BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE

4TH CENTURY – 6TH CENTURY A.D.

 More

ISTANBU
TURKEY
L

EXPLORE
ISTANBUL TURKEY

LARGEST CITY IN TURKEY, SERVING AS THE

COUNTRY'S ECONOMIC, CULTURAL AND
HISTORIC HUB.

HAS A POPULATION OF OVER

15 MILLION RESIDENTS

THE WORLD'S 
15TH-LARGEST CITY

HAS REPUTATION FOR BEING A CULTURAL

AND ETHNIC MELTING SPOT
ISTANBUL TURKEY’S
FAMOUS
STRUCTURE
 que_en_1103

Hagia Sofhia
Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia, Turkish Ayasofya, Latin Sancta

Sophia, also called Church of the Holy
Wisdom or Church of the Divine Wisdom,
an important Byzantine structure in Istanbul
 and one of the world’s great monuments. It
was built as a Christian church in the 6th
century CE (532–537) under the direction of
the Byzantine emperor Justinian I

que_en_1103
Istanbul, Turkey
 Blue Mosque
que_en_1103
Istanbul, Turkey

Architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa designed the

mosque for Sultan Ahmed I, and construction
lasted from 1609 to 1616. The mosque's
külliye (complex) is home to Sultan Ahmed
I's tomb, a hospice, and a madrasah, an
Islamic educational institution.

que_en_1103
Istanbul, Turkey
Topkapi Palace que_en_1103
Istanbul, Turkey

Museum in Istanbul that exhibits the imperial collections

of the Ottoman Empire and maintains an extensive
collection of books and manuscripts in its library. It is
housed in a palace complex that served as the
administrative centre and residence of the imperial
Ottoman court from about 1478 to 1856. It opened as a
museum in 1924, a year after the establishment of the 
Republic of Turkey. The Topkapı Palace Museum is
notable not only for its architecture and collections but
also for the history and culture of the Ottoman Empire
that it recalls.

que_en_1103
Istanbul, Turkey
que_en_1103

Basilica Cistern
Istanbul, Turkey

The magnificent structure of Constantinople is the Basilica

Cistern, located in the old city (Sultanahmet) next to Hagia
Sophia. 1500 years old cistern, built by the Byzantine Emperor
Justinian, is called the "Palace" among the people because of
the hundreds of marble pillars rising out of the water. It was
also called Basilica because there was a Basilica where the
cistern is located.
BYZANTINE
4TH CENTURY – 6TH CENTURY A.D.
 INFLUENCES OF THE
DEVELOPMENT
OF ARCHITECTURE OF BYZANTINE
GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE
GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE

From Byzantine,
Constantine renamed it to
Constantinople, now as
“Istanbul” and also called
“New Rome”. It was the
Architecture of the Eastern
Roman Empire which was
derived from Early Christian
and Late Roman antecedent
in the 4th century.
 GEOGRAPHICAL INFLUENCE
From Byzantine,
Constantine renamed it to
Constantinople, now as
“Istanbul” and also called
“New Rome”. It was the
Architecture of the Eastern
Roman Empire which was
derived from Early Christian
and Late Roman antecedent
in the 4th century.
Byzantium, occupies
the finest site in
Europe, standing on
two promontories at
the junction of the
Bosporus and the
Sea of Marmaris,
like the other Rome
in Italy, it rests on
seven hills
GEOLOCICAL INFLUENCE
GEOLOCICAL INFLUENCE

Constantinople possessed no good building stone or material

for making good bricks, but, as far as possible available
materials had to be employed
GEOLOCICAL INFLUENCE

Constantinople possessed no good building stone or material

for making good bricks, but, as far as possible available
materials had to be employed

Most of the Marble was brought from different quarries

round Eastern Mediterranean, Constantinople was a marble
working center from which sculptured marbles were
exported to all parts of the Roman world.75% of the colored
marbles used in S. Sophia, and the other Churches and
mosques in Constantinople, is Thessalian green (Verde
Antico)
GEOLOCICAL INFLUENCE

Constantinople possessed no good building stone or material

for making good bricks, but, as far as possible available
materials had to be employed

Most of the Marble was brought from different quarries

round Eastern Mediterranean, Constantinople was a marble
working center from which sculptured marbles were
exported to all parts of the Roman world.75% of the colored
marbles used in S. Sophia, and the other Churches and
mosques in Constantinople, is Thessalian green (Verde
Antico)
GEOLOCICAL INFLUENCE
Constantinople possessed no good building stone or material
for making good bricks, but, as far as possible available
materials had to be employed

Most of the Marble was brought from different quarries

round Eastern Mediterranean, Constantinople was a marble
working center from which sculptured marbles were
exported to all parts of the Roman world.75% of the colored
marbles used in S. Sophia, and the other Churches and
mosques in Constantinople, is Thessalian green (Verde
Antico)

The quarries were situated in different parts of the

Empire, the monolith columns being worked by
convicts in groups of sizes such as the quarry could
produce.
CLIMATIC INFLUENCE
CLIMATIC INFLUENCE

Constantinople being hotter than Rome, and to its being

further east, the Romans on settling there altered their
method of building to suit the novel conditions due to
climate and their contact with Oriental arts.
CLIMATIC INFLUENCE

Constantinople being hotter than Rome, and to its being

further east, the Romans on settling there altered their
method of building to suit the novel conditions due to
climate and their contact with Oriental arts.

