Byzantine

A Story of Faith, Empire, and The Birth of The Dome

What characteristic did the churches throughout the roman empire followed?

______ threatened the western provinces. Political instability weakened Rome.

The empire was divided into two parts, what are these?

Constantinople was founded by ______

Unlike old Rome ____ was wealthier, safer, more powerful, and became the center of Christianity

The Eastern/Byzantine Empire became strong and stable in the sixth century under _____

This empire lasted 1000 years, with a great cultural history

Eastern/Byzantine Empire fell to the ____ in 1453

The borders were breached and the Emperor was forced to abandon ____, moving the center northward, first to Milan then to Ravenna

____ spilled over the rest of the Roman Empire, Germany, Spain, Italy, Gaul, and Africa

Sea trade ceased, great cities were abandoned, and Rome shrunk just about every institution of the government ceased, except one, the ____.

This was initially built by Constantine the Great

Last great fortification system of antiquity

What mortar was used on the Walls of Constantinople

Its walls absorb earthquake shock without shattering

The ____ of 1054 divided Christianity into Eastern orthodox and Roman Catholic branches, influencing religious architecture and practices

The Great Schism --> Roman Catholicism

The Great Schism ---> EASTERN ORTHODOXY

When _____ came to power in the sixth century, he dreamed of building churches unlike anything the world had ever seen.

Emperor Justinian I gathered architects and engineers among them were ____ and _____ with the challenge of placing a massive circular dome on top of a square building.

Instead of forcing a round dome onto a square base, they used four curved triangular sections that gently transitioned from the square below to the circle above called ___

Buildings increased in

were used in addition to stone in the decoration of important public
structures

were used more freely

replaced carved decoration

complex domes rested upon massive

filtered light through thin sheets of alabaster to
softly illuminate interiors

Interiors were richly decorated with ____ frescoes, and colored glass, creating a magical impression of light and depth

pendentives and domes are same sphere

dome of separate sphere, rises independently over sphere of pendentives or dome raised on high drum

Melon, serrated, onion or bolbous shape

Small windows and open courtyards were used to adapt to the ___

______ from the "Leaning Tower" shows the Latin Cross form, with projecting apse, foreground and free-standing baptistry at the west.

System of construction of the Byzantine Church–

The _____ of the Holy Apostles, Athens, shows a Greek Cross plan with central dome and the axis marked by the narthex (transverse vestibule).

When ____ (Church of Holy Wisdom) was completed in A.D. 537,
Emperor Justinian entered the church.
According to tradition, overwhelmed by its magnificence, he exclaimed:
"Solomon, I have surpassed thee!"

Hagia Sophia was not merely an architectural achievement.
It proclaimed:

Style of Hagia Sophia

The Byzantine church surrounded believers with a vision of ____

early prototype with an octagonal plan and richly decorated mosaics

Based on the Justinian church of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople
• 5 domes, each carried on 4 piers
• Narthex on each side of nave
• Baptistry on south side
• Greek cross plan with five domes

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 ven shortly before Hagia Sophia and was believed to be an experiment
The dome, its adaptation to squarish form, the use of pendentive and the lighting and decoration scheme in the interior gives it its Byzantine characteristics

Was named after the Hagia Sophia cathedral in Constentinople
The first foundations were laid in 1037 by princeYaroslav
The churchmeasures 37 X 55 meters
The cathedral has 5 naves, 5 apses, and 13 cupolas (domes)
It is surrounded by two-tier galleries from three sides
In 1934 the cathedral was confiscated by the Soviets and turned it into an architectura land historical museum.

Commission by Ivan the Terrible of Russia and built as the capitals main parish church. The ground plan is an eight pointed star at the center of which is a rectangular Chamber and an apse. Eight domed tower chapels are distributed around the central chamber.