Editing Byzantine architecture

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Infobox art movement
|name = Byzantine architecture
|image = {{photomontage
|photo1a=Hagia Sophia Mars 2013.jpg
|photo1b=Ravenna San Vitale 201.jpg
|photo2a=Kerch ChurchOfStJohn.jpg
|photo2b=Basilica of San Vitale - Lamb of God mosaic.jpg
|size = 300
|color_border = #EEEEEE
|color = #F9F9F9
}}
| caption = From left to right: [[Hagia Sophia]] in [[Turkey]], [[Basilica of San Vitale]] in [[Italy]], [[Church of St John the Baptist, Kerch|Church of St John the Baptist]] in [[Crimea]], Basilica of San Vitale
| yearsactive = 4th century – 1453
| countries = [[Byzantine Empire]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] countries}}
{{Byzantine culture}}

'''Byzantine architecture''' is the [[architecture]] of the [[Byzantine Empire]], or Eastern Roman Empire, usually dated from 330 AD, when [[Constantine the Great]] established a new Roman capital in [[Byzantium]], which became [[Constantinople]], until the [[Fall of Constantinople|fall of the Byzantine Empire]] in 1453. There was initially no hard line between the Byzantine and Roman Empires, and early Byzantine architecture is stylistically and structurally indistinguishable from late [[Roman architecture]]. The style continued to be based on arches, vaults and domes, often on a large scale. Wall [[mosaic]]s with [[gold background]]s became standard for the grandest buildings, with [[fresco]]s a cheaper alternative.

The richest interiors were finished with thin plates of [[marble]] or coloured and patterned stone. Some of the columns were also made of marble. Other widely used materials were bricks and stone.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Dimitriu Hurmuziadis|first1=Lucia|title=Cultura Greciei|date=1979|publisher=Editura științifică și encyclopedică|page=93|language=ro}}</ref> Mosaics made of stone or glass [[tesserae]] were also elements of interior architecture. Precious wood furniture, like beds, chairs, stools, tables, bookshelves and silver or golden cups with beautiful reliefs, decorated Byzantine interiors.<ref>{{cite book |last1= Graur|first1=Neaga|title=Stiluri în arta decorativă|date=1970|publisher=Cerces|page=38|language=ro}}</ref>

Early Byzantine architecture drew upon earlier elements of Roman and [[Ancient Greek architecture|Greek architecture]]. [[Timeline of architectural styles|Stylistic drift]], [[pendentive|technological advancement]], and [[Byzantine Iconoclasm|political]] and territorial changes meant that a distinct style gradually resulted in the [[Cross-in-square|Greek cross]] plan in [[church architecture]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1365642/Byzantine-architecture|title=Byzantine architecture}}</ref> Civil architecture continued [[Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman]] trends; the Byzantines built impressive fortifications and bridges, but generally not [[Aqueduct (bridge)|aqueduct]]s on the same scales as the Romans.

This terminology was introduced by modern historians to designate the medieval [[Roman Empire]] as it evolved as a distinct artistic and cultural entity centered on the new capital of Constantinople (modern-day [[Istanbul]]) rather than the city of Rome and its environs. Its architecture dramatically influenced the later [[medieval architecture]] throughout Europe and the Near East.

==Characteristics==
[[File:2017 0423 Ravenna (132).jpg|thumb|Interior of the [[Basilica of San Vitale]] from [[Ravenna]] (Italy), decorated with elaborate and glamorous mosaics]]
[[File:Fethiye_Museum_9625.jpg|thumb|[[Pammakaristos Church]], also known as the Church of Theotokos Pammakaristos (Greek: Θεοτόκος ἡ Παμμακάριστος, "All-Blessed Mother of God"), is a Greek Orthodox Byzantine church in [[Istanbul]]]]
[[File:Church of Christ Pantocrator Nesebar.jpg|thumb|[[Church of Christ Pantocrator, Nesebar|Church of Christ Pantocrator]] (13th-14th century), [[Nesebar]], [[Bulgaria]], late Byzantine [[cross-in-square]] style, UNESCO World Heritage Site]]

When the [[Roman Empire]] became Christian (after having extended eastwards) with its new capital at [[Constantinople]], its architecture became more sensuous and ambitious. This new style with exotic domes and richer mosaics would come to be known as "Byzantine" before it traveled west to [[Ravenna]] and [[Venice]] and as far north as [[Moscow]]. Most of the churches and basilicas have high-riding domes, which created vast open spaces at the centers of churches, thereby heightening the light. The round arch is a fundamental of Byzantine style. Magnificent golden mosaics with their graphic simplicity brought light and warmth into the heart of churches. Byzantine capitals break away from the Classical conventions of [[ancient Greece]] and [[Roman Empire|Rome]] with sinuous lines and naturalistic forms, which are precursors to the [[Gothic style]].