Semi– tropical thus flat roofs was used and combined with
domes to counter- act the New Empire.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

Political division between east and west, followed by

the division of churches due to “iconoclastic
movement” (decree to ban the use of statues as
means of representations either of human or animal
forms) and this made painting figures in decoration a
substitute. Early Christian Basilica was merged with
the domical system of the Byzantine.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

Political division between east and west, followed by

the division of churches due to “iconoclastic
movement” (decree to ban the use of statues as
means of representations either of human or animal
forms) and this made painting figures in decoration a
substitute. Early Christian Basilica was merged with
the domical system of the Byzantine.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE

Political division between east and west, followed by

the division of churches due to “iconoclastic
movement” (decree to ban the use of statues as
means of representations either of human or animal
forms) and this made painting figures in decoration a
substitute. Early Christian Basilica was merged with
the domical system of the Byzantine.
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Ways of life and corrupt conditions contributed greatly to the

fall of Roman Empire. Prominent Figures considered movers of
this Architecture:

Theodosius II

Justinian
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Ways of life and corrupt conditions contributed greatly to the

fall of Roman Empire. Prominent Figures considered movers of
this Architecture:
Built several military gates and towers (defense
Theodosius II
against the Goths & Huns) but cannot avoid the
Moslem or the Islamic people.
Justinian
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Ways of life and corrupt conditions contributed greatly to the

fall of Roman Empire. Prominent Figures considered movers of
this Architecture:
Built several military gates and towers (defense
Theodosius II
against the Goths & Huns) but cannot avoid the
Moslem or the Islamic people.
Justinian
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INFLUENCE

Ways of life and corrupt conditions contributed greatly to the

fall of Roman Empire. Prominent Figures considered movers of
this Architecture:

Theodosius II

Justinian Responsible for rebuilding of St. Sophia

“Divine Wisdom “which now turned to a
Moslem Mosque.
HISTORICAL INFLUENCE
HISTORICAL INFLUENCE
From 5th to 11th Century was one of the fluctuating and
gradually declining fortunes. The spirit of the Byzantine
Empire persisted even after the Empire had fallen Constantine
had continued up to the present day to the seat of Patriarch
of the Orthodox Church.
Vertical impression Church plan is the same as in
roman church but the atrium was
Absence of campanile removed. main entrance is the
narthex and in the Greek cross
Rich in decorative elements and color. plan
Column of the Hagia
Sophia
Round Arches

Supported Domes

Large Pendentives

Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
 Church plan is the same as in roman church but
Vertical impression the atrium was removed. main entrance is the
narthex and in the Greek cross plan
Absence of campanile
Rich in decorative elements and color.

Column of the Hagia

Sophia
Round Arches BASILICA OF SAINT CLEMENTE

Supported Domes

Large Pendentives

Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER HAGIA SOPHIA
Vertical impression
A constructive device
Absence of campanile permitting the placing of a
circular dome over a square
Rich in decorative elements and color. room or an elliptical dome over
a rectangular room.
Column of the Hagia
Sophia
Round Arches

Supported Domes

Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Vertical impression
A constructive device
Absence of campanile permitting the placing of a
circular dome over a square
Rich in decorative elements and color. room or an elliptical dome over
a rectangular room.
Column of the Hagia
Sophia
Round Arches

Supported Domes

Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Vertical impression
Pendentives became common in the Byzantine period,
Absence of campanile provided support for domes over square spaces.

Rich in decorative elements and color.

Column of the Hagia

Sophia
Round Arches

Supported Domes
Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Vertical impression The Byzantines used round arches to create the vast
majority of the openings in their buildings and still used
round arches long after much of Europe had adopted
Absence of campanile the pointed Gothic Arch.
Rich in decorative elements and color.

Column of the Hagia

Sophia

Round Arches
Supported Domes

Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
 In Hagia Sophia, there are 140
Vertical impression monolithic columns which were brought
from different places of the world. For instance;
Absence of campanile the 8 porphyry columns whose color of
purple symbolize nobility of the Byzantine Empire,
Rich in decorative elements and color. are from Egypt and stand under semi-domes.

Column of the Hagia Sophia

Round Arches
Supported Domes

Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
 BILLET MOLDING
Vertical impression
Absence of campanile

Rich in decorative elements and color.

Column of the Hagia Sophia

Round Arches Mosaic

pattern (opus
Supported Domes sec tile)
Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Vertical impression Campanile, bell tower, usually built beside or attached
to a church; the word is most often used in connection
Absence of campanile with Italian architecture.

Rich in decorative elements and color.

Column of the Hagia Sophia

Round Arches
Supported Domes
SS. Giovanni e Paolo
Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER
Vertical impression
Absence of campanile
Rich in decorative elements and color.

Column of the Hagia Sophia

St. Augustine’s Roman Catholic
Round Arches Church
Supported Domes

Large Pendentives
Plan
ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTER

St. Mark's Basilica, Venice

 Byzantine structures featured soaring spaces and sumptuous
decoration: marble columns and inlay, mosaics on the vaults,
inlaid-stone pavements, and sometimes gold coffered
ceilings

St. Mark's Basilica, Venice

HAGIA SOPHIA

STRUCTURE