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EARLY CHRISTIAN
ARCHITECTURE
INFLUENCES
Geographical
- Christianity had its birth in Judaea, an eastern
province of the Roman Empire.
- carried by S. Peter, S. Paul, and other
missionaries to Rome, as the center of the World-
Empire
- in Rome, the center of the Empire and
fountainhead of power and influence, Christianity
grew till it was strong enough to become the
recognized universal religion of the whole Roman
Empire
- logical outcome of existing Roman art and it was
modified in other parts of the Empire according to
the type already recognized as suitable for the
geographical situation of those countries, such as
Syria, Asia Minor, North Africa, and Egypt.
Geological
- ruins of Roman buildings often provided the quarry
whence materials were obtained. This influenced the
style, both as regards construction and decoration ;
for columns and other architectural features, as well
as fine sculptures and mosaics from older buildings,
were worked into basilican churches of the new faith
Climatic
- The climate of Italy, the most important center of
building activity in this epoch
- The climatic conditions of such Roman provinces as
Egypt, Syria, and North Africa where Christianity was
established were more or less varied, and naturally
modified the style in those countries where the fiercer
sun and hotter climate necessitated small windows
and other Eastern features.

INFLUENCES
Religious
- Christianity has inspired the building of some of
the greatest architectural monuments. The
number of Christian communities established by
the Apostle Paul in his missionary journeys
round the Eastern Mediterranean, in Syria,
Africa, Greece, and Italy, might lead us to
expect many more ruins of Early Christian
basilican churches throughout these districts.
- the God preached by S. Paul was " not like unto
gold or silver or stone graven by art and device
of man," nor a God that dwelleth " in temples
made with hands " like those of the old Greeks
and Romans which were built to shelter the
statues of the gods
INFLUENCES
Social
Constantine changed the capital of the Empire from
Rome to Byzantium in A.D. 324, when the old Roman
political system came to an end, and this royal
convert reigned as an absolute monarch till his death
in A.D. 337. Besides the troubles caused by Julian the
Apostate, Christianity suffered further disabilities
during the unsettled conditions consequent upon the
division of the Roman Empire, which first took place in
A.D. 365 when Valentinian became Emperor of the
West and his brother Valens of the East.
Theodosius the Great (A.D. 379-395) reunited, for a
time, the Eastern and Western Empires, and in A.D.
438 Theodosius II published his legal code, an
important work on the constitutions of the Emperors
from the time of Constantine.
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- the purpose of the Christian church was to
shelter worshippers who met for prayer and
praise to an unseen Deity, and, during the
unsettled conditions at the beginning of
Christianity, various places were adapted for
this worship.
- the building of pagan temples ceased before
any attempt was made to build Christian
churches.
- In A.D. 313 Constantine issued his
celebrated decree from Milan, giving
Christianity equal rights with other religions,
and in A.D. 323 he himself professed
Christianity, which became the official
religion of the Roman Empire, and the
Christians then began to build churches of a
type suit-able to their needs and ritual.
- The series of Emperors in the West came
to an end in A.D. 475, and the Eastern and
Western Empires were nominally reunited
by Zeno, who reigned at Constantinople.
Then again the seat of power was
changed, and Theodoric the Goth reigned
in Italy (A.D. 493–526) during a period of
peace and prosperity, and, in the wake of
this change, Byzantine art influenced Early
Christian art by way of Ravenna, which
rivalled Rome in importance and was the
capital of the Gothic Dynasty A.D. 493–
552 with the exception of a short period
when it was subdued by Justinian (A.D.
537).

