HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

School of Engineering & Architecture

Architecture Program

HISTORY OF
ARCHITECTURE 1
Church ARCHITECTURE
byzantine
Architectural manifestation of thoughts
from the beginning of civilization
to the Byzantine Period
Historical Timeline of Architecture

Egyptian Byzantine

Pre-Historic Greek Roman Early Christian Romanesque Gothic Renaissance 18th-19th C: 20th C:
Revival Modern

Near East Islamic

Indian Chinese & Japanese

 Byzantine Architecture

The Historical
Timeline of Architecture
PRE-HISTORIC
NEAR EAST
EGYPTIAN
GREEK
ROMAN
EARLY CHRISTIAN
BYZANTINE
ROMANESQUE
GOTHIC
RENAISSANCE
18TH-19TH C REVIVAL
20TH C MODERN

ISLAMIC
INDIAN
CHINESE & JAPANESE
FILIPINO

References:
1. Fletcher, Bannister, A History of Architecture 20th Ed.
2. Ching, Francis D.K., A Visual Dictionary of Architecture
3. Espinosa, Kevin, History of Architecture
 Byzantine Empire in 565 AD
under Emperor Justinian

BULGARIA

ROME
GREECE
SPAIN
CONSTANTINOPLE
CORDOBA
ASIA MINOR
ATHENS
CARTHAGE ANTIOCH

JERUSALEM SYRIA
DAMASCUS
AFRICA
ALEXANDRIA

EGYPT

• Where Asia and Europe meet, separated by a narrow strip of water

• Art and Architecture executed by original Greek craftsmen
• Influence reached Greece, Serbia, Russia, Asia Minor, North Africa,
further west
• Also Ravenna, Perigeux and Venice, through trade
• In 285 – 293 AD, the empire had split into two – an Eastern and
Western empire
• Constantine, a converted Christian, changed the capital of the Empire
from Rome to Constantinople in 330 AD
• The western empire based in Rome finally collapsed in 476 AD by
fierce barbaric tribes such as the Goths and Vandals who attacked
from outside the empire leading to its disintegration
• Eastern empire lasted another thousand years and was known as the
Byzantine empire
• Although the Eastern Empire was not yet “Byzantine” Under
Constantine, CHRISTIANITY would become one of its defining
characteristics
• Constantinople stood on the site of an old Greek town called
Byzantium (present-day Istanbul)
• Known as the “New Rome“ (Nova Roma), most commanding position
and most valuable part of eastern Roman empire
• Bulwark of Christianity during the Middle Ages
• Strongly Christian people - founded many monasteries and churches
• Converted the Russians and Eastern Europeans to Christianity - this
form of Christianity survives today as the Eastern Orthodox Church
(Catholic Religion teaching the word of Jesus Christ and His apostles)
• Under Emperor Justinian, regained control of lost
lands of the Western Roman Empire, such as
Northwest Africa, Italy and Spain. It is under his reign
that the Byzantine Style evolved.
• His interest in church building led to the discovery of
the groin vault and the evolution of the Byzantine style
• Groin Vault - A vault produced by the intersection at right
angles of two barrel (tunnel) vaults. Sometimes the
arches of groin vaults may be pointed instead of round.
• The empire was a multinational state
• Greek became the everyday language as well as the language of the
church and everyday commerce in this empire
• The general identity of the Eastern Roman Empire was a combination
of Roman statehood, Hellenistic culture and Christian religion
• The constant attacks from barbaric tribes reduced the influence of the
Roman and Early Christian Style and the impetus for architectural
innovation shifted to the Byzantine Empire, marking the movement
from Early Christian civilization to Byzantine Civilization.
 (324 AD –
1453 AD)

• The character of Byzantine Architecture, which dates from the fourth

century to the present day, is determined by the development of the
dome to cover circular, polygonal and square plans for churches,
tombs and baptisteries.
• The change from Roman and Early Christian was gradual, but in the
course of two centuries, the east asserted its influence; and though no
exact line separates Early Christian and Byzantine styles, the basilican
inherited from Pagan Rome, is characteristic of the former, and the
domed type, introduced from the East is the latter.
• The system of construction in concrete and brickwork introduced by
the Romans was adopted by the Byzantines.
 (324 AD –
1453 AD)

• Development of the Christian church continued during the

Byzantine era
• In the Byzantine period, focus shifted from the rituals or
practices of worship to the building as an embodiment or
symbols of the majesty of the faith
• Innovative structure was combined with light and decoration
to create fascinating interiors
 (324 AD –
1453 AD)

