EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

(313-800A.D)
 CHRISTIANITY
 Christianity is founded by Jesus.
 When he was thirty he started preaching about the

kingdom of God and pledged himself for the

service of mankind.
 Jesus boldly exposed the injustice and hypocrisy
Of religious leaders, and soon he become a
revolutionary figure among the Jewish religious
leaders.
 Religious leaders complained against Jesus to Roman
 CHRISTIANITY
 Jesus Christ disciples recognized him as Son of God.
This recognition was the birth of Christianity as a
religion of new faith.
 The main purpose of Christian church was to provide

shelter for the worshippers who meat together and

prayed to unseen god.
 Christianity became the official state religion at the
end of 4th century, the number of church buildings
increased.
 About 30 churches of Basilica type were built in
 GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE

Christianity initially took

place in Jerusalem an eastern part
of Roman Empire and it is carried to
other parts of the world by St. Peter,
St.Paul and other missionaries.
The early Christian architecture is


largely influenced by the existing

remains of the Roman buildings and
Roman art.
 GEOLOGICAL CONDITION

Either the old buildings were converted in to



churches or new churches were constructed out of

existing remains.
Early Christians showed little interest in art.

catacombs were painted and decorated.

 GEOLOGICAL CONDITION

 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.
 Mosaics were used .
 Complex domes rested upon massive piers
and windows filtered light through thin sheets
of alabaster to softly illuminate interiors.
 GEOLOGICAL INFLUNCE

 The exteriors of early Christian churches were

plain brick or stone. The main entrance facades
were sometimes decorated with paintings or
mosaics.
 Decoration was added to the

interior. Colorful mosaics of

biblical scenes and theological
concepts eventually dominated
the interiors.
 GEOLOGICAL CONDITION

Columns and other architectural features, as well

as fine sculptures and mosaics from older
building, were incorporated in to basilica
churches of the new faith.
 CLIMATIC INFLUENCES
 SEASONS: High temperature in East and
south.
cold and dull temperature in the west and
north.
 CLIMATE: Warm and Bright.

 WINDOWS: Small windows were used in hot

climatic place, large ones used where climate

was dull.
 ROOF: Timber roofs were used.
 RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

 Christianity spread in Rome initially by poor

people, they were punished while doing the
prayers so choose to assemble in catacombs.
 Slowly the believers in Christianity increased.
 RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

 The main purpose of Christian church was to

provide shelter for the worshippers who met
together and paid homage to the unseen god.
 They use to pray in houses.
 In 313A.D Emperor Constantine recognizes the
Christian religion.
 Christianity accepted as a state religion in
Roman and expanding influence, it become
necessary for architecture to respond to the
space demands of the new religion.
 RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
They started reconstructed the old basilicas,
with ready-made columns and other material
for prayers.
 The form of early Christian churches was
inspired from Roman basilica.
 SOCIAL INFLUENCE

Cities had declined and deserted.

Trade sea borne, land borne came to an end.
New stability was brought by Constantine in
330A.D.
Constantine made Christianity licit in 313 A.D.
It was the most extraordinary year in history.
Under his order churches were built.
Constantine changed the capital of the Empire
from Rome to Byzantium in A.D 324,when the
old Roman Political system came to an end.
 HISTORY

 Between Marcus Aureoles and Constantine, a

period of 125 years, there were forty-seven
emperors.
 There was internecine warfare and constant attacks

of Huns in Europe.
 Goths ,Aleman's ,Franks ,Persians attacked the

Rome, which no longer remained as the capital of

the empire.
 Constantinople took her place.
 HISTORY

 Then the empire divided in two ,that of East and west.

 The Goths ,vandals ,Lombard's and then for a while

to be the part of the Eastern Byzantine empire.

 The chaos caused by these invasions disrupted law

and culture so severely that Europe slipped into the

dark Ages.
 On Christmas day of the year 800A.D.

Charlemagne was crowed by the pope in Rome and

from that time, it was supposed to be holy Empire.
 ARCHITECTURE
CHARACTERSTICS
 Highly-influenced by Roman art and architecture.
 These are further divided in two types

 Basilica churches

Alternative churches plan.

ARCHITECTURE PLAN:
 The early Christians followed the

basilica models for their new

churches.
 ARCHITECTURE
CHARACTERSTICS
 For work ship they used
old Roman halls, baths,
dwelling-houses and
even pagan temples.
WALLS:
 These were still constructed

according to Roman methods

Of using rubble or concrete
faced with plaster, brick,
stone.
 ARCHITECTURE
CHARACTERSTICS
 Mosaic decoration was
added internally, and
some times also externally
on west facades.
ROOF:
 Timber roofs were used.

 Timber roof covered the Central nave, and only

Simple forms of construction.

 King post and queen post trusses were used, at the

aisles.
 ARCHITECTURE
CHARACTERSTICS
OPENINGS:
 Arcades doors and windows
were either spanned by a
semi circular arch.
 Which in nave arcades often

rested directly on the capitals with

out any entablatures, or were
spanned by a lintel.
 Doors were sometimes carved with

biblical scenes.
 ARCHITECTURE
CHARACTERSTICS
COLUMNS:
The Doric, Ionic or Corinthian


Were used in symbolic plans.

