byzantine history, architecture, hagia sophia, byzantine furniture, justinian era, dark age, material used in construction,

1. Byzantine civilization
THE NEW ROME

2. Index
 Byzantine historic context
 Byzantine architecture
 Justinian architecture
 Dome construction
 Material used in construction
 Features of byzantine architecture
 Byzantine furniture
 Hagia Sophia
 St. vitale
 St. mark Venice
 Dark age
 Conclusion

3. Byzantine civilization
 By the time Constantine became the Caesar of the
roman empire, the empire had split in the half.
 The western roman empire centered in Rome.
 The eastern roman empire of byzantine.
 Byzantium “New Rome” was later renamed
Constantinople and now called Istanbul.
 The eastern empire, or byzantine empire became
strong and stable in 6th century under emperor
Justinian.
 Lasting 1000 years, with a great cultural history.
 It fell to the Turks in 1453.

4. Byzantine architecture
 Early byzantine architecture was as a continuation of
roman architecture.
 Characterized especially by massive domes with square
bases and rounded arches and spires and extensive use
of glass.
 A distinct style gradually emerged which imbued
certain influences from the near east and used the
Greek cross plan in church architecture

5. Byzantine architecture
 Building increased in geometric complexity
 brick and plaster were used in addition to stone in
the decoration of important public structure.
 Classical orders were used more freely.
 mosaic replaced carved decoration.
 Complex domes rested upon massive piers, and
windows filtered to softly illuminate interiors.

6. Byzantine architecture
 The most distinctive feature was
the domed roof.
 The dome which had always
been a traditional feature in the
east, became the prevailing motif
of byzantine architecture, which
was a fusion of the domical
construction with the classical
columnar style.

7. Byzantine architecture
 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 pendentive.
 Domes of various types were now
placed over square compartments
by means of “pendentives”, whereas
in Roman architecture domes were
only used over circular or polygonal
structure.

8. The central plan church
 Another category was the
central plan church. This type
featured a uniform
arrangement around a center.
Such were mostly used as
burial monuments and
baptisteries.

9. Byzantine dome construction
 The dome were frequently
constructed of bricks or
some light porous stone,
such as pumice, or even of
pottery, as at S. Vitale,
Ravenna.
 Byzantine domes and vaults
were, it is believed,
constructed without
temporary support.

10. Byzantine dome construction
 The mystical quality of the light that floods the interior
has fascinated visitors for centuries.
 the windows create the illusion that the dome is resting
on the light that comes through then—like a “floating
dome of heaven”.
 In the byzantine style the exterior closely corresponds
with the interior.
 Windows were formed in lower portion of the dome

11. Materials used in construction
 The system of construction in the
concrete and brickwork adopted by
the Byzantines from roman.
 The decorative character of external
facades depended largely on the
arrangement of the facing bricks,
which were not always laid
horizontally, but sometimes in the
chevron or herringbone pattern, and
in many other similar designs, giving
great variety to the façades.

12. Features of Byzantine Architecture
 Greek Roman and oriental elements in
architecture and its decoration
 Greco-Roman
 Columns, arches, vaults, domes over
square base
 Oriental(Eastern)
 Rich ornamentation, rich use of color,
mosaic, poly chrome marble and stone
work
 Play of light indoors

13. Byzantine furniture
 Early Christian and Byzantine furniture was
of two distinct types. The common people
had very little furniture.
 The few items they had were lightly built
and usually designed so that they could be
easily folded and put away, leaving
additional space in cramped environments.
 Church and palace furniture, however, was
built of solid, heavy timber, designed to
last, and designed for the space it was to
occupy.

14. Byzantine furniture
 Palace Furniture
 Byzantine palace furniture can still be seen in museums
today.
 The throne of Queen Marie, for example, is skillfully turned
and richly carved.
 The back is inlaid with silver embossed in an intricate
design.
 Palace furniture included heavy, carved and pillared chairs,
tables with inlaid worktops, cabinets and storage chests.