INFLUENCES
Historical
The Early Christian period is generally taken as
lasting from Constantine to the death of Gregory
the Great (A.D. 604), although in Rome and
many Italian cities it continued up to the 10th
century. The incursions of the Huns into
Germany about A.D. 376 eventually brought
about invasions from the north into Italy, and in
A.D. 410 Rome itself was sacked by the Goths
under Alaric. So many conflicting forces were at
work in Europe that the spread of the new
religion was arrested during this period of
change and upheaval, till A.D. 451, when the
defeat of Attila, King of the Huns, at the battle of
Chalons aided in the consolidation of Christianity
in Europe.
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Description
 highly-influenced by Roman art and
architecture
 this architecture hardly has the
architectural value of a style, simply
because it was never really produced by
the solution of constructive problems
 House-churches, early venue for
religious practices.
Roof and Ceiling
 simple timber roof of king and queen
post trusses
 vaulted or domed
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In A.D. 568 the Lombards penetrated into Italy
and held the northern part for 200 years. Then in
A.D. 800 Charlemagne was crowned by the
Pope in Rome, and from this date the Empire
was styled the Holy Roman Empire, a title
retained till A.D. 1800. Under Pope Gregory the
Great (A.D. 590–604) Early Christian
architecture, the latest phase of Roman art,
gradually fell into disuse, and for the next two
centuries architectural development was
practically at a standstill in Europe ; and though
the influence of Byzantium asserted itself, old
Roman traditions were in abeyance till the time
when Romanesque architecture was gradually
evolved.
Decoration
 fine sculptures and mosaics worked into
new basilicas
 mosaic on interiors or on exterior west
facades
 paid little regard to external architectural
effect
Orientation
 priest stood behind altar, facing east
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EXAMPLES
Basilican Churches
 Roman basilicas as models
 usually erected over the burial place of the
saint to whom it was dedicated
 unlike Greek and Roman temples which
sheltered gods, the purpose of the Christian
church was to shelter worshippers
 Facades face east
 An early Christian Church, characterized by a
long, rectangular plan, a high colonnaded
nave lit by a clerestory and covered by a
timbered gable roof
San Clemente, Rome

EXAMPLES

EXAMPLES
Parts:
 atrium or open forecourt surrounded by arcades
 narthex, covered area for penitents
 nave, lighted by a clerestory of small windows
 3 or 5 aisles, side aisles half-width of nave
 separate galleries for women or sexes on
opposite sides of the nave
 "arch of triumph" symbolizing transition through
death into eternal life
 altar under baldachino (taberancle or ciborium)
 apse (sanctuary) lined with marble slabs
EXAMPLES
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 altar under baldachino (taberancle or ciborium)
 apse (sanctuary) lined with marble slabs
 bema, raised stage for clergy
 choir, enclosed by cancelli or low screen walls
 ambo, pulpit on either side of choir, from which the
gospel and epistle was read
 bishop occupied the central position on apse
 altar, in Roman times used for sacrifice, placed over
burial place of saint
 main aisle had simple timber roof, smaller aisles
vaulted
 apse, crowned with mosaiced semi-dome
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EXAMPLES

St. Peter's, Rome

• erected by Constantine near the site of St. Peter's

martyrdom
• the Circus of Nero was torn down to erect it

EXAMPLES
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EXAMPLES

EXAMPLES
Other examples:
 St. Agnese Fuori Le
Mura, Rome
 St. Paulo Fuori Le Mura
 S. Clemente, Rome
 S. Maria Maggiore,
S. Apollinare, Ravenna Rome

S. Sabina

EXAMPLES
Esonarthex - Part of church between the
exonarthex and nave.
Exonarthex - The outer vestibule of an
orthodox or early Christian church, that
adjacent to the entrance
Cathedral - A large and principal church
of diocese.
Synthronos - is a structure in the apse at
the back of the altar of an Orthodox
Christian church that combines
the bishop's throne/cathedra and seats
for the clergy.
- The bishop's cathedra is centered in the
set of chairs or tiered benches for the
clergy. The synthronon came into use in
the fourth century.
EXAMPLES
- The solea’s construction closely resembles the
stone barriers put in many early Byzantine
churches which divided the side aisles from the
nave.
Arcus toralis - The lattice separating the choir
from the nave in basilica
apsidole or absidiale - a small or
secondary apse, one of the apses on either side
of the main apse in a triapsidal church
- one of the apse-chapels when they project on
the exterior of the church, particularly if the
projection resembles an apse in shape
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High Altar – the main altar of a church
or cathedral
- religious purposes and by extension
the 'Holy table' of post-reformation
Anglican churches.
Soleas - The soleas
(Latin: solea meaning “an elevated
place")
- The soleas projects beyond
the iconostasis, forming a narrow
walkway
- is an extension of
the sanctuary platform church
building.
Schola cantorum - an enclosure
designed for a choir and located in the
center of the nave in early church
buildings.
- A term applied principally to the choir
that sang during solemn papal
ceremonies in the Middle Ages.
Sacristy - a room for
keeping vestments and other church
furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish
records. In some countries, it is known
as the vestry.
Bell tower - a tower commonly serves
as part of a church, and will
contain church bells, but there are also
many secular bell towers, often part of
a municipal building, an educational
establishment, or a tower built
specifically to house a carillon.
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EXAMPLES
Iconostasis - In
Byzantine and
Russian and Greek
orthodox church
architecture, an
ornate painted
screen containing
icons, dividing the
altar from the nave,
a wall of icons.