The columns either short or long,


fluted or unfluted, were brought

to uniform size and height in
some churches.
Columns were either closely


spaced to carry entablature

or widely spaced to carry semi-
circular arches.
 ARCHITECTURE
CHARACTERSTICS
MOULDINGS:
variations in old


Roman types and they

carve richly in columns.
ORNAMENT:
The introduction of color

gave richness and

glimmering mystery to
interiors.
They use Fresco painting

In figure form
•

•
 ARCHITECTURE
CHARACTERSTICS
ORNAMENT:
The mosaics which was

the principal form of

Interior ornament.
The domed apses


generally represented
Christ surrounded by
apostles and saints with
All those symbolic emblems.
Usually made of glass.
•

•
 ARCHITECTURE CHARACTERSTICS

 The plan of the church was simple in design.

 Having two colonnades forming a long nave in the
centre and two or four aisles on either side with a
high altar at one end and covered with simple
timber roof trusses.
 The Baptisteries and mausoleum chapels
however were circular, octagonal in shape based on
roman precedent, and also in the shape of Greek
cross.
 ARCHITECTURE CHARACTERSTICS

 The basilican churches were rendered spacious,

graceful, impressive and dignified by arranging
the columns in rows.
 The main entrance was provided in one shorter
side.
 This sort of treatment had driving point of focus.
Eye was directed horizontally along the rows of
columns to the seat of gods placed on high alter.
 HOUSE CHURCH
 Christians typically met in homes, For prayers.
 They did not allow the errection of public church
buildings.
 various Christian groups worshipped in homes.
 BASILICA CHURCHES
 This is a very simple plan of basilica church.
 Churches were usually oriented to the East.

 It also had one or two Aisles on each

Side of a central nave.

 In which we can see that altars were

Usually placed just at the border of

the apse.
 Clergy sat along the curved back wall of the apse.
 BASILICA CHURCHES
 The early churches were generally simple and functional in
their design.
 The most common form of early churches had a

rectangular hall with a timber trussed roof.

 Entrance at west

 It also had one or

two Aisles on each

side of a central
nave
 An apse at one end facing.

 The principal entrance located at the other end.

 BASILICA CHURCHES
 Two apses were not uncommon, with transepts
between nave and apse.
 The Nava was used as congregational hall.
 MOUSOLEUM
 A mausoleum is a house of the dead,
although is often as much a
symbol as a sepulcher.
 This item has been employed

for large, monumental, and

stately tombs, usually erected
for distinguished or prominent
individuals.
 EXAMPLE OF BASILIC CHURCHES

S.PETERS,ROME(A.D.333)
 St.peters was the most important of basilica churches
built by Constantine.
 Built in 320-330A.D

 The plan is in the form

Of Greek cross.
 The basilica was 210’

wide and 295’ long

 It had a wide central

Nava with 2 aisles on

either sides of it.
 EXAMPLE OF BASILIC CHURCHES

The nave colonnade

had some 22 huge
columns of varying
sizes.
Similar short columns

Between the aisles

had arcades above
them.
The main entrance from the east.
 EXAMPLE OF BASILIC CHURCHES

On the north-south axis



passing through the

beam was located a
round Mausoleum on
the south.
The atrium of open


rectangular court formed an imposing approach.

Next was narthex between atrium and church.


The narthex opened to the great nave with double aisles



ending on five arches, the central one was called the arch of
triumph.
 EXAMPLE OF BASILIC CHURCHES

At the end was bema

of platform and apse
With Pope’s seat.
The obelisk of the circus

which stood at the side

of the old church now
stands in the great
ceremonial plaza of
St. Peter’s.
 EXAMPLE OF BASILIC
CHURCHES
S.MARIA MAGGIOR ROME:
 It was built by pope sixtus III.

 The length o the building is 13m.

 It is a single-aisles hall with beautiful ionic columns in

marble.
 It contains mosaics above the entablature.
 ALTERNATIVE CHURCH
FORMS
They focus on a central vertical axis rather
than a longitudinal horizontal axis.
 There are two alternative church forms of

construction apart from Basilica model.

 Circular form
 Octagonal form
 Circular form of churches
 Central plan adopted from Roman architecture.
 Used for mausoleums, baptisteries chapels.
 Ambulatory surrounds central dome cylinder.
 Mosaic inside.
 EXAMPLE OF CIRCULAR CHURCH
FORMS

SANTS CONSTANZA
 This church was originally designed for the

Emperor Constantine's daughter.

 It was designed as a centralized monument.

 The plan is in circular form.

 There is a narthex or porch, 

which leads to the central

domed space.
 EXAMPLE ALTERNATIVE CHURCH
FORMS

which is surrounded by a barrel-vaulted



ambulatory.
Twelve clerestory windows


Light the central space.

Twelve pairs of coupled


Corinthian columns define

the central space and
support the dome.
 
 OCTOGNAL CHURCH
FORMS

 An octagon, with an ambulatory surrounding a smaller

central octagon.
 It was probably illuminated by a series of windows and covered

by a pitched roof.
 The few remains of the

mosaic pavement display

floral and plant designs on
a white background,
representing a typical
Nile region environment.
Thank You !!!