PRINCIPAL ARCHITECTURAL ORGANIZATION

• RELIGIOUS RITUALS – design closely mirror rituals of religion
• SYMBOLISM – use of light and decoration contributes to the
experience of the space; the Church viewed as the house of
God
• CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY – ease of construction means
places of worship could be provided for the expanding
believers.
CHARACTERISTIC OF BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE
• Simplicity in External Design and Richness in Internal
Treatment PENDENTIVES (a curved
• No Statues only Paintings triangle of vaulting formed by
the intersection of a dome with
its supporting arches.)
SYSTEM OF CONSTRUCTION
• Domical and Columnar Style
• Domes of various types placed over square
compartments using PENDENTIVES
• Semi-circular arches rest directly on columns, with
capitals able to support springing of arches

BUILDING MATERIALS
• Bricks, Concrete and Marble
IMPORTANT FEATURES
• Use of Domes
• Adopted the Roman system of hand laid
concrete construction
• Brick finish for exterior walls, usually done in
horizontal, oblique, or sometimes in form of
frets, chevrons or herringbone pattern.
• Interiors usually glass mosaic following the
special order of Victorian decoration
• For the dome – Head and Shoulder of Christ
• Pendentives – Picture of 4 Evangelists
• Apse – Virgin and child (Jesus Christ)
• Walls – Representation of Saints and
pictures of Incidents in the life of Christ
The essential difference in plan between a Byzantine and an Early
Christian church may be summed up as follows:
1. Campanile
a. Byzantine Churches – had no bell-towers or Campanile
b. Early Christian Churches – presence of campanile
2. Impression
a. Byzantine Churches – gives a vertical impression, because of the grouping of
subsidiary domes round a central dome; for the eye is gradually drawn upwards
towards the central culminating dome
b. Early Christian Churches – gives a horizontal impression, because of the vista of
columns, entablatures and simple timber roof; for the eyes is led along these
horizontal lines to the apsidal sanctuary
PLANS
• DISTINCTION:
• EARLY CHRISTIAN - Basilican Plan
• BYZANTINE – Domed Centralized Plan
• The Domical method of construction governs the plan of Byzantine
churches, which are all distinguished by a central space, covered with a
dome on pendentives.
• Church plan is the same as the Roman church but the atrium was
removed, therefore the main entrance is the narthex and in the GREEK
CROSS form.
• Opposite the entrance was the apse for the altar in the sanctuary, which
was screened off by the characteristic “ICONOSTASIS” with its three doors,
and there were also lateral ritual chapels.
• ICONSTASIS (UPPER RIGHT) - a solid screen of stone, wood, or metal, usually
separating the sanctuary from the nave.
• The narthex formed an entrance vestibule and was frequently crowned
with domes.
PLANS
WALLS
• The walls usually constructed of brick and
internally encrusted with rich colored marble
and shining glass mosaics, which swept from wall
to arch and arch to vault almost to the exclusion
of moldings and sculptured ornaments.
• Externally the walls were comparatively plain
and depended largely for effect on the brilliant
oriental sunshine which clothed them with a
garment of glowing color.
• The facades were often thrown into prominence
by alternate layers or bands of brick and stone.
• In their use of icons, only flat images or low relief
sculptures were permissible in religious art for
the three dimensional representations glorify the
human aspect rather than the spiritual aspect.
This was called the Iconoclastic Controversy.
OPENINGS
• Arcades of semi-circular arches on monolithic
columns with convex capitals were largely
employed in churches, especially to support
the galleries.
• Doors are usually spanned by semi-circular
arches, but flat, segmental and horse-shoe
arches were also used.
• Windows are small and grouped together while
sometimes they are arranged in tiers within the
semi-circular arch beneath the dome. The
encircling ring of windows at the base of the
dome or in the “drum” upon which the dome
was raised was often the chief source of light in
the church.
• Windows were also occasionally formed of a
thin frame, 3” thick, of translucent marble,
filled in with glass.
ROOFS
• The method of roofing was by domes of brick, stone or concrete, often
with no further covering. In S. Sophia the vaults are covered with sheets
of lead, a quarter of an inch thick, fastened to timber laths resting on the
vaults.
• The Dome was the prevailing motif of Byzantine Architecture which
contrasts with Early Christian which uses Truss System
THREE TYPES OF DOMES
1. SIMPLE DOME
2. COMPOUND DOME
3. MELON-SHAPED TYPE/BULBOUS DOME
THREE TYPES OF DOMES
1. SIMPLE DOME – pendentives and dome were part of the sphere.
Such a form of dome is, however, rare and perhaps the only
example in Europe is that over the Tomb of Galla Placidia.
2. COMPOUND DOME – also called Cupola, gives greater height and
was of two varieties.
a. The first of which the dome ceased to be part of the same sphere as the
pendentives, but rose independently above them.
b. The second, the dome was raised on high drum pierced with windows.
3. MELON-SHAPED TYPE DOME - consists of convolutions or flutings
as in S. Theodore and S. Sergius and Bacchus, which avoided the
necessity of pendentives. Also called as BULBOUS or SERRATED.
THREE TYPES OF DOMES DOME
1. SIMPLE DOME

