08 09 early christian & byzantine architecture

09 Early Christian &
Byzantine Architecture

Module Outline
• Lecture 1
– Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs
– Architecture of the Civilization
• Early Christian Architecture
• Lecture 2
• Byzantine Architecture
• Lecture 3
– Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

Module 9 Lecture 1
Early Christian & Byzantine Architecture

Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 1
– Historical Background
• Location and period
• Social characteristics and beliefs
– Architecture of the Civilization

Historical Background
Location
Byzantine architecture started
centered at Rome and
occurred in Rome and in
centered at Byzantium
Early Christian and Byzantine
areas in the European and
• The Early Christian and
in two prominent locations
Byzantium or Constantinople
• Early Christian architecture
areas around Rome
• Byzantine architecture was
• From the two focal points
Architecture spread to other
Asian region

Period
• The following is a time line of events for the
Early Christian and Byzantine period:
– 29 A.D. Passing of Isa (AS) and beginning of
Christian Religion
– 286 A.D. Emperor Diocletian reorganizes the
Roman Empire splitting it into two; the Eastern
and the Western part
– 313 A. D. Emperor Constantine recognizes the
Christian religion and adopts it as a state religion

Period
– 324 A.D. Emperor Constantine reunited the
Roman Empire with a new capital at
Byzantium
– 364 A. D. Rome finally splits into two; the
Western and Eastern Empire
– 476 A. D. Rome is sacked by Visgoth and
Vandals
– 632 A. D. Muslim begin an advance on the
Byzantine empire
– 1453 A. D. Byzantium falls to Sultan
Muhammad II ending the Byzantine Empire

Social Characteristics &
Beliefs
Religion
phenomenon of the early Christian and
acceptance of the Christian religion
third century after the death of Jesus,
by the government
• The Roman Empire and the Christian
– The single most important social
Byzantine period was the spread and
– Early
– During the period from the first century to the
Christianity was a secret society
– It was considered dangerous and subversive

Social Characteristics & Beliefs
Religion
private houses
widely accepted in Asia minor and in
population of 50,000 Christians
illegal
– Christians met secretly in tombs and
– Gradually, however, it spread and became
Rome itself
– By the third century, Rome had a
– The religion was tolerated but it was still

Religion
– The third century was for the Roman Empire a
period of political instability and decline
– The Empire was split into a Western and
Eastern Empires
– In A.D. 313, the Emperor Constantine issued the
Edict of Milan making Christianity legal
– He also adopted it as a state religion and he
became the first Christian emperor

Social Characteristics &
Beliefs• The Roman Empire and the Christian
Religion
– The acceptance of the religion by the emperor
fueled its expansion
– It also led to the early development of places of
worship for the new religion
– Constantine was able to unite the Roman
Empire during his reign
– He established the capital of the new empire at
Byzantium, renamed Constantinople or the city of
Constantine
– After his death, the Empire was again split

Religion
and Visigoths in 476, leading to its
its capital survived for a thousand years,
"Byzantine" under Constantine, Christianity
characteristics
– The Western Empire was sacked by Vandals
disintegration
– The Eastern Empire with Constantinople as
– Although the Eastern Empire was not yet
would become one of its defining

Religion
as the language of the church and everyday
Empire was a combination of Roman
religion
– The empire was a multinational state
– Greek became the everyday language as well
commerce in this empire
– The general identity of the Eastern Roman
statehood, Hellenistic culture and Christian

• Architecture of the Period
– With Christianity widely accepted as a state
religion in Rome it was necessary for architecture
to respond to the demands of the religion for
worship space
– Mode of worship was the most important
determinant of the form of the church
– Requirement for church design was centered on
worship and burial

– The requirements include:
• A path for processional entry and exit of the clergy
• An alter area, where the clergy celebrate mass
• A space for the segregation of the clergy from the
congregation during procession and communion
• Burial space

– The focus of both Early Christian and
Byzantine architecture is on the Christian
church
– Before the legal recognition of the new faith,
Christian places of worship were of necessity
inconspicuous with no fixed architectural form
– Afterward, however, imposing cult edifices
were erected in many parts of the Roman
Empire, especially in its major cities
– Early Christian builders adapted structures that
had been used in the Roman world

– The basilica, consisting of a nave flanked by lower aisles
and terminated by an apse, was adopted as the standard
structure in Christian congregational worship
– This was not however the only form adopted
– More centralized plans which were of round, polygonal, or
cruciform shapes were adopted occasionally
– Martyria were erected on sites connected with
certain events in the life of Jesus and other places held to be
sanctified by the sacrifice of the martyrs

