Early Christian architecture was influenced by existing Roman styles and building materials. Churches were typically basilican in design with timber roofs and simple construction. Decoration included mosaics and columns from older Roman structures. The Byzantine Empire continued architectural traditions as the Western Empire declined, developing new styles such as centralized plans with domes and pendentives. Major examples include Hagia Sophia, Saint Vitale, and Saint Marco which demonstrate the evolution of Byzantine architecture over time.

1. EARLY CHRISTIAN
ARCHITECTURE
By: Eyuel Ketema

2. General influences
 Geographical
 Geological
 Climatic
 Religious
 Socio-cultural
 historical
EARLY CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE

3. Geographical
 Christian Architecture at Rome was influenced by & was the logical outcome of ;
 Existing Roman architecture
 Modified in other parts of the Empire according to the type already
recognized as suitable geographical situation of those countries, such as
Syria, north Africa & Egypt.

4. Geological
 Acted indirectly on Early Christian Architecture for the ruins of Roman buildings
often provided the quarry where materials were obtained.
 This influenced the style, both as regards the construction & decoration.
 Columns & other Architectural features, as well as fine sculptures & mosaics
from older buildings, were incorporated in to basilica church's of the new faith.

5. Climatic
 Northern Italy has the climate of the temperate region of Europe.
 Central Italy is sunny.
 Southern Italy is almost tropical.
 This variety of climatic condition creates diversity of architectural features &
treatment in the peninsula itself.

6. Religious
 Christianity has inspired the building of some of the greatest architectural
monuments.
 Purpose of the Christian church was to shelter worshippers who met for prayer &
praise to an unseen Deity.
 Building of Pagan Temples ceased before any attempt made to build Christian
churches.
 In A.D 313 Constantine issued his celebrated decree from Millan, giving
Christianity equal rights with other religions.
 IN A.D 323 he himself professed Christianity, which become the official religion
of the Roman empire then Christians began to build churches of a type suitable
for their needs & ritual.

7. Social
 Constantine changed the capitals of the Empire from Rome to Byzantium in A.D
324, when the old Roman political system came to an end, & reigned as an
absolute monarch till his death in A.D 337.

8. Historical
 The early Christian period is generally taken as lasting from Constantine to the
death of Gregory the great.
 In A.D 568 the Lambards penetrated in to Italy held the northern part.
 Under Pope Gregory the Great early Christian architecture, the last phase of
roman art gradually fell & for the next 2 centuries architectural development
particularly standstill in Europe.

9. Early Christian architecture (300 – 600AD)
 DIVIDED IN TWO PARTS
1. The eastern empire &
2. The western empire
 CHARACTERISTICS OF CHRISTIAN ARCHITECTURE
1. Simplicity in design & Treatment
2. Coarseness in Execution

10.  Early Christian architecture is transitional architecture influenced by
Roman architecture & with no own structure.
 BUILDING MATERIALS
• Salvaged materials from pagan temples
Con’t…

11.  PRINCIPAL BUILDING/STRUCTURE
 CHURCHES
• Basilicas or Roman halls of justice probably served the early Christians
as models for the churches, connecting link between buildings of pagan
classic times & those of Romanesque period which followed.
• Basilica (Gk. Basilikos=kingly), was applied to a Christian church as
early as the 4th c, was designed & dedicated for the service of the king of
kings.

12.  Basilican churches
• Had either closely spaced columns carrying the entablature, or more
widely spaced columns carrying the semi-circular arch's.
• With 3 or 5 aisle, covered by a simple timber roof, is typical of the early
Christian style as opposed to the vaulted byzantine church with its
central circular dome placed over a square & surrounded by smaller
dome.
• Repeated columns which carry the eye along to the sanctuary.

13.  Plans used early Christian churches
1. Longitudinal;- One axis referring to basilican type
2. Central;- Two axis referring to square plan
 Two type of tresses introduced
1. King post trusses
2. Queen post trusses

14.  PRINCIPAL BUILDING/STRUCTURES
• CHURCHES

15. St. Peter's, Rome
• Erected by Constantine near the site of St. Peter's martyrdom

16. Other examples:
 St. Apollinare, Ravenna
 St. Sabina
 St. Agnese Fuori Le Mura, Rome
 St. Paulo Fuori Le Mura
 St. Clemente, Rome
 St. Maria Maggiore, Rome
 Basilican Church of St. Peter, Rome
 Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem
 The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

17. BAPTISTERIES
• Used only for sacrament of baptism, on festivals of Easter
and Epiphany.
• Large separate building from church, sometimes adjoined
atrium

18. TOMBS or CATACOMBS
• Christians objected to cremation, insisted cemeteries or catacombs were
excavated below ground.
• Land for burials had become scarce and expensive
• Monumental tombs became expressions of faith in immortality
• Walls and ceilings were lavishly decorated with paintings mixing pagan
symbolism with scenes from the bible

19. Early Christian architecture comparative analysis
plans
• Followed the basilican model for their new churches.
• May also used old Roman halls, dwelling houses, and even pagan temples as
place of worship.
Walls
• There were still constructed according too Roman methods of using rubble or
concrete, faced with plaster, brick or stone.
• Mosaic decoration was added internally, & sometimes also externally on west
facades.
• Little regard was paid to external architectural effects.