2. COMPOUND DOME

3. MELON-SHAPED TYPE
DOMES ON PENDENTIVES (3)
• Provided a unique way of adjusting the circular form of a domed roof
to a square or polygonal plan. (1)
• The PENDENTIVE DOME (2) is derived by trimming the sided of a
regular dome over a square plan
CHURCHES
• First buildings constructed were churches
• Dumped Early Christian style for new Domical Byzantine Style
• Contains a narthex, nave with a Dome as Roof, sometimes supported
with semi-domes, and apse; addition of transcept in later
development.
• Today, Byzantine is still official style for Orthodox Church
• Entrance at the west
CHURCHES
• The attributes of the ideal church included:
• The use of a centralized church plan
• The use of surrounding aisles
• The use of pendentives and dome on pendentives
• The use of a complex program of interior structure, lighting and
decoration to create fascinating interiors
• “Divine or Holy Wisdom”
• Built by Justinian, designed by Anthemius of Tralles and Isodorus of
Miletus
• Rose on the site of 2 successive Basilican Churches of the same name
• Perfection of Byzantine Architecture
• Largest, most important and most impressive Byzantine Church in
Constantinople
• Later converted into a Mosque because of the siege of the Ottoman
Turks.
• Now it is converted into a museum
 Gallery of the church suggests the
segregation of genders and social
classes

• The church provides an expert solution to the

problem, made by trial and error, of how to
place a dome on a square base.
• The solution was to use PENDENTIVES
• It’s dome is slightly smaller than The
Pantheons’s, 102 ft. across.
• The unbroken arcade of arched windows (40
windows)rendered the dome weightless as it
stood on four great piered arches and helped
flood the colorful interior with light.
• He church’s form is both centralized and
longitudinal because of its domes to the east
and west
• The hierarchy of dome-headed elements of the
church build up to create a vast oblong interior
crowned by the main dome.
• Was originally erected by Constantine, but was several times destroyed
and finally rebuilt. It is one of the twenty one Christian Churches which
still remain in Constantinople.
• Was dedicated to two physician saints. It is a
double-shelled octagon with gallery in form,
and probably was the inspiration for Ravenna’s
San Vitale. On smaller scale, it is similar to
Hagia Sophia, though the axiality in Hagia
Sophia is reinforced by the flat walls that create
a clear nave.
• Was built by Constantine as his own
mausoleum church, and a martyrium
for relics of the 12 Apostles; his body
was removed when the Apostle’s relics
arrived. Justinian’s church was built on
the site as a Greek cross with five
domes and a double narthex. Similar
patterns would be found at San Marco
in Venice (St. Mark’s) and St. John’s,
Ephesus. The church was destroyed in
469 and replaced by a mosque.
• Was founded by Justinian to commemorate his recovery of Ravenna and
was designed on the model of the “Minerva Medica, Rome”; but
Byzantine influence is evident everywhere.
• The Chora Church was originally built outside
the walls of Constantinople. The original church
on this site was built in the early 5th century, and
stood outside of the 4th century walls of
Constantine the Great. However, when
Theodosius II built his formidable land walls in
413-414, the church became incorporated
within the city’s defenses, but retained the
name Chora.
• On the site of original Basilican Church
• An exterior quality all its own: blending of features from many foreign
lands
• Sits behind the Piazza of San Marco, vast marble-paved open space
serves as atrium to church
• Glittering, resplendent façade
• Exterior enriched by fine entrance portals, mosaic and marble
decorations
• Perfect example of Byzantine Church with the Greek Cross plan. Most
influential Byzantine structure, influenced the architecture of Venice.
• The church is based on a Greek Cross Plan
• Each arm of the cross is of the same length
and, including the central nave, are topped
with a dome o n a square base.
• Little has been altered in the building’s
structure but its decoration including its
façade, which is Gothic in style, changed
greatly over time.
• Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible of
Russia and built as the capital’s 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.
• The Byzantine Dome finally became
inion shaped tops of towers
• The Byzantine program of interior
lighting and decoration was also lost,
instead was replaced by the use of
brilliant exterior colors.