Examples of Basilican

Churches II
Examples of Basilican Churches: East

Church at Qal’at Sima’an in north Syria (480-490)

-One of the largest churches in Christendom, the

Church of Saint Simeon stands in partial ruins in the
countryside of Aleppo.

-The church was built in the late 5th century AD by

Emperor Zeno.

- Central eight arch octagon and four churches with

aisles and naves were radiated from this octagon .
The term Greek cross designates a cross with arms of equal
length, as in a plus sign, while the term Latin cross
designates a cross with an elongated descending arm.

In the East–Egypt, Greek, Anatolia, Syria– the Greek cross plan with four
equal length arms was to become standard.
There was no need for vast choir space and congregational areas in the
Easter.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem AD335

• Affected by the constrain of site, it has a very short atrium

• The side isles had a gallery on top
• The outer isles lead to a long peristyle court closing in a curve
 Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem AD335
• This court is believed to frame the holy sepulcher where
Christians believe Jesus is believed to be buried
• The isles therefore provide access for pilgrims to go
round the holy sepulcher
• In general, churches that accommodate pilgrims usually
have a slightly different form
• Some of these churches also serve as burial spots for
those who want to be buried along with the saints they
commemorated
The Centralized Church Plan:

- Was associated with mausoleum(‫ )ضريح‬or shrineand

was later used for baptisteries.

-This type has no altar, example, the rotunda over the

shrine of the sepculre (‫ )كنيسة القيامة‬, in Jerusalem by the
end of the 4th century.

- The roof was raised over the central space (circle,

octagon, or square) either as a timber pyramid or as a
dome.
 Examples:
The mausoleum of Constantine’s daughter, Constantia,
in Rome (c. 350), converted into church, Santa
Costanza, in 1256
A cross-section of Santa Costanza showing how high is
the dome in comparison to the width of the space.
This design become a prototype mainly in italy. Ex. S.Vital
in Ravenna
San Vitale in Ravenna (540-548)
Architecture Influences:
Milan and Ravenna
• Milan
– Emerged as a major architectural center in the early
Christian period.

– After Constantine moved the seat of the Roman

Empire to Constantinople (modern day Istanbul),
Milan became the capitol of the Western Empire,
replacing Rome.

– A number of important churches were built after

Milan was recognized as the spiritual capitol of the
West
Architecture Influences:
Milan and Ravenna
• Ravenna
– In 402, Emperor Honorius transferred the Western
Capitol from Milan to Ravenna.

– Ravenna became the residence of the king

Theodoric and his followers:

– Maintained close contact with Byzantine East .

– Gained much influence from the East architecture.
 Churches in Milan and Ravinna
Church of S. Lorenzo, Milan: Basilica of Sant'Apollinare,Ravinna:

• Built around 370 A.D. • Built around 532-49 A.D.

• basilica -shaped plan, with Corinthian
• Most scholars believe that it was archade
used as the official chapel of the
Imperial Palace in Milan • Half dome mosaic apse

• Based on a Constantinian model

Church of S. Lorenzo, Milan:
Basilica of Sant'Apollinare, Ravinna:
Conclusions:
- Introduction of colors with the use of glass
mosaics gave richness and mystery to the interiors.

- Mosaic decorationsused in the Apse, triumphal arch,

and walls above the Nave arches .

- Marble Pavement.

-The use of arches and the omission of the

entablature (sometimes) gave the building a more
“static quality”.
Conclusions:
- West: emphasized the Basilican model.
- East:
- inclined towards the mystrical properties of the ‘circle’.
- developed Dome.
- after Constantine had his capital about two centuries on
the Bosphourus, St. Sophia was founded as an architectural
Miracle.

- Roman did not die as many of its building forms were

lived in but in forms adopted to the new circumstances.

- Road systems fell into disrepair (barbarian effect).

- Towns began to decay, some serving as bishops’

places or castles and others disappeared completely.
• In the years around 500 A.D. the Western Empire laid
in ruins.
– Rome had been sacked twice and Italy was in the hands of
the (Ostrogoths)(‫) القوطينين الشرقيين‬
Conclusions: Influences of Byzantine
- Economically, Byzantine became the inheritor of the
Empire.
- Providing a degree of continuity for the empire.

- Preserving the use of many and keeping alive the

Roman buildings, craftsmanship and traditions.

The revolutionary aspect of the Byzantine Dome

was that it was set on a building of square plan.

-The problems in the corners,at first , the used solution

was the squinch.
Conclusions: Influences of Byzantine

A Squinch in architecture is
a piece of construction used
for filling in the upper angles
of a square room so as to
form a proper base to
receive an octagonal or
spherical dome.

It was the primitive solution

of this problem, the
perfected one being
eventually provided by the
Pendentive.
Conclusions: Influences of Byzantine
Conclusions: Influences of Byzantine

Pendentives:
are triangular parts of the sphere
which taper down to rest on piers
that spread the load of the dome
to the four corners of the square.

Sometimes a drum would be

added over the pendentive
right underneath the dome.
Conclusions: Influences of Byzantine
- This application required to change the horizontal axis.
Horizontality disappeared and the eyes were drawn upwards to
the Dome. This represent the view about the representation of
the God head where the hierarchy of Heaven must be respected.
https://youtu.be/XfpusWEd2jE