– In such buildings the martyrium structure and basilica
were combined, creating a new formal synthesis of great
significance for Christian religious architecture
– 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

Architecture of the Civilization

Early Christian Architecture
Introduction
• The term early Christian architecture refers to the
architecture of the early Christian churches of the roman
era
• This is further divided into two types; the basilica church
and the alternative church plans
• With Christianity accepted as a state religion in Rome and
expanding in influence, it became necessary for
architecture to respond to the space demands of the new
religion
• A building used for Christian worship had to provide a
path for the processional entry and exit of the clergy, an
alter area, where the clergy celebrated mass, a space for
the segregation of the clergy from congregation during the
procession and communion

Basilica Church Type
the living, some churches also provided burial
functional in their design
Christian worship
was not a completely
need
new style, but the use of
Roman basilica
• Apart from administering to the spiritual needs of
spaces for the dead
• The early churches were generally simple and
• The emphasis was centered on the act of
• The architecture of the church that developed
available Roman forms to satisfy a new program
• The form chosen for the early church was the

• It was suitable for use as a church with no
serious modification and it could be easily and
rapidly built at low cost
• The Basilica was also preferred because of the
emphasis on participation in mass.
• The most common form of the early churches
had a rectangular hall with a timber trussed roof
• It also had one or two isles on each side of a
central nave and an apse at one end facing the
principal entrance located at the other end

• The apse of the basilica was used as a
location for the alter
• The nave was used as a sitting for the
clergy
• Common people sat in the isles
• The early churches may have a courtyard
or atrium in front of it
• A fountain is usually located in the center
of such an atrium; This was used for
baptism

• Most of the early churches had clerestory
lighting
• Clerestory windows were developed to
give light to the central part of the interior
• Gradually, the clerestory windows became
a symbol of the transcendence and grace
of god
• Variations in the character of the early
church reflected differences in local
resources and traditions

S. Giovanni in Laterano AD 313-320
• A typical example of the
early Christian church is S.
Giovanni in Laterano Rome
• It was the first church
commission by Emperor
Constantine
• It was built as the Cathedral
of the Bishop of Rome
• It was remodeled several
times

S. Giovanni in Laterano AD 313-320
of the original church
central nave flanked by two
from them by a monumental
the isle roof, and the inner isle
apse
faced concrete covered with
• The image is a reconstruction
• The church consists of a
narrow isles and separated
colonnade
• The central nave rose above
rose above the outer
• The nave terminated at an
• The structure was of brick
simple trussed-timber roof.

S. Peters, Rome AD 333
important of the basilica
entrance gate leading to an
discussed earlier is a five isles
roof of interlocking rafters
to the apse but instead ends in
high as the nave
• St Peter was the most
churches built by Constantine
• The church has a triple
atrium
• The church like S. Giovanni
church
• The Basilica had a wooden
• The nave did not lead directly
a transverse space that is as

• The nave terminated in a
the curve of the apse
• Some of the early
churches
martyrs and are known as
• St Peters is one of the
the matyrium churches
• It was built over what was
Saint Peter who was a
S. Peters, Rome AD 333
triumphal arch that framed
were built over the tomb of
martyrium
earliest and most important
of
believed to be the tomb of
disciple of Jesus

Church Of Nativity, Bethlehem
• This is the church of the
nativity Bethlehem
• It was built at the place
where Jesus, (Isa alayhi
salaam), is believed to be
born
• Here we also find the
standard features of a
basilica church
• These include:
• A central nave
• 2 isles on each side of the
nave

Church Of Nativity, Bethlehem
nave
entrance
• An apse at the head of the
• An atrium before the
• The use of clerestory lighting
• The most significant
aspect
octagon at its head covered
• This is the exact location
salaam, was born
• It is therefore a palace of
of this church is a large
by a conical roof
where Jesus, Isa Alayhi
pilgrimage for the Christians

Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem AD335
• This is the church of the holy
sepulcher in Jerusalem
• Affected by the constrain of
site, it has a very short atrium
• It is a 5 isle church terminating
at a nave articulated by 12
columns
• The side isles had a gallery on
top
• The outer isles lead to a long
peristyle court closing in a
curve

Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem AD335
the holy sepulcher where
believed to be buried
access for pilgrims to go round
for pilgrims usually have a
serve as burial spots for those
with the saints they
• This court is believed to frame
Christians believe Jesus is
• The isles therefore provide
the holy sepulcher
• In general, churches that cater
slightly different form
• Some of these churches also
who want to be buried along
commemorated

Module9 Lecture 2

Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 2
–Alternative church forms
– Introduction
– Domes and Domes on Pendentives
– Early Prototypes
– Hagia Sophia

Alternative Church Form
• The rectangular basilica was not the only form adopted
for the early church
• Alternative more centralized plans, with a focus on a
central vertical axis rather than a longitudinal horizontal
one were also adopted occasionally
• The reasons for their adoption is not very clear
• The centralized churches were of two broad types
• There were the completely circular churches
• These had a circular or octagonal space surrounded by
an ambulatory
• Examples of these include Saint Constanza Rome, the
lateran Baptistery Rome and Saint Stefano Rotondo

Alternative Church Form
• The second type of centralized church was the
lobed or four-lobed form set within an overall
pentagon or square
• Examples of this include Holy Apostle Milan and
St Lorenzo Milan
• In the early years of Christianity, the alternative
form was common both in the Eastern and
Western Roman Empires, but later the Basilica
Become more popular in the West and the
centralized alternative form more popular in the
Eastern Empire

Round Alternative
St Constanza
Form
originally designed as
Emperor daughter
centralized monument
• This was a church
a mausoleum for
Constantine’s
• It was designed as a

Round Alternative
St Constanza
Form
with a domed central
space was ringed by an
double colonnade
encircling ambulatory
roof the ambulatory
• It is symmetrical in plan
space
• The domed central
arcade with 12 pairs of
• Beyond the arcade is an
• A barrel vault is used to

Round Alternative Form
Lateran Baptistery
• The lateran Baptistery was
built by Emperor Constantine
in A.D. 315
• It was designed to mirror S.
Constanza
• The circular scheme of S.
Constanza was in this church
changed to two octagonal
rings
• A ring of trabeated colonnade
defined the central space

Round Alternative form
St Stefano Rotondo
• It was built in A.D. 468
and was the first
circular church in Rome
• It is the largest circular
church, having diameter
of about 36 meters
• The plan of the church
blends the cruciform
with a circular plan
• It has a huge central
nave

Round Alternative form
St Stefano Rotondo
• The central nave is
encircled by ionic
columns and is lit by
22 clerestory windows
• An ambulatory
surrounds the
colonnade of the nave
and opens to four
chapels used to
define a cruciform shape

Lobed Alternative form
Holy Apostle, Milan AD 370
church with a central plan
imperial palace, when the capital
Milan
of
meters wide extending in all four
2-storey columnar screen
structures are grouped around the
• This is basically a square form
• It was built as the church of the
the Western Empire moved to
• It had a square central space 23.5
directions
• The central space was defined by a
supporting some half domes
• Several subsidiary octagonal
main church

Lobed Alternative Form
St Lorenzo Milan
• This church was laid out as a
huge cross shaped structure
• It has a single aisle nave
opening through columnar
screens into its transept arms
• Each of the arms terminate
with a projecting portal hall
• The building is a martyrium,
holding relics of apostles in a
casket beneath the alter

Introduction
• By the end of the 5th century AD, Rome had completely
declined
• It had been sacked twice and was then under occupation
• Its influence was significantly reduced and the Impetus for
architectural innovation shifted to the Byzantine Empire
• This shift also marks the movement from early Christian
civilization to the Byzantine civilization
• Under the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, the Byzantine
style of architecture evolved
• His interest in church building led to the discovery of the
groin vault and the evolution of the Byzantine style

Introduction
• Although it is impossible to identify two similar
Byzantine churches, it is still possible to identify
the basic characteristics of an ideal Byzantine
church
• The attributes of the ideal church included:
– The use of a centralized church plan
– The use of surrounding isles
– The use of pendantives and dome on pendentives
– And the use of a complex program of interior
structure, lighting and decoration to create fascinating
interiors

Domes and Domes on Pedentives
the dome on pedentives
provided the Byzantine
polygonal plan
architects with a unique way of
seldom used by them
dramatic interiors
supported by a circular plan
the forces from the Dome
• Byzantine architecture gave us the pedentive domes and
• The pendentive dome and the dome on pendentives
adjusting the circular form of a dome roof to a square or
• This type of dome was invented by the Romans but was
• It was the Byzantine builders who used it to create
• In the Pantheon in Rome, the Dome roof had to be
• The walls of the plan had to be thick to counterbalance

