Byzantine Architecture !FREE!

The character of Byzantine architecture, which dates fromthe fourth century to the present day, is determined by the novel development of thedome to cover polygonal and square plans for churches, tombs, and baptisteries.

byzantine architecture

The Byzantines therefore took great pains in the manufacture of bricks, whichwere employed alike in military, ecclesiastical, and domestic architecture. The ordinarybricks were like the Roman, about an inch and a half in depth, and were laidon thick beds of mortar.

The dome, which had always been a traditional feature in the East, becamethe prevailing motif of Byzantine architecture, which was a fusion of the domicalconstruction with the Classical columnar style. Domes of various types werenow placed over square compartments by means of "pendentives," whereasin Roman architecture domes were only used over circular or polygonal structures.

Excerpts from Britannica Concise Encyclopedia, Byzantine Architecture Their [Byzantine architects] combination of the basilicaand symmetrical central-plan (circular or polygonal) religious structures resulted inthe characteristic Byzantine Greek-cross-plan church, with a square central massand four arms of equal length. The most distinctive feature was the domedroof. To allow a dome to rest above a square base, either of two devices was used:the squinch (an arch in each of the cornersof a square base that transforms it into an octagon) or the pendentive.Byzantine structures featured soaring spaces and sumptuous decoration: marble columnsand inlay, mosaicson the vaults, inlaid-stonepavements, and sometimes gold cofferedceilings.The architecture of Constantinople extended throughout the Christian East and insome places, notably Russia, remained in use after the fall of Constantinople (1453).

The two greatest examples of Byzantinechurches are HagiaSophia - pronounced ah YEE ah so FEE ah - (532-537) in Constantinople, and St.Mark's Basilica (830) in Venice.Byzantine church architecture is concerned almost exclusively with a decorated interior.The intention was to sculpt out a holy space where the congregation would be confrontedwith the true nature of the cosmos, cleared of all worldly distractions The mosaicsand frescoes portraying the whole body of the church, fromChrist downwards, have a dual purpose: they give inspiration to the worshiper andare windows to the spiritual world.

Santa Sabina in Rome, built between 422 and 432, is a typical example of this type of church. The sixth century marked the turn towards vaulted churches, peaking with the unprecedented example of Byzantine ingenuity, Hagia Sophia, built between 532 and 537. The so-called Middle Byzantine period marked the diversification of Byzantine church architecture. The development of the theology of images after the Iconoclasm affected the development of a standardized program of decoration and architectural design.

Similarly, baptisteries are exclusively Christian buildings developed from earlier Roman religious architecture. The baptistery was commonly octagonal in plan and used as a place to administer the sacrament of baptism. It was roofed with a dome, the symbol of the heavenly realm. The baptismal font was usually octagonal as well and encircled by columns and an ambulatory. However, they only represent an example of early Christian and Byzantine architecture since, by the 10th century, they were omitted entirely in some places.

Compared to the number of churches and monasteries that influence architectural styles to this day, profane Byzantine architecture seems to have been pushed aside. Therefore, it must be noted that Byzantines were masters of architectural and urban organization throughout their more than thousand-year history. They built cities, palaces, houses, and public infrastructure, such as aqueducts of massive proportions.

As Byzantine society became more inward-turning, public architecture almost exclusively focused on defensive structures. Periods of ruralization, urban revivals, forming of new towns, reconfiguring ancient cities, and migrations shaped the development of profane architecture. Unfortunately, most of the examples that remain to this day are in ruins. Constant inhabitation and wars after the fall of the Byzantine Empire played a significant role in the disappearance of these structures. Despite this, some samples help reconstruct what had been lost to history.

Domestic Byzantine architecture seems to follow old traditions from the beginning of the Roman Empire. The dwellings of the poor, presumably hovels and farmhouses, are unknown. Our knowledge of middle-class dwellings is broader but limited to a handful of residences and commercial buildings excavated in a few Greek cities. A number of 12th-century houses excavated on the Athenian Agora provide us with significant examples. These houses are indistinguishable from the 5th-century houses built on the Agora, as well as the 2nd-century houses in Dura Europos or 1st-century houses in Delos and Priene.

