so there was not enough space for decorations. Instead, it was covered with plain gold, though most of it has disappeared over time.
Lost Decorations
The pendentives, which support the dome, originally had paintings of the four Evangelists, but these were removed.
Connection to Chora Church (Kariye Djami)
The Pantokrator in the Pammakaristos dome looks similar to the one in the south dome of the inner narthex of Chora Church, now called Kariye Djami. However, the expression on Christ’s face in Pammakaristos looks harsher compared to the softer and more human-like faces seen in the Palaeologan period.
