A study on how the transition of the roman empire from paganism to christianity affect the architecture of sacred places.

1. EARLY BYZANTINE
ARCHITECTURE
role of architecture in defining the new religious
structure of the Roman empire

2. INTRODUCTION
• PRE-CHRISTIAN ROMAN RELIGIOUS ARCHITECTURE
Roman religious architecture focus on the exterior side
of the temple.
The interior space called cella is dedicated to the status
of the deity.
The main religious practices and ceremonies take place
in front of the temple around the altar.
Religious buildings, like other Roman structures, have a
massive grandiose look, and an outside orientation,
which reflect the paganism ideology.

3. Temple of Isis, Pompei
Believers sacrifice and celebrate in front of the temple

4. • EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCHES
Christianity is a mystery religion; practices take place
inside church-houses while the young religion was
oppressed by the Roman authorities .
The remains of Dura-
Europos house-church
in Syria.
Studies suggest that it
was a normal house and
between 233 and 256 it
was converted to
worship.

5. When the house was converted to a church a wall was
taken down to make a larger room.
The baptistery is the most elaborate room from which we
can conclude how much initiation is important for
Christianity as a mystery religion.

6. • CONSTANTINE AND LEGALIZATION OF CHRISTIANITY
In the early 4th century Christianity became a popular
mystery cult.
After his victory on his rival Maxentius in 312, emperor
Constantine established a “new Rome” in the east.
In 313 Christianity became legal after the Edict Of
Milan.
Constantine which dedicate his victory to the Christian
God start a mission to convert the Empire to the new
religion. And his main propaganda tactic was
architecture.

7. Inasmuch of ideological and liturgical differences
between Paganism and Christianity, Constantine’s
architects searches different physical form for the
temple inspired from pre-existed architectural forms.

8. • HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE NEW FEATURES
OF THE TEMPLE (CHURCH) IN THE LIGHT OF
CHRISTIAN LITURGY AND IDEOLOGY?

9. FEATURES OF BYZANTINE RELIGIOUS
BUILDINGS
• PLANS:
The classic plan of the Roman temple was
inappropriate for the new religion liturgy.
Christians need a building to be used from the inside
not the outside, like Roman Basilica which became the
most used afterward in the west.

10. Basilica Aemilia 179 B.C
Roman basilicas were used as formal public meeting
hall, law courts or simply as a roofed market.

11. Interior of basilica Julia 46 B.C
Being used as a law court, or as a audience hall
were the emperor address to people; it’s
interior architecture focus on one point in the
front, the magistrate in the apse were the
emperor or the judge sit.

12. interior of sant apollinare.
You can notice how much
the interior reassemble to
a Roman basilica.
The basilica plan seems to be the most logical plan to be
adopted as church. The priest take the place of the judge
or the emperor symbolizing the law which is Jesus teaching
in this case. At the same time the altar take the place of
the magistrate.

13. In the east centralized plan was the most abundant.
This plan can be derived from roman mausoleum or other
buildings types like baths.
The use of domes and transepts leads to this style.
Plan of Hagia Sophia Plan of St.Mark Venice

14. Chatedral of St.Simon the
styliste, Syria
Transepts were added as symbolic feature (cross) and to
create a space for the increasing number of clergy and for
the proper celebration of the service.

15. • DOMES
Domes were a likeable feature in the east.
East impose it’s culture after the establishment of the
“New Rome” Constantinople in the east.
Domes represent the cosmos, the sky.
In the Christian ideology the church represent the house
of god, by other mean heaven, from this point of view we
can understand the abundant use of domes.
Another thing, domes make the building look more high
from the outside and more light from the inside which
reflect the idea that church is a place to meet god which
is in the Highest Place, the light weight of the dome help
up to flight spiritually to his realm.

16. St.Mark Venice, the building look light and sky oriented while
the former Roman temple is massive and earth oriented.

17. The main innovation of the Byzantine architecture is
the Pendentive.
The pendentive make a link between a square ground
plan and a circular dome which give the chance to
profit from the usable space of the ground and the
esthetique of the circular dome at the same time.

18. The pendentive was first used in Hagia-Sophia and
from this point it was regarded as a main feature of
the byzantine architecture.
The emperor Justinian consider the innovation a
victory on the pagans religion simply because
Christian architecture take over pagans’.
An architectural project like Hagia-Sophia is a large
propaganda for the new religion.
Domes in Byzantine architecture are a great example
how some architectural features became in a close
relation with a particular ideology.