By Dusan NikolicBA History of ArtDusan is an art historian and graduate of the University of Belgrade, specializing in Byzantine church architecture with an interest in the history and creation of art. Formerly a museum worker, he spends most of his research and free time on interdisciplinary work between art history and psychology.

Oxford is full of Byzantine(sque) architecture, with Keble College Chapel probably the most spectacular example. But also, perhaps more surprising, the church St George in Jesmond, Newcastle, is a complete and recently restored striking Byzantium inspired building -content/uploads/2018/09/Exploring-St-Georges-2018.pdf

Byzantine architecture is the architectural style of the Byzantine Empire. This is a term used by modern historians to mean the Eastern Roman Empire based in Constantinople. The empire lasted for more than a millennium. It left a lasting influence on Medieval architecture in Europe and the Near East. It also influenced the later Renaissance architecture and Ottoman architecture.

Early Byzantine architecture evolved from Early Christian architecture.[1] The early Christian style typically was a basilica with three or five isles.[1] Usually they had wooden roofs. Vaults and domes were rarely used. Byzantine architecture rarely used three isle or five isle basilicas.[1] In this style domes were frequently used.[1] The Semi-dome was also used, especially over an apse.[2] It reached its highest form with the use of the pendentive. These are usually used to support a dome. The Byzantine pendentive is a geometric form using four triangular legs sitting on a square base.[3] It developed during the 6th century reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.[4] This is when Byzantine architecture became a distinctive style. Windowed domes were also a distinctive feature of this style.[5] The intent was to make the dome look like a crown with jewels of light.

In the West, Byzantine architecture was replaced by Romanesque and Gothic architecture. In Asia it had an influence on early Islamic architecture. Later Ottoman architecture was also influenced by the Byzantine style.

Officially Byzantine architecture begins with Constantine, but the seeds for its development were sown at least a century before the Edict of Milan granted toleration to Christianity in 313 C.E. Although limited physical evidence survives, a combination of archaeology and texts may help us to understand the formation of an architecture in service of the new religion.

But approaching any work of Byzantine architecture outside of its deep connection to religion gives us an incomplete picture of this tradition. While the Byzantines were the heirs of the Roman Empire, they turned away from the gods of antiquity to embrace Christianity.

Although the Empire was religiously diverse, by the late fourth century Christianity became the official religion of the Empire, and faith would help maintain the authority and prominence of Constantinople through its decline from political significance. Much of Byzantine architecture was created to express religious experience and mediate between the believer and God. Taken in its architectural context, the iconographic program of the mosaics and frescoes of the Kariye Camii envelopes the believer within scenes of the Old Testament and the lives of Christ and Mary Mother of God. Visual expressions of faith within the context of the Eucharist and other religious ceremonies then provide layers of meaning, even the primary context, to the architectural heritage of the Byzantine world.

Byzantine architecture has a lot in common with early Christian architecture. This is not surprising, as most early Christian buildings were built at the command of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine. You may wonder, why don't we just classify early Christian architecture as Byzantine architecture and be done with it? The reason is that Byzantine architecture diverges from early Christian architecture during the reign of the Emperor Justinian, around the middle of the sixth century. From the size and shape of their churches to the style of their decorations, the Byzantines established a style and form all their own. This style persisted in Eastern Europe for another thousand years, while Western Europe developed new, Western styles of architecture.

Before we take a closer look at Byzantine architecture, it behooves us to look at the man behind the movement: Emperor Justinian. Justinian was following in the footsteps of Constantine, the Roman emperor who converted to Christianity and elevated it to the level of a state religion. Justinian wanted to realize Constantine's vision of a united Christian empire. Yet Justinian was not content to unify his empire by force of arms. The last century had made it clear that swords alone could not hold the empire together. So Justinian took a page from Constantine's book and began an ambitious building project, constructing churches all over his empire. 041b061a72