20. Openings
• Arcades, doors & windows were either spanned by semi- circular arch
• Which in nave arcades, often rested directly on the capitals without any
entablatures, or were spanned by lintels.
Roofs
• Timber roof covered the central nave & only simple forms of construction, such
as king & queen post trusses, were employed.
• The narrower side aisles were occasionally vaulted &
• Apse was usually domed & lintel with beautiful glass mosaics, which formed a
fitting background to the sanctuary.
Con’t…

21. Columns
• Differ both in design & size often taken from earlier Roman buildings. It was
natural.
• Use the previous 5 column orders.
• The curved capitals are governed by Roman pagan precedent & sometimes by
that of Byzantines.
Con’t…

22. Ornament
• The introduction off color gave richness & glimmering mystery to interiors.
• The mosaic which was the principal form of interior ornament, lined the domed
apses generally represented Christ surrounded by apostles & saints with all those
symbols emblems, usually made of glass.
Con’t…

23. Byzantine Architecture

24. INFLUENCES
HISTORY
• Goths and Vandals attacked from outside the empire
• In 285 – 293 AD, the empire had split into two;-
 Eastern and
 Western empire
• Constantine, a converted Christian, changed the capital of the Empire from Rome
to Constantinople in 330 AD.
• The western empire based in Rome finally collapsed in 476 AD
• Eastern empire lasted another thousand years and was known as the Byzantine
empire.
Byzantine

25. • Constantinople stood on the site of an old Greek town called Byzantium (present-
day Istanbul)
• Known as the "new Rome", most commanding position and most valuable part of
eastern Roman empire.
• Bulwark of Christianity during the Middle Ages.
• Strongly Christian people - founded many monasteries and churches
• Converted the Russians and Eastern Europeans to Christianity - this form of
Christianity survives today as the Eastern Orthodox Church
Byzantine

26.  Under Emperor Justinian, regained control of lost lands of the Western Roman
Empire, such as Northwest Africa, Italy and Spain.
• Attacks from Slav Barbarians and Bulgars from the northwest were constantly
being repelled.
• Persians, Arabs and Muslims from east
• Normans and Venetians
• Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1453 and killed Constantine XI the last
emperor

27. GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY
• Where Asia and Europe meet, separated by a narrow strip of water
• Art and architecture executed by original Greek craftsmen
• Influence reached Greece, Serbia, Russia, Asia Minor, North Africa, further west
• Also Ravenna, Perigeux and Venice, through trade

28. Early byzantine architecture
 Background
 Western empire in ruin
 Rome twice sacked
 Italy in hands of Ostrogoth's
 Justinian
 Re-conquers Western empire
 Establishes Constantinople as center of political & architectural
renewal

29. Early byzantine architecture
 Architectural factors
 Central plan structures
 Square central core
 Squared pier forms
 Pendentive Dome
 Lighting & Decoration
 Transcendental effect
 No visible surface left in a natural state

30. Early byzantine architectural examples
 Hagias Sophia
 Saint Vitale, Ravenna
 Saint Marco, Venice

31. Hagias Sophia
Saint Vitale, Ravenna

32. Saint Marco, Venice

33. Middle byzantine architecture
 Background
 Renaissance (842 -1204)
 Follows the period of the Dark Ages (640 - 842)
 Empire reduced from Justinian’s rule
 Relatively stabilized
 Peached a peak in a flowering of the arts.

34. Middle byzantine architecture
 Architectural plans
 Cross-in-square
 Domed central core
 Barrel-Vaulted
 Vaulted corner units
 Octagon-Domed
 Triple-Domed
 Double- apse outer narthex
 Barrel- vaulted aisles

35. Middle byzantine architecture
 Architectural plans
 Cross-Octagonal
 Begins as a cube
 Becomes an octagon, cupola & a cross
 Architectural examples
 Bodrum Camii (the Myrelaion)
 Theotokos Churches, Hosios Loukas

36. Late byzantine architecture
 Background
 Period between 1267 – 1453
 Paleologian dynasty rule
 Diminishing empire
 Retains a surprising artistic creativity
 Architectural factors
 Architectural system pushed to the limit
 Lacks balance & harmony
 Excessive & manneristic

37.  Architectural examples
 Pantanassa
 Parigoritissa at Arta
 Church at Gracanica
Church at Gracanica