19. Hagia-Sophia and it’s large dome and multi-half-domes

20. • EXTERIOR LOOK
The exterior appearance of Christian churches made a
shocking contrast with the pagan temple.
The last one focus on the exterior. Pagan temples look
magnificent from the exterior.
In the other hand most Byzantine architects give
minimal interest to the exterior of their churches.

21. Santa Sabina basilica Rome, Italy 432 B.C

22. Basilica of Sant' Apollinare in Classe, Ravenna, Italy 549 B.C

23. The minimal decoration of the exterior reflect the
interior orientation of Christianity as a mystery religion
in contrary of paganism which was a public religion.

24. • INTERIOR DECORATION AND THE USE OF LIGHT
The decoration and rituals shift together from the
outside to inside.
The interior of Byzantine churches is excessively
decorated with frescoes, golden mosaics, graved wood
or stone, icons … Represent human figures or
geometrical and vegetative shapes.
The focus on the interior reflect the Christian idea that
the church is a representation of heaven. Heaven is no
doubt isolated from the earthy exterior world. That can
be a reason why Christians keep the idea of heaven
only represented mainly in the interior.

25. Frescoes of the interior of a basilica dedicated to the
Dormition of Virgin Mary, Date back to 6th or 7th century,
districts of Kalambaka, Greece.
Note how much concern they give to interior decoration.
Walls were covered completely with frescoes.

26. The same basilica from the outside
Note the shocking contrast.
Walls are modest, and the only esthetique features are
the architectural forms of the building.

27. Church of the Acheiropoietos, Thessaloniki, Greece, 5th
century.
Small simple columns were used in the outside.

28. Larger and more ornamented columns were used in
the inside.

29. La Maison Carree, France
It’s like we take a Roman temple than we folded it
outside in.

30. Masons create new forms different from the classic
orders associated with pagan cults.
We found examples in the remains of St.Polyeuktos in
constantinople built in the 6th century.
A study suggest that the decoration and dimensions
of the church are based on the biblical description of
Solomon’s temple.
Solomon’s temple was dedicated to the Jewish God
Yahweh. In the Christian tradition Yahweh represent
the father in the holy trinity.

31. Remains of a pier capital from the church

32. Another capital, we can see a palm

33. The most important decoration elements in the early
Byzantine Churches are mosaics.
This art have perfected and mastered in the
Byzantine era.
Golden glass stones took the beauty of mosaics to a
new level.
Glass mosaics reflect light entering from many
windows carved everywhere we can into the walls.

34. Light reflecting on the
mosaic of St.Catherine
monastery in Sinai Egypt.
Jesus, “light of life”,
Is a god of light for the
Christians.
Use of light was very
important, the church
represent the cosmos
and heaven should
look luster like the
heaven.

35. Details from the mosaic of St.Catherine monastery.
Notice how much care and work those mosaics take.

36. Mosaic of St.Vitale, 6th century
Because of their ability to reflect light, their beautiful
appearance and light weight look… Mosaics take over
paintings and frescoes.

37. Hagia Sophia is a good example of the use of light in
Byzantine architecture.
Windows are excessively used around the bottom of
the dome so that it seems floating above us.

38. The reflection of light
on Golden glass
mosaics help enhancing
this effect.
The form of the interior
also help in creating
this transition between
earth and heaven.
The square ground
represent earth, and
the spherical dome
represent the cosmos.

39. Light entering from windows look like heavenly bodies.
This reflect the Christian idea that Jesus is the light who
enter the dark body and illuminate the soul.

40. Basilica of St.Marco Venice
This light weight
“heavenly” effect is
enhanced by
The vertical lines from
ground to dome.
In the former Roman
temples interior like the
Pantheon, horizontal
lines cut the vertical one
and give a massive feel.

41. CONCLUSION
When Constantine establish a new religion and
authority he establish in parallel a new
architectural style based on the new religion
ideology history and liturgy.
The ancient temple style was inappropriate
because of fundamental differences in function
and symbolism.

42. The new architectural style was adjusted to
make the church a representation of heaven,
authority, a place were believers can meet god.
Byzantine architecture focus on the inside where
the use of light mosaics and vertical lines was
abundant to give a feel of weightless structure.