In the same way the [[Parthenon]] is the most impressive monument for [[Classical mythology|Classical religion]], [[Hagia Sophia]] remained the iconic church for [[Christianity]]. The temples of these two religions differ substantially from the point of view of their interiors and exteriors. For Classical temples, only the exterior was important, because only the priests entered the interior, where the statue of the deity to whom the temple was dedicated was kept. The ceremonies were held outside, in front of the temple. Instead, Christian liturgies were held inside the churches.<ref>{{cite book |last= Hurmuziadis |first= George D. |translator= Dimitriu Hurmuziadis, Lucia |title= Cultura Greciei: antică, bizantină, modernă |trans-title= Greek Culture: Antique, Byzantine, Modern |date= 1979 |publisher= Editura științifică și enciclopedică |page= 92 |lang= ro}}</ref>

==Columns==
Byzantine columns are quite varied, mostly developing from the classical [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]], with the ornamentation undercut with drills, and [[fluting (architecture)|fluted shafts]] almost entirely abandoned. The block of stone was left rough as it came from the quarry, and the sculptor evolved new designs to his own fancy, so that one rarely meets with many repetitions of the same design. One of the most remarkable designs features leaves carved as if blown by the wind; the finest example being at the 7th-century [[Hagia Sophia (Thessaloniki)]]. Those in the [[Cathedral of Saint Mark, Venice]]&nbsp;(1071) specially attracted [[John Ruskin]]'s fancy. Others appear in [[Sant'Apollinare in Classe]], [[Ravenna]]&nbsp;(549).

The column in [[San Vitale, Ravenna]]&nbsp;(547) shows above it the [[dosseret]] required to carry the [[arch]], the springing of which was much wider than the abacus of the column. On eastern columns the eagle, the lion and the lamb are occasionally carved, but treated conventionally.

There are two types of columns used at [[Hagia Sophia]]: Composite and Ionic. The Composite column that emerged during the Late [[Byzantine Empire]], mainly in Rome, combines the Corinthian with the [[Ionic column|Ionic]]. [[Composite column]]s line the principal space of the nave. Ionic columns are used behind them in the side spaces, in a mirror position relative to the Corinthian or Composite orders (as was their fate well into the 19th century, when buildings were designed for the first time with a monumental Ionic order). At Hagia Sophia, though, these are not the standard imperial statements. The columns are filled with foliage in all sorts of variations. In some, the small, lush leaves appear to be caught up in the spinning of the scrolls – clearly, a different, nonclassical sensibility has taken over the design.

The columns at Basilica of San Vitale show wavy and delicate floral patterns similar to decorations found on belt buckles and dagger blades. Their inverted pyramidal form has the look of a basket.

<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
Korçë NMMA - Durres Byzantinisches Kapitell.jpg|Byzantine Ionic column from [[National Museum of Medieval Art (Albania)|National Museum of Medieval Art]] ([[Korçë]], Albania)

A history of architecture in Italy from the time of Constantine to the dawn of the renaissance (1901) (14597482728).jpg|Illustration of a Byzantine Corinthian column

Ravenna Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo capitel.jpg|Byzantine composite column from [[Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo]] ([[Ravenna]], Italy)

Hagia Sophia (15468276434).jpg|Byzantine basket column from [[Hagia Sophia]] ([[Istanbul]], Turkey)
</gallery>

==Overview of extant monuments==
[[File:Istanbul_Hagia_Irene_IMG_8067_1920.jpg|thumb|280px|[[Hagia Irene]] is a former Greek [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] located in the outer courtyard of [[Topkapı Palace]] in Istanbul. It is the only Byzantine church in [[Istanbul]] that has not been converted into a mosque. The Hagia Irene today operates as a museum and concert hall.]]

