Byzantine Architecture
ART & ARCHITECTURE – II
Lecture 02
Tanjina Rahman Dristy
• Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire.
• The empire gradually emerged as a distinct artistic & cultural entity from What is today
referred to as the Roman Empire after 330AD, when the Roman Emperor Constantine
moved the capital f the Roman Empire east from Rome To Byzantine.
• Byzantine, “New Rome” , was later renamed Constantinople and is now called “Istanbul”.
• Early Byzantine architecture was built as a continuation of Roman architecture.
• Used the Greek cross plan in church architecture.
• Buildings 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.
• Mosaic replaced carved decoration.
• Complex domes rested upon massive piers, and windows filtered light through thin sheets of alabaster to softly
Illuminate interiors.
Domes and Domes on Pedentives:
• Byzantine architecture gave us the pedentive domes and the dome on pedentives.
• The pendentive dome and the dome on pendentives provided the Byzantine architects with a unique way of
adjusting the circular form of a dome roof to a square or polygonal plan.
• This type of dome was invented by the Romans but was seldom used by them.
• It was the Byzantine builders who used it to create dramatic interiors.
• In the Pantheon in Rome, the Dome roof had to be supported by a circular plan.
• The walls of the plan had to be thick to counterbalance the forces from the Dome.
• The pendentive dome is derived by trimming the
sides of a regular dome over a square plan as
shown in A.
• The pendentive dome enables the transfer the
total load of the dome to the four corners of a
building, meaning that only the four corners
need to be reinforced.
• This allows the dome roof to be adapted for a
square building as shown in B.
• Additionally, the top of the pendentive dome can be trim to introduce another dome on top
of it as shown in C.
• The additional dome can further be raised to introduce a cylinder between the pendentive
dome and the additional dome as in D.
• Windows can then be introduced in the cylinder enabling architects to creating dazzling
interior light effects.
Early Prototypes St Vitale Ravenna AD 526-547
• Byzantine architecture has its early
prototypes in two churches, San
Vitale(526-47), Ravenna and in Saint
Sergius and Saint Bacchus in
Constantinople.
Figure 01: San Vitale Ravenna
Sourcce: Trachtenberg & Hyman (1986)
Early Prototypes St Vitale Ravenna AD 526-547
• Ravenna once served as the seat of the Roman Empire.
• The church is among the most important monument of Byzantine architecture.
• It was also the prototype for the Hagia Sophia which was built 10 years later.
Early Prototypes St Vitale Ravenna AD 526-547
• The church is octagonal in plan.
• It has a domed octagonal core surrounded by
ground level ambulatory with a gallery above it.
• The outer wall of the ambulatory is also octagonal.
• It has an apse which extends from the central core to
one of the 8 sides of the outer octagon. Figure 02: San Vitale Ravenna, Plan
Source: K.Cohen,San Jose State Univ
• The domed roof of the church is raised on a drum
allowing it greater height and lighting.
• The dome has a diameter of 17 meters and a height
of 30 meters.
• The Byzantine characteristics of the church include:
-Its central planning.
-The structural arrangement of its central dome.
-The use of surrounding isles.
-And the way structure, lighting and decoration have
Figure 03: San Vitale Ravenna, Interior
been integrated in the interior of the church. Source: K.Cohen,San Jose State Univ
Early Prototypes St. Sergiusand Bacchus, Constantinople
• It was built as a palace church between A.D. 527-536.
• It is based on the four-lobed alternative church plan of early Christian Architecture.
• The church in plan consist of an octagonal core set in a very loose rectangular form.
• The form of the church was not a perfect square.
• The central space was covered by a dome.
• The octagon of the central dome has a small but true Pendentive dome.
• This church was constructed very shortly before HagiaSophiaand was believed to be a Experiment.
• The dome, its adaptation to a squarish form, the use of pendentive and the lighting and decoration scheme in the
interior gives it its Byzantine characteristics.
Figure 05: St. Sergius &
Bacchus,Constantinople (Interior
view)
Figure 04: St. Sergius & Bacchus,Constantinople Source: Trachtenberg & Hyrman
Source: Geroge & F.Kimbell (1918) (1986)
• Hagia Sophia or the church of the holy
wisdom is the most accomplished
master piece in the history of
architecture.
• The church was constructed in 532 A.D.
by Emperor Justinian in Constantinople
now Istanbul.
• Hagia Sophia was the greatest vaulted
space without intermediate supports
Figure 06: Hagia Sophia
that has ever been built and it
remained so throughout the history of
the Byzantine Empire.
• Its architects were Isidore of Miletusand
Anthemius of Trales, professors of geometry at
the University of Constantinople.
• The church provides an expert solution to the
problem of how to place a dome on a square
base.
• The solution was to use pendantives.
• Hagia Sophia is covered by a central dome 102
feet (31 m) across, slightly smaller than the
Pantheon's. Figure 07: Hagia Sophia Central Dome.
• The dome seems rendered weightless by the
unbroken arcade of arched windows under it,
which help flood the colorful interior with light.
• The dome is carried on pendentives.
• The weight of the dome passes through the
pendentivesto four massive piers at the Corners.
• It was for almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul.
• HagiaSophia served as model for many of the great Otoman mosques of Constantinople such as the
ShehzadeMosque, the Suleiman Mosque, and the Rustem Pasha Mosque.
• After continuing as a mosque for many years, it was in 1934 turned by Turkish authorities into the HagiaSophia
Museum.
Plan Schemes:
• Greek Cross
• Quincunx
Dome Structure:
• Raised On Drum
• Squinch Or Pendentive
Santa Sophia, Kiev:
• Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev was Figure 08: Santa Sophia, Kiev.
Source: Great Architecture of the world.
named after the Hagia Sophia cathedral in
Constantinople.
• The cathedral has 5 naves, 5 apses, and 13 cupolas (domes).
• The first foundations were laid in 1037 by
• It is surrounded by two-tier galleries from three sides.
prince Yaroslav.
• In 1934 the cathedral was confiscated by the Soviets and
• The church measures 37 X 55 Meters.
turned it into an architectural and historical museum.
St Basils, Moscow AD 1551-1536
• Commission by Ivan the terrible of Russia and built as the
capitals main parish church.
• The ground plan is an eight pointed star at the center of which
is a rectangular chamber and an apse.
• Eight domed tower chapels are distributed around the central
chamber.
• In saint basil Moscow, the byzantine dome finally became
onion
Shaped tops of towers.
• The byzantine program of interior lighting and decoration
was also lost instead, it was replaced by the use of brilliant
exterior colors.
• Built around 1020 A.D.
•It has a complex plan with 8 piers carrying its large central dome.
•The church plan integrates a cross in square with an octogan dome scheme.
•The result is an effect of interpenetrating space
Figure 09: Hosios Loukas Monastry, Greece-Plan.
Source: Simpson F.M (1905)
• Combined with lights from its dome
and its decoration it give a clear
expressing of its Byzantine
character.
• On the outside, its construction
materials reflect local practices.
Figure 09: Hosios Loukas Monastry, Greece (Dome
detail)
• St Mark is also a notable example of Byzantine
Architecture.
• It lies on St Mark's Square, one of the most famous
squares in the world.
• The church has five domes each toping a square.
• The church is based on a Greek cross floor plan,
based on part on the Hagia Sophia and the Basilica of
the Apostles, both in Constantinople.
Figure 10: St Marks, Venice.