EXAMPLES

Cloister - an enclosed garden, usually Galilee is a chapel or porch at the west

surrounded by covered walkways.
Because such spaces are often featured
in buildings that house religious
orders, cloister can be used to mean
"monastery" or "convent.“
Prothyron - an open porch supported by
two columns in front of the outer doors
of a church or other building
- The term may also refer to
a vestibule or a corridor.
end of some churches
where penitents waited before
admission to the body of the church and
where clergy received women who had
business with them.
Parvis - an enclosed area in front of a
cathedral or church, typically one that is
surrounded with colonnades or
porticoes.
Orant - a standing figure with both arms
raised in prayer, as found in Greek and
Early Christian art and architectural
ornamentation.
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EXAMPLES
Cancelli - decorated to separating the choir from the main body Tombs
of a church
- Christians objected to cremation, insisted on burial on
Sarcophagus - Elaborate for an important personage of terra- consecrated ground
cotta, wood, stone, metal, or other material, decorated with
painting, carving, and large enough to contain only the body. - monumental tombs as expression of faith in immortality
Diaconicon - A space on the south side of the sanctuary (to the - usually domed and enriched with lavish mosaic
right of the altar) in orthodox or early church for the keeping of decorations
garments and vessels.
- greek -diakoniko
-latin -diaconicum
Vestry - The room in church or monastery where ceremonial
garments, vestment were kept often the same room as sacristy.
Prosthesis - A small table to the left side of the altar, reserved for
object use in worship, also
Tomb thisofside chapel
Galla in which
Pacidia, Ravennathis was
situated.
- dome and pendentives are part of
Exedra - (GK) EXHEDRA same sphere
- A semicircular recess or apse, often with a structural function
and containing a raise seat.
-often in the thickness of a wall, used for relaxation,
contemplation and conversation

EXAMPLES
Church Complex Baptistery, Nocera
parts: Baptistery of Constantine, Rome
 belfry Pisa Baptistery, Italy
 campanile
 baptistery
BAPTISTERIES
- large separate building from church, sometimes adjoined
by atrium and used only for sacrament of baptism, on
festivals of Easter, Pentecost and Epiphany
- occasionally used old Roman circular temples and tombs,
enlarged by surrounding it one-storey aisle enclosed by
outer wall supporting lower roof
- A space, area or separate building of a church or
cathedral, containing a font where baptism takes place
- Octagonal structure having fine mosaics representing the
baptism of Christ

BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
4th to 6th Century
INFLUENCES
Geographical
Mostly influenced by Roman and Greek architecture.
From Byzantine, Constantine renamed it to Constantinople. Now
as Istanbul, and also call New Rome, it was the architecture of the
Eastern Roman Empire which was derived from Early Christian
and Late Roman antecedent in the 4th century
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Geological
No good building stones. Local materials such as clay for bricks and
rubble for concrete were used. Marble was also used but mostly
imported materials
Climatic
Semi- tropical. Thus, flat roofs was used and combined with domes
to counteract the new empire
Religious
Political division between East and West, followed by the division of
churches, due to Iconoclastic Movement, the decree to ban the use
of statues as mean of representations either of human or animal
forms. this made painting figures in decorations a substitute. Early
basilica was merged with the domical system of the Byzantine.
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INFLUENCES
Historical
- The architecture of the eastern sphere of the later
Roman Empire, developing from late Roman Empire
and early Christian antecedents in the 5th century and
influencing church building in Greece, Italy and
elsewhere for more than a thousand years
characterized by masonry construction, round arches,
shallow domes carried on pendentives, and the
extensive use of rich frescoes, colored glass mosaics,
and marble revetments to cover whole interiors
- a style of building that flourished under the rule of
Roman Emperor Justinian between A.D. 527 and 565.
- from 5th to 11th century was 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 Patriarch of the Orthodox Church
Social and Political
Way of life and corrupt conditions contributed greatly to
the fall of Roman Empire
Much of what we call Byzantine architecture today is
ecclesiastical, meaning church-related. Christianity began
to flourish after the Edict of Milan in A.D. 313 when Roman
Emperor Constantine (c. 285-337) announced his own
Christianity
Hagia Irene (also known as Haghia Eirene or Aya İrini
Kilisesi) in Istanbul, Turkey is the site of the first Christian
church ordered built by Constantine in the 4th Century
Prominent figures considered movers of this architecture:
Theodosius II - built several military gates and towers
(defense against the Goths and Huns) but cannot avoid the
Moslem or the Islamic people
Justinian - responsible for rebuilding of St. Sophia “Divine
Wisdom” which is now turned to a Moslem Mosque now a
museum

