BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

(330-1453 and later) / 4th – 6th century

Byzantine – Byzantium – Constantinople - Istanbul

I. INFLUENCES

A. Geographical

~ same as early Christian world

~ Byzantium (Constantinople/Istanbul) was the capital of the Roman Empire
since 330
~ from Byzantium, Constantine renamed it to Constantinople (now known as
Istanbul) and also called “New Rome”. It was the architecture of the Eastern
Roman Empire which was developed from Early Christian and late roman
Antecedent in the 4th century.
~ strategically located in terms of trade and commerce.
~ separated from Europe by the Bosphurus Bay linking the Black sea and the
Mediterranean Sea.

B. Geological

~ no good building stones and local materials such as clay for bricks and rubble
for concrete were used.
~ Marble was also used but imported.

C. Climatic

~ as in Early Christian world: hot and cold

~ semi-tropical thus flat roofs was used and combined with domes with small
windows and sheltering arcades surrounded the green courts.

D. Historical

~ Byzantium: founded as a Greek colony in 330A.D.

~ from 5th to 11th century was one of the fluctuating and gradually declining
fortunes. The spirit of the Byzantine Empire persisted even after the Empire
had fallen, Constantine had continued up to the present day to the seat of a
patriarch of the Orthodox church.
~ conflicts with Persians and Moslems; attacks from enemies
~ final crush: captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1453
 E. Social and Political

~ Ways of life and corrupt conditions contributed greatly to the fall of Roman
Empire.

Prominent figures considered movers of this architecture:

1. Theodosius II – built several military gates and towers (defense against the
Goths and Huns) but cannot avoid the Moslems or the Islamic people.

2. Justinian – responsible for rebuilding of St. Sophia “Divine Wisdom” which

now turned to a Moslem mosque.

F. Religious

~ Political division between East and West, followed by the division of

Churches, due to “Iconoclastic movement” (decree to ban the use of statues as
means of representations either of human or animal forms) and this made
painting figures in decoration a substitute.
~ Issuance of the Edict of Milan = toleration to Christianity resulting in the
erection of churches.
~ Early Christian Basilica was merged with the domical system of the Byzantine.

II. ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

1. Simplicity – in external design which resulted in the case of clay and rubble.
2. Richness – in internal treatment importing “marble’

Characteristics and features:

~ plans: cruciform (Greek cross)

angles filled up bringing the plan to almost square
~ characterized by large pendentive supported domes to cover polygonal and
square planes for churches and baptisteries; rounded arches, elaborate columns
and colors
~ roof: dome on pendentive over central space; features the grouping of domes and
semi-circular arches, flat, segmental and horseshoe arches were also used; drum
bore small windows
dome (hemispherical; squinches (smaller arches)
~ columns: marble from old Roman buildings
imported , newly quarried marble (rare)
~ capitals: cushion (forming a simple transition from the square abacus to the
circular shaft
~ décor: (interior) extensive use of “mosaic decoration”
(exterior) depended largely on the arrangement of brick facing: meander,
fret, chevron, herringbone patterns
~ they don’t use campanile and atrium in their churches
 Plan of a Byzantine church

III. ARCHITECTURAL EXAMPLES

S. Sophia, Constantinople (Istanbul) known also as “Hagia Sophia” (Divine Wisdom). This is
the most important mosque in Constantinople with 107 multi-colored columns by Arch.
Anthemius of Tralles nd Isodorus of Milletus. It is the finest example of Byzantine
architecture.

San Vitale, Ravenna , Italy - Built between ad 526 and 547, the church of San Vitale stands as
one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture. Emperor Justinian I, ruler of the
Byzantine Empire from 527 to 565, built San Vitale in his Italian stronghold at Ravenna when
he extended Byzantine rule through western Europe. The church’s design, especially its domed,
centralized, octagonal core, drew heavily from earlier Byzantine architecture in
Constantinople, the capital of the empire. Beautiful mosaics within the church commemorate
various spiritual and secular subjects, including Justinian and the rest of the Byzantine court.
St. Mark, Venice – Greek cross in plan, with “Ogee arch” by Arch. Cancelli
St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow – (8 domes) The Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Basil in
Moscow represents an exaggerated development of Byzantine domed churches. The richly
ornamented building was commissioned by Russian tsar Ivan IV, also known as Ivan the
Terrible, to commemorate victories in battle and built between 1555 and 1679. The chapels of
Saint Basil’s are topped by colorful onion-shaped domes. Each dome is different in size and
decoration
reserved.

The Little Metropole Cathedral, Athens – smallest building in the world called “cathedral”.

Monastery of Hosious Loukas, Phoscis, Greece

Domes developed in Byzantine architecture:

1. Simple dome – dome and pendentives were part of the same sphere.
2. Compound dome – dome is not part but rises independently above them.
3. Melon-shaped dome – consist of curved flutings which avoid the necessity of
pendentives.

Simple dome Compound dome Melon-shaped dome

Example of columns:

Cushion type Bird and basket Windswept acanthus

Example of ornaments:

Their ornaments were religious in character:

The most popular ornaments used were:

1. Symbolic figures
2. Groups of Saints
3. Peacock – symbol of eternal life
4. Endless knot – symbol of eternity
5. Sacred monograms of Christ

Mosaic patterns for pavements:

1. Opus Sectile
2. Opus Alexandria