Buildings increased in geometric [[Cruciform|complexity]], [[brick]] and plaster were used in addition to [[Rock (geology)|stone]] in the decoration of important public structures, [[classical orders]] were used more freely, [[mosaic]]s replaced carved decoration, complex [[dome]]s rested upon massive [[Pier (architecture)|piers]], and windows filtered light through thin sheets of [[alabaster]] to softly illuminate interiors. Most of the surviving structures are sacred, with secular buildings having been destroyed.

===Early architecture===
[[File:SantApollininner.jpg|thumb|left|The [[basilica]] of [[Sant'Apollinare Nuovo]] in [[Ravenna]] (6th century)]]
Prime examples of early Byzantine architecture date from the Emperor [[Justinian I]]'s reign and survive in [[Ravenna]] and Istanbul, as well as in [[Sofia]] (the [[Church of St Sophia, Sofia|Church of St Sophia]]). [[File:Basilica of Hagia Sofia, Bulgaria.jpg|thumb|left|[[Saint Sofia Church, Sofia|Saint Sofia Church, Bulgaria]], 6th century AD]] One of the great breakthroughs in the history of Western architecture occurred when Justinian's architects invented a complex system providing for a smooth transition from a square plan of the church to a circular dome (or domes) by means of [[pendentive]]s.

In Ravenna, the longitudinal [[basilica]] of [[Sant'Apollinare Nuovo]], and the octagonal, centralized structure of the church of [[Basilica of San Vitale|San Vitale]], commissioned by Emperor Justinian but never seen by him, was built. Justinian's monuments in Istanbul include the domed churches of [[Hagia Sophia]] and [[Hagia Irene]] (both discussed in more detail below), but there is also an earlier, smaller church of Saints Sergius and Bacchus (locally referred to as "[[Little Hagia Sophia]]"), which might have served as a model for both in that it combined the elements of a longitudinal basilica with those of a centralized building.

[[File:Millingen H Eirene section.svg|thumb|The 6th-century church of [[Hagia Irene]] in [[Istanbul]] was substantially rebuilt after an earthquake in the 8th century.]]

Other structures include the ruins of the [[Great Palace of Constantinople]], the innovative [[walls of Constantinople]] (with 192 towers) and [[Basilica Cistern]] (with hundreds of recycled classical columns). A mosaic in the church begun [[Ostrogoth|by the Ostrogoths]], San Apollinare in Nuovo in Ravenna, depicts an early Byzantine palace.

[[Hagios Demetrios]] in [[Thessaloniki]], [[Saint Catherine's Monastery]] on [[Mount Sinai]], [[Jvari (monastery)|Jvari Monastery]] in present-day [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], and three [[Armenia]]n churches of [[Echmiadzin]] all date primarily from the 7th century and provide a glimpse on architectural developments in the Byzantine provinces following the age of Justinian.

Remarkable engineering feats include the 430 m long [[Sangarius Bridge]], the pointed arch of [[Karamagara Bridge]], as well as the dome of the Church of [[Hagia Sophia]].

=== Middle Byzantine architecture ===
In the [[Macedonian dynasty]], it is presumed that [[Basil I]]'s votive church of the [[Theotokos of the Pharos]] and the ''[[Nea Ekklesia]]'' (both no longer existent) served as a model for most [[cross-in-square]] sanctuaries of the period, including the [[Cattolica di Stilo]] in southern Italy (9th century), the monastery church of [[Hosios Lukas]] in Greece (c. 1000), [[Nea Moni of Chios]] (a pet project of [[Constantine IX]]), and the [[Daphni Monastery]] near [[Athens]] (c. 1050). All three of the later churches display the important shifts in architectural design that occurred following the end of Iconoclasm, when architectural design and decoration became more standardized.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ousterhout |first=Robert |url=https://pressbooks.pub/smarthistoryguidetobyzantineart/chapter/middle-byzantine-church-architecture/ |title=Smarthistory Guide to Byzantine Art |date=2021 |publisher=Smarthistory |editor-last=Freeman |editor-first=Evan |chapter=Middle Byzantine Church Architecture}}</ref>

[[File:20090803 hosiosloukas36.jpg|thumb|upright|External view of the 11th-century monastery of [[Hosios Loukas]] in Greece. It is representative of the Byzantine art during the rule of the [[Macedonian dynasty]] ([[Macedonian art (Byzantine)|Macedonian art]])]]

[[File:St Sophia (Ohrid).jpg|thumb|left|Rear courtyard of [[Church of St. Sophia, Ohrid]], 9th century, [[First Bulgarian Empire]], now [[North Macedonia]]]]