• 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
• 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
• 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

Early Prototypes
raised on a drum allowing it
meters and a height of 30 meters
the church include:
central dome
decoration have been integrated in
• The domed roof of the church is
greater height and lighting
• The dome has a diameter of 17
• The Byzantine characteristics of
• Its central planning
• The structural arrangement of its
• The use of surrounding isles
• And the way structure, lighting
and
the interior of the church

Early Prototypes
St. Sergius and 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

Early Prototypes
St. Sergius and Bacchus, Constantinople
• 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 Hagia Sophia and
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

Hagia Sophia
• 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 that has
ever been built and it remained
so throughout the history of
the Byzantine Empire

Hagia Sophia
• Its architects were Isidore
of Miletus and Anthemius
of Tralles, 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
central dome 102 feet (31 m)
the Pantheon's
weightless by the unbroken
under it, which help flood the
pendentives
passes through the
piers at the corners
• Hagia Sophia is covered by a
across, slightly smaller than
• The dome seems rendered
arcade of arched windows
colorful interior with light
• The dome is carried on
• The weight of the dome
pendentives to four massive

Hagia Sophia
• Between them the dome
seems to float upon four great
arches
• These four concave triangular
sections of masonry solved
the problem of setting the
circular base of a dome on a
rectangular base
• The church form is a
combination of centralized
and longitudinal structure
• Longitudinal direction is
defined by domes to the east
and west

Hagia Sophia
• At Hagia Sophia, two
opposing arches on the
central square open into
semi domes, each pierced
by 3 smaller radial semi-
domes
• At the west (entrance) and
east (liturgical) ends, the
arched openings are
extended and by great half
domes carried on smaller
semi-domed exedras

Hagia Sophia
• Thus a hierarchy of dome-
headed elements build up to
create a vast oblong interior
crowned by the main dome, a
sequence never seen before in
antiquity
• Of great artistic importance was
its decorated interior with
mosaics and marble pillars and
coverings
• The combination of interior
decoration with lights flooding
from its domes creates a
glittering internal environment

Hagia Sophia
church architecture after the
seat of the Orthodox patriarch
principal setting for imperial
a mosque at the Fall of
Turks under Sultan Mohammad
covered with plaster and
• Hagia sophia dominated
6th century AD
• For over 900 years it was the
of Constantinople and a
ceremonies
• Hagia Sophia was converted to
Constantinople to the Ottoman
II in 1453
• Its rich figurative mosaics were
replaced by Islamic motifs

Hagia Sophia
• It was for almost 500 years the
principal mosque of Istanbul
• Hagia Sophia served as model
for many of the great Ottoman
mosques of Constantinople
such as the Shehzade Mosque,
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 Hagia Sophia Museum

Module 9 Lecture 3

Outline of Lecture
• Lecture 3
– Byzantine in Other places
– Architectural Characteristics
• Buildings and other architectural elements
• Building materials, construction and technologies
• Architectural Organizing principles

Byzantine Arch. in Other Places
Introduction
• Byzantine churches, each with a central dome
opening into surrounding semi domes and other
vault forms and accompanied by the
characteristic iconography proliferated
throughout the Byzantine Empire Greece,
Balkans, Asia manor, part of north Africa and
Italy
• It also influenced the design of churches in
western Christendom
• The later churches however lacked the power
and vigor of the Hagia Sophia and were of a
smaller scale compared to it

Introduction
• As Byzantine architecture spread, it also
developed with a regional flavor
• Many cities built Byzantine churches that
were reflective of regional practices
• Some of the most prominent ones are
Santa Sophia Kiev, Saint Basils Moscow,
Monastry of Hosios Loukas, and Church
of Graenica Yugoslavia

Santa Sophia, Kiev
was named after the Hagia
Constantinople
1037 by prince Yaroslav
meters
apses, and 13 cupolas (domes)
galleries from three sides
confiscated by the Soviets and
and historical museum
• Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev
Sophia cathedral in
• The first foundations were laid in
• The church measures 37 X 55
• The cathedral has 5 naves, 5
• It is surrounded by two-tier
• In 1934 the cathedral was
turned it into an architectural

St Basils, Moscow AD 1551-1536
Russia and built as the capitals
star at the center of which is a
distributed around the central
Byzantine dome finally became
lighting and decoration was also
of brilliant exterior colors
• Commission by Ivan the Terrible of
main parish church
• The ground plan is an eight pointed
rectangular chamber and an apse
• Eight domed tower chapels are
chamber
• In Saint Basil Moscow, the
onion shaped tops of towers,
• The Byzantine program of interior
lost
• Instead, it was replaced by the use

