BYZANTINE

ARCHITECTURE
A map showing Eastern and
Western Terrtories
A map showing the Byzantine empire under Justinian
 THE CHRONOLOGY

330 AD
284 CE Moving capital from 1369 AD
Emperor Diocletian Rome to Byzantium Emperor John V
565 AD
(divided the empire into (Foundation of the Byzantium became a
Death of Justinian I
eastern and western Eastern Roman vassal state to the
sections Empire) ottoman empire

476 AD
Fall of the Western
Roman Empire

337 CE
Death of
Constantine I

527 AD
Justinian i 1453 AD
632 AD Fall of Byzantine
First great ruler of the
306 CE Beginning of the Arab empire
Byzantine empire
Constantine I conquest Ottoman conquest
(conquered parts of the
(Reunited the empire Western roman empire under Mehmed II
Introduction

 The early Byzantine architecture heavily influenced all church architecture throughout
Europe, including buildings made in the Gothic or Romanesque style.

 In southern and eastern Europe, particularly in the regions of Italy, Greece and Anatolia and
later Russia which remained under the rule of the Byzantine Empire, Roman traditions of
design and techniques are perpetuated.

 In Constantinople, vast domed churches such as Saint Haggia Sophia were constructed,
which is both the prototype of the Byzantine stye and its most prestigious achievement.

 In the 19th century, eclectic architecture borrowed some characteristics of Byzantine

architecture such as in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Montmartre in Paris.
 Byzantine architecture developed gradually after the founding of the Byzantine empire
when Constantine I moved the capital of the Roman Empire to Byzantium, a city later
renamed Constantinople, current day Instabul.

 Byzantione archiecture is based mainlyon Roman architecture. The ifirst Roman Christian
churches were Basilicas. Gradually , the rectangular plan of Basilicas is replaced by greek
cross plans

 Stone is also replaced by brick,Classical orders are used more freely,decoration is done
with mosaics inside and outside of the buildings and more complex domes are erected. The
shape and final style of Byzantine architecture is characterised by cupolas on brick
pendants resting on pillars or columns.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
Byzantine
Roman
• Characterised by churches
 Characterised by temples, theatres, public baths and
• Use of Pendetive to archive massive Domes with square bases
triumphal arches
• Greek Cross Plans
 Use of the 5 Classical Orders
• Iconography
 Moved away from the trabeated construstion to massive walls • Extensive use of interior mosaics which replaced carved
 Use of Arches and vaults decorations
• renounced the Classical Order in favor of columns with
 Rotundas and domes
decorative impost blocks inspired by Middle Eastern designs
 Infrastructure for public use for example aqueducts and
• Round arches
public baths
• Use of Cupolas
• Use of alabaster sheet in windows
• Brick and Plaster were used in addition to stone
 PERIODS OF THE BYZANTINE ERA

 Early Byzantine (including Iconoclasm) 330 CE – 843 AD

 Middle Byzantine 843 AD – 1204 AD

 Late Byzantine 1261 – 1453

 Post-Byzantine after 1453
Parts of Byzantine Church

 Chancel
 Transepts
 Nave
 Aisle
 Narthex
 THE GREEK CROSS

 This is square plan in which the nave, chancel and transept

arms are of equal length forming a Greek Cross, the
crossing usually surmounted by a dome.

 This became the common form in the orthodox church

with many churches in eastern Europe and later Russia
adopting this form

 This type of plan was also to later play a part in the

development of church architecture in Western Europe
most notably in Bramante’s plan for St. Peter’s Basilica
 Greek and Latin Cross Plans

The Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles, Athens, shows a Greek Pisa Cathedral from the « Leaning Tower » shows the Latin Cross
Cross plan with central dome and the axis marked by the narthex form, with a projecting apse, foreground and free standing baptistry
(transverse vestibule) at the west
BYZANTINE DOME CONSTRUCTION

 The most distinctive feature was the domed roof. The dome, which has
always been a traditional feature in the east, became the prevailing motif
of Byzantine architecture, which was a fusion of the domical constructions
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 Pendetive.

 Domes of various types were placed over square compartments by means

of « pendetives » whereas in Roman architecture domes were only used
over circular forms
 These domes were frequently constructed of bricks or of some light
porous stone,such as pumice, or even of pottery, as at S. Vitale,
Ravenna.

 The mystical quality of the light that floods the interior is

fascinating. The canopy-like dome that also dominates the inside of
the church rides on a halo of light from windows in the dome’s base

 The windows create the illusion that the dome is resting on the light
that comes through them like a « floating dome of heaven ».

 Light was used as mystic element that glitters in the mosaics and
shines on marbles. It seemed to dissole material substances and
tranform it intoan abstract spiritual vision
 Windows were formed in the lowr portion of the dome
which, in the later period was hoisted upon a high « drum » -
a feature which wasstill further embellished in the
Renaissance period by the addition of the external peristyle

 The grouping of small domes(cupolas) or semi domes round

the larger cental dome was effective, and one of the most
remarkable peculiarities of Byzantine churches was that the
forms of the vaults and domes were visible externally.