The [[Church of St. Sophia, Ohrid|Hagia Sophia church]] in [[Ochrid]] (present-day [[North Macedonia]]), built in the [[First Bulgarian Empire]] in the time of [[Boris I of Bulgaria]], and [[Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev|eponymous cathedral]] in [[Kyiv|Kiev]]<!--See WP:KYIV--> (present-day [[Ukraine]]) testify to a vogue for multiple subsidiary domes set on drums, which would gain in height and narrowness with the progress of time.{{Citation needed | date=June 2019}}

==== Comnenian and Paleologan periods ====
In Istanbul and [[Asia Minor]] the architecture of the [[Komnenian period]] is almost non-existent, with the notable exceptions of the Elmali Kilise and other rock sanctuaries of [[Cappadocia]], and of the Churches of the [[Church of the Pantokrator (Constantinople)|Pantokrator]] and of the [[Kalenderhane Mosque|Theotokos Kyriotissa]] in Istanbul. Most examples of this architectural style and many of the other older Byzantine styles only survive on the outskirts of the Byzantine world, as most significant and ancient churches and buildings were in Asia Minor. During [[World War I]], almost all churches that ended up within the Turkish borders were destroyed or converted into mosques. Some were abandoned as a result of the [[Christian genocides|Greek and Christian genocides]] from 1915 to 1923. Similar styles can be found in countries such as [[Bulgaria]], [[Croatia]], [[North Macedonia]], [[Russia]], [[Serbia]] and other Slavic lands, as well as in [[Sicily]] ([[Cappella Palatina]]) and [[Veneto]] ([[St Mark's Basilica]], [[Torcello Cathedral]]).

In Middle Byzantine architecture "cloisonné masonry" refers to walls built with a regular mix of stone and [[brick]], often with more of the latter. The exterior of the 11th- or 12th-century [[Pammakaristos Church]] in [[Istanbul]] is an example, though it is even more renowned for Late Byzantine additions discussed below.

=== Late Byzantine architecture ===
The [[Paleologus|Paleologan]] period is well represented in a dozen former churches in Istanbul, notably [[Chora Church|St Saviour at Chora]] and [[Pammakaristos Church|St Mary Pammakaristos]]. Unlike their Slavic counterparts, the Paleologan architects never accented the vertical thrust of structures. As a result, the late medieval architecture of Byzantium (barring the [[Hagia Sophia, Trabzon|Hagia Sophia]] of [[Trabzon|Trebizond]]) is less prominent in height.

The [[Church of the Holy Apostles (Thessaloniki)]] is cited as an archetypal structure of the late period with its exterior walls intricately decorated with complex brickwork patterns or with glazed ceramics. Other churches from the years immediately predating the fall of Constantinople survive on [[Mount Athos]] and in [[Mystras|Mistra]] (e.g. [[Brontochion Monastery]]). That site also has preserved secular architecture such as the Palace of the Despots and several houses.  

In the late Byzantine period, c. 1310, a highly ornate [[Parecclesion|parekklesion]] was added to the [[Pammakaristos Church]] in Constantinople for the tomb of Michael Glabas Tarchaniotes, a Byzantine aristocrat and general who lived c. 1235 to c. 1305–08.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ousterhout |first=Robert |url=https://pressbooks.pub/smarthistoryguidetobyzantineart/chapter/late-byzantine-church-architecture/ |title=Smarthistory Guide to Byzantine Art |date=2021 |editor-last=Freeman |editor-first=Evan |chapter=Late Byzantine Church Architecture}}</ref> It displays the attenuated proportions favored in the late Byzantine era, as well as shifts in style in the mosaics' treatment of figures.

