HISTORY ARCHITECTURE 1

AHISTOR1
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
HISTORY
By the time Constantine became the Caesar of the Roman Empire, the Empire had
split in half:
•The Western Roman Empire centered in Rome
•The Eastern Roman Empire of Byzantium (Constantinople), today Istanbul
•Byzantium, "New Rome" was later renamed Constatinople and is
now called Istanbul. The empire endured for more than a millennium,
drammatically influencing Medieval and Rennaisance era architecture in Europe
and following the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 leading
directly to the architecture of the Ottoman Empire
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
• Characterized especially by massive domes with square bases and rounded
arches and spires and extensive use of glass mosaics.
• Early Byzantine architecture was built as continuation of Roman architecture.
• Stylistic drift technological advancement, and political and territorial
changes meant that a distinct style gradually emerged which imbued
certain influences from the Near East and used the Greek cross plan in church
architecture.
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
Plan
• Greek cross plan in church architecture.
A cross with four equal arms at right
angles.
• A square plan in which the nave, chancel
and transept arms are equal
length forming a Greek cross, the crossing
generally surmounted by a dome become
common form in the Orthodox Church
with many churches throughout
Eastern Europe and Russia being built in
this way.
• Churches of the Greek cross form often
have a narthex or vestibule which
stretches across the front of the church.
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ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
Parts of Greek/Latin Cross Plan
• Narthex: This is the entrance or
vestibule area at the western end of the
church, leading into the main body of the
church.
• Nave (central space): Similar to the
previous description, this is the main
area where the congregation gathers. In
Byzantine architecture, the nave is often
square or rectangular.
• Transepts: These are the arms of the
cross that extend horizontally from the
central nave. In Byzantine Greek cross
plans, the transepts are usually of equal
length to the nave.
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ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
Parts of Greek/Latin Cross Plan
• Apse (altar space): At the eastern end of
the church, the apse is a semicircular or
polygonal space where the altar is
located. It is often adorned with mosaics
or icons.
• Dome: Over the intersection of the nave
and transepts, Byzantine churches
typically feature a large dome. This
dome symbolizes the heavens and
provides a central focal point in the
architectural design.
• Aisles: Byzantine churches may have
aisles running alongside the nave,
transepts, or both. These aisles serve as
additional spaces for processions or for
housing chapels.
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ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
Interiors
• Building increased in geometric
complexity, brick and plaster were used in
addition to stone in the decoration of
important public structures, classical
orders were used more freely, mosaics
replaced carved decoration, complex
domes rested upon massive piers, and
windows filtered light through thin sheets
of alabaster to softly illuminate interiors.
• Classical Orders were used more freely
• Mosaics decorations on walls and floors
• Grouped Windows filtered light
thorough which softly illuminate interiors
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ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
Walls
• These were often constructed of brick with
core of the wall was generally of concrete
• Internally, the oriental love of
magnificence was developed,
marble casing and mosaic being applied
to the walls
• Absence of Mouldings prevailed
• Externally the buildings were left
comparatively plain, although the façade
was sometimes relieved by alternate
rows of stone and brick, in various colors.
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ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
Openings
• Doors and windows are semicircular headed.
• The windows are small and grouped together.
• The churches depend largely for light on the
ring of the windows at the base of the dome,
or in the "drum"
• In the blight climate very much smaller
openings suffices to admit the necessary light.
• The universal employment of mosaic in
Byzantine churches and
the consequent exclusion of painted glass,
rendered the use of such large windows.
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ARCHITECURAL CHARACTER
Roofs
• Domes formed in brick, stone, or concrete, with frequently no
further external covering.
• The Byzantines introduced the dome placed over a
square or octagonal plan by means of pendentives.
• The early domes were very flat; in later times they were raised on a
drum or cylinder.
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

Byzantine Dome Construction

• The most distinctive feature was the domed roof. The dome, which had always
been a traditional feature in the East, became the prevailing motif of Byzantine
architecture, which was a fusion of the domical construction with the Classical
columnar style.
• To allow a dome to rest above a square base, either of two devices was used: the
squinch (an arch in each of the corners of a square base that transforms it into an
octagon) or the pendentive. Domes of various types were now placed over
square compartments by means of "pendentives," whereas in Roman architecture
domes were only used over circular or polygonal structures.
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

Byzantine Dome Construction

• These domes were frequently constructed of
bricks or of some light porous stone, such as
pumice or even of pottery.
• Byzantine domes and vaults were constructed
without temporary support or "centering" by the
simple use of large flat bricks, and this is quite
a distinct system probably derived from
Eastern methods.
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

Byzantine Dome Construction

Three Types of Dome:
• Simple - Pendentive and domes are of same sphere
• Compound - Dome of separate sphere, rises independently over sphere of
pendentives or dome raised on high drum
• Special designs - melon, serrated, onion or bulbous shape
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FAMOUS BYZANTINE STRUCTURES

HAGIA SOPHIA – Istanbul, Turkey
Emperor Justinian hired ten thousand skilled craftsmen to complete Hagia Sophia.
There were stonecutters, brick masons, carpenters, glass bloweres,
marble workers, sculptors, goldsmiths, and other artists.
Only the finest materials were used for the interior of the church. Red, green
ans white marble covered the floors and walls. Ivory, silver,
gold decorated carved wooden doors. Silk hangings from the newly established silk
weaving industry in Constantinople, decorated the doorways. Justinian wanted to
pave the sanctuary floor in silver but was talked out of doing so by his
advisors. They pointed out that such a costly floor could be pried up by future
emperors, if they needed money.
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

FAMOUS BYZANTINE STRUCTURES

HAGIA SOPHIA – Istanbul, Turkey
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

FAMOUS BYZANTINE STRUCTURES

HAGIA SOPHIA – Istanbul, Turkey *source: @07sketches
REFERENCE:
https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/byzantine-architecture-14165924/14165924
https://archi-monarch.com/byzantine-architecture/
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=321672422867446&set=pcb.321672472867441&locale=sw_KE