Monastry of Hosios Loukas
A.D.
with 8 piers carrying
integrates a cross in
octogan dome
• Built around 1020
• It has a complex plan
its large central dome
• The church plan
square with an
scheme
• The result is an effect
space
of interpenetrating

Monastry of Hosios Loukas
• 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

St Marks, Venice
example of Byzantine
one of the most famous
each toping a square
Greek cross floor plan,
Sophia and the Basilica
Constantinople
of
• St Mark is also a notable
architecture
• It lies on St Mark's Square,
squares in the world
• The church has five domes
• The church is based on a
based on part on the Hagia
the Apostles, both in

St Marks, Venice
• Each arm of the cross is of
the same length and is
covered by a dome
• A dome also covers the
square space at the center
• While the basic structure of
the building has been little
altered, its decoration
changed greatly over time
• The front façade is Gothic
and was added much later

Buildings & Other Arch
Elements

Buildings & Other Arch. Elements
• Early Christian and Byzantine architecture was
a continuation of the Roman Empire
• Buildings and building practices continued from
the Roman period to the Early Christian and
Byzantine period
• All Roman civic and Residential buildings were
used during the Early Christian and Byzantine
period
• The only new element and the focus in the
examination of the Early Christian and
Byzantine Architecture is the Christian church

Buildings & Other Arch. Elements
• The spread of Christianity in Rome led to the
evolution of the Christian place of worship
• The form of the early church was not new but an
adaptation of the Roman Basilica
• This form later evolved into an alternative
church plan that was either round or lobed
• The Byzantine church form evolved much later
than the Early Christian church forms

Materials, Construction & Tech.
• The Early Christian and Byzantine period also
had access to similar building materials and
construction technology as the Roman
civilization
• Building Materials were common between the
two locations
• Where materials were not available, they were
imported from colonies of the empire
• In construction technology, the greatest
contribution during the Early Christian and
Byzantine era was the discovery of the
pendentive and Dome on pendentive

• Using pendentives and Dome on pendentive,
Byzantine architects were able to adapt the
circular profile of a dome roof to a square
plan
• By using several overlapping domes,
Byzantine architects were able to create an
intricate interior structural system and
external roof system
• Intricate interior structural systems combined
with decoration and lighting created
fascinating interior effects

Technology
• The Early Christian and Byzantine period saw
the most extensive use of clerestory windows
• From early basilica churches to Byzantine
churches, clerestory windows were used to
provide lighting in the interior of churches and
together with decoration enabled the creation of
interesting interiors

Principles of Arch.
Organization

Principles of Arch. Organization
Introduction
• It is possible to understand forces and
principles shaping Early Christian and
Byzantine architecture by examining the
following issues:
– Religious Ritual
– Symbolism
– Construction Technology

Religious Rituals
religious worship played a fundamental part in
its easy adaptability to a Christian church
alternative church forms evolved
significant influence on church form during
period
the
• The various ritual that comprise Christian
the evolution of the Christian place of worship
• Design closely mirror rituals of the religion
• The initial choice of the Basilica was because of
• Later when practices started changing, the
• Ritual practices and function played a more
Early Christian period than during the Byzantine

Symbolism
• Symbolism also played a significant role in the
evolution of the form of the Christian church
• Spirituality and mysticism were integrated into
the experience of church spaces
• During Christian architecture, Symbolism in the
experience of space become a predominant
issue in design
• The use of light and decoration to create
fascinating interiors but function still
predominated

Symbolism
• During the Byzantine period the Church itself
became a symbol of the faith
• The Church is viewed as a house of god and its
design and construction as a reflection of this
symbolism
• The scale of the church was therefore
increased and its decoration became more
complex
• In this respect we see a contrast between an
overriding emphasis in Early Christian
architecture on function and rituals, and in
Byzantine architecture on symbolism

Construction Technology
Church form during the ECB period
Christian period partly for its ease of construction
could be provided for the expanding believers
pendentives and dome on pedentives changed
reflected the significance of churches as house of
• Construction technology was a major influence on
• The Basilica was chosen during the Early
• Ease of construction means places of worship
• During the Byzantine era, discovery of
technology for church construction
• Provided means to achieve church forms that
God

08 09 early christian &amp; byzantine architecture

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