==Structural evolution==
[[File:Hagia sophia mathematische Konstruktion.jpg|thumb|The geometric conception of the Hagia Sophia is based on mathematical formulas of Heron of Alexandria. It avoids use of irrational numbers for square diagonals and circle circumferences and contrieves thus a highly elaborated mathematical space]]
As early as the building of [[Constantine the Great|Constantine's]] churches in [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]] there were two chief types of plan in use: the [[basilica]]n, or axial, type, represented by the basilica at the [[Holy Sepulchre]], and the circular, or central, type, represented by [[Domus Aurea (Antioch)|the great octagonal church]] once at [[Antioch]]. 
[[Image:StGeorgeRotundaSofia.JPG|thumb|left|The St. George Rotunda; some remains of Serdica can be seen in the foreground]]
Those of the latter type we must suppose were nearly always [[Vault (architecture)|vaulted]], for a central [[dome]] would seem to furnish their very purpose. The central space was sometimes surrounded by a very thick wall, in which deep recesses, to the interior, were formed, as at [[Church of St. George, Sofia]], built by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] in the 4th century as a cylindrical domed structure built on a square base, and the noble [[Arch of Galerius and Rotunda#Rotunda of Galerius|Church of Saint George]], [[Thessaloniki]] (5th century), or by a vaulted aisle, as at [[Santa Costanza]], Rome (4th century); or annexes were thrown out from the central space in such a way as to form a cross, in which these additions helped to counterpoise the central vault, as at the [[Mausoleum of Galla Placidia]], [[Ravenna]] (5th century). The [[Church of the Holy Apostles|Holy Apostles, Constantinople]] was off this type. Vaults appear to have been early applied to the basilican type of plan; for instance, at [[Hagia Irene]], [[Constantinople]] (6th century), the long body of the church is covered by two domes.

[[File:Hagia Sophia Interior Dome.jpg|thumb|upright|Interior of the [[Hagia Sophia]] under renovation, showing many features of the grandest Byzantine architecture.]]

At [[Little Hagia Sophia|Saint Sergius]], Constantinople, and San Vitale, Ravenna, churches of the central type, the space under the dome was enlarged by having apsidal additions made to the octagon. Finally, at [[Hagia Sophia]] (6th century) a combination was made which is perhaps the most remarkable piece of planning ever contrived. A central space of 100&nbsp;ft (30 m) square is increased to 200&nbsp;ft (60 m) in length by adding two [[hemicycle]]s to it to the east and the west; these are again extended by pushing out three minor apses eastward, and two others, one on either side of a straight extension, to the west. This unbroken area, about 260&nbsp;ft (80 m) long, the larger part of which is over 100&nbsp;ft (30 m) wide, is entirely covered by a system of domical surfaces. Above the [[conch]]s of the small [[apse]]s rise the two great [[semi-dome]]s which cover the hemicycles, and between these bursts out the vast dome over the central square. On the two sides, to the north and south of the dome, it is supported by vaulted aisles in two stories which bring the exterior form to a general square.

[[File:Hagia Eirene Constantinople 2007.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The apse of the church with cross at [[Hagia Irene]]. Nearly all the decorative surfaces in the church have been lost.]]

At the Holy Apostles (6th century) five domes were applied to a cruciform plan; the central dome was the highest. After the 6th century there were no churches built which in any way competed in scale with these great works of Justinian, and the plans more or less tended to approximate to one type. The central area covered by the dome was included in a considerably larger square, of which the four divisions, to the east, west, north and south, were carried up higher in the vaulting and roof system than the four corners, forming in this way a sort of [[nave]] and [[transept]]s. Sometimes the central space was square, sometimes octagonal, or at least there were eight piers supporting the dome instead of four, and the nave and transepts were narrower in proportion.

If we draw a square and divide each side into three so that the middle parts are greater than the others, and then divide the area into nine from these points, we approximate to the typical setting out of a plan of this time. Now add three apses on the east side opening from the three divisions, and opposite to the west put a narrow entrance porch running right across the front. Still in front put a square court. The court is the [[Atrium (architecture)|atrium]] and usually has a [[fountain]] in the middle under a [[canopy (building)|canopy]] resting on pillars. The entrance porch is the ''[[narthex]]''. Directly under the center of the dome is the ''[[Ambon (liturgy)|ambo]]'', from which the Scriptures were proclaimed, and beneath the ambo at floor level was the place for the choir of singers. Across the eastern side of the central square was a screen which divided off the ''bema'', where the altar was situated, from the body of the church; this screen, bearing images, is the ''[[iconostasis]]''. The [[altar]] was protected by a canopy or ''[[Ciborium (architecture)|ciborium]]'' resting on pillars. Rows of rising seats around the curve of the apse with the [[patriarch]]'s throne at the middle eastern point formed the synthronon. The two smaller compartments and apses at the sides of the bema were sacristies, the ''[[diaconicon]]'' and ''[[prothesis (liturgy)|prothesis]]''. The ambo and bema were connected by the ''solea'', a raised walkway enclosed by a railing or low wall.

The continuous