15. Byzantine furniture
 Chests, Stools, Tables & Beds
 Chests were also used by the common people, and
were often fitted with locks and keys.
 Folding stools were popular. These could be build
entirely of wood, a combination of wood and fabric
or, occasionally, from metal.
 Folding tables were also much used as they were
portable and easily moved out of the way when not in
use.
 Beds could be folding stretchers, simple sleeping
platforms, frames strung with cords - or just a
mattress on the ground.

16. Justinian architecture
 Justinian’s era is a landmark in the
evolution of byzantine architecture.
 The most important achievement of
this period was the emergence of a
new architectural type, the domed
basilica, which fused elements of the
two building types the prevailed in
the church building in the 4th and 5th
centuries.

17. The basilica
 A new architectural form was adopted for
these new Christian edifices ; the basilica,
widely used in the roman world for
judicial, commercial, military and
ritualistic purpose
 This was a rectangular hall, internally
divided by two or four series of columns,
ending with an elevated chancel at the
east end.
 Basilicas could accommodate large
congregations.
 this is the basilica and the central plan
edifice.

18. Hagia Sophia
 Hagia Sophia is one of the most
important monuments of world
architecture. Every byzantine
emperor of any importance has
associated his name with the history
of the monument.
 Dedicated to the divine wisdom.

19. Hagia Sophia
 Is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica later
a mosque and now a museum in Istanbul,
turkey.
 “church of holy wisdom”, chief church in
Constantinople
 Rebuilt by Justinian between A.D. 532-537
after Constantine’s original was burnt down
in riot.

20. Hagia Sophia
 Architects were Isidore of Miletus
and Anthemius of Tralles
 Reconciled basilica and central
plans
 Central dome 101 feet in
diameter Pendentives mad.
 dome appear “suspended from
by a chain form heaven” because
of 40 windows

21. Style of Hagia Sophia
 Large dome in center of the
structure
 Four massive pillars arranged in
a square
 This was a unique feature to the
Hagia Sophia
 The dome was the main focus of
the Byzantine Church for the
remainder of the empire

22. Hagia Sophia
 Hagia Sophia, in many ways similar to the
pantheon, it is large, domed.
 In the Pantheon, everything was clear,
understandable, in H. Sophia architectural
form becomes blurred, soften, mosaics
covered upper parts of the wall, the lower
parts are richly patterned marble.
 Where there are no marble or mosaic,
there are windows, hundreds.
 The dome sits on a row of windows.

23. Hagia Sophia

24. San vitale, Ravenna, 547AD.
 The monument is a central plan octagonal
edifice,
 one of the imperial buildings in the
Constantinople.

25. St. mark’s Venice
 Constructed in 830.
 Had ritualistic values.
 5 domes, each carried on 4 piers.

26. How to recognize Byzantine church ?
 Ground plan could be basilican, cruciform, circular or
polygonal
 Main entrance from the west
 Altar at the eastern end of the church
 Principal building material was brick, arranged in decorative
pattern or covered in plaster
 Roofs were either tiled or covered by sheets of lead
 Brilliant mosaic work in the interiors(most recognizable
feature)
 Exterior – rather plain, with austere entrances flanked by blind
arcades
 Domes supported on pendentives

27. How to recognize a Byzantine church?
 Mosaics
 Predominant colors of mosaic – blue gold
 Few columns – unrestricted view of the interior mosaic art
 Subject depicted – scenes from the holy bible or the imperial
court

28. How to recognize a byzantine church?
 Magical impression of light and depth conveyed by
mosaics – heavenly ambience
 Columns and capitals – classical prototypes
 Carving of the capitals – deeply incised lines and drilled
holes- strong black and white effect
 Dome – structural feature
 No human figures in byzantine carved decoration
 Wind blown acanthus leaves were a popular subject

29. Dark age
 The byzantine empire started
fallen down during the middle
ages
 Byzantine empire was
struggling over architectural,
religious, and loosing their land.
 The buildings were not built as
principals
 The emperor’s were busy in
wars so they could not give
attention to their kingdom.

30. conclusion
 Byzantine empire had its own journey
 It has the very great cultural history
 And it also had the dark side Where there’s down fall in every way
 At the end no matter where you live in the world today, you know that if you go
for more, there are chances you will loose what you have behind.

32. sources
En.Wikipedia.org
www.study.com