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Simplicity – in external design which resulted in the use of - Flat roofs were combined with domes
clay and rubble
- Extensive use of mosaic decoration
Richness – in internal treatment importing marble
- Don’t use campanile and atrium in their churches
An important characteristic of the Byzantine style of
ornamentation is the absence of sculptured figures, while - Small windows and arcades with open courts were
colored pictures are generally flat and stylized. chief features.
Features: - The east end of the church is cut off from the nave by
an iconostas (screen of pictures)
- Characterized by large pendentives supported domes to
cover polygonal and square - Clay made into bricks and rubble for concrete were the
building materials
- Churches are distinguished by the centralized type of plan,
having a dome over the nave - Facades faced west
- Plans for churches and baptisteries: rounded arches,
elaborated columns and colors
- The dome became the prevailing motif
- Features the grouping of small domes or semi-domes
around a large central dome
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ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Types of Domes: 2. Compound Dome – dome not part but rises independently above
them
1. Simple dome – domes and pendentives were part of one
hemisphere a. Dome on top of a pendentive
b. Dome raised on a high drum on top of a pendentive pierced
with windows

Pendentive – a spherical triangle forming the

transition from the circular plan of a dome to the
polygonal plan of its supporting structure

ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
3. Special Designs

Serrated Dome Onion or Bulbous sharp

Melon dome – dome with
convolutions
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EXAMPLES
S. Sophia Constantinople Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
- “Sacred Wisdom” “Holy Wisdom”– Greek
- Constructed by Emperor Justinian; designed by
Anthemios of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus
 To symbolize Justinian’s imperial power and still show his Christian
beliefs
 An unprecedented feat, he wanted to merge two architectural
structures – the rectangular basilica and the dome – into a
mammoth, hybrid space.

- The interiors were beautified by richly colored

marble pavements in opus sectile or opus
Alexandrinum.
- Used as a church, mosque, and presently a
museum.

EXAMPLES

Islamic Features
Converted into mosque by
the addition of:
- Four minarets
- Mimbar (pulpit)
- Mihrab (where the quibla
or niche was set and
oriented towards Mecca)
- Calligraphic disks
- Plastering over mosaic
images
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EXAMPLES
St. Mark’s Basilica
Venice, Italy
- Greek Cross Plan
- Golden Mosaics
(Church of Gold)

Little Hagia Sophia – formerly the

Church of the Saints Sergius and
Bacchus in Constantinople, converted
into mosque during the Ottoman Empire

EXAMPLES
St. Vitale, Ravenna –
founded by Justinian
and for the
commemoration of the
recovery of Ravenna

Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene

Holy Peace – also known as St. Irene
- eastern Orthodox church located in
the outer courtyard of Topkapi Palace
in Istanbul, Turkey

EXAMPLES
St. Basil the Blessed Cathedral, Red Square, Moscow – "The
Cathedral of Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat“ - a
Russian Orthodox cathedral built by Ivan IV in 1555. It is the
most recognizable symbol of Russia.
Architect – Postnik Yakovlev
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZXkgcxVlCk&t=344s
EXAMPLES
Monastery of Holios Loukas Church –
Hosios Loukas, Phocia, Greece – the
facing was executed using the
cloisonne technique: the stones are
framed all around with bricks.
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The Little Metropole, Athens – Church of St. Eleutherios or
Panagia Gorgoepikoos - smallest building in the world called
cathedral
Monastery of Agia Triada, Crete, Greece - one
of the richest and most beautiful monasteries
in Crete.
- Greek Orthodox monastery in the Akrotiri
peninsula in the Chania regional unit, Crete,
Greece. It also contains a museum.
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EXAMPLES

Church of St. Mary Pammakaristos, Istanbul - is one of the most Gracanica Monastery, Kosovo, Serbia - the last monastery
famous Greek Orthodox Byzantine churches in Istanbul, Turkey. constructed, in the early 14th century, by the Serbian King
Stefan Milutin, who had promised God that he would build a
- has the largest amount of Byzantine mosaics in Istanbul after church for each of the 40-odd years of his reign.
the Hagia Sophia and Chora Church.
https://www.pallasweb.com/deesis/mosaics-church-theotokos-
pammakaristos.html

EXAMPLES

https://smarthistory.org/late-byzantine-
church-architecture/

The Church of the Holy Apostles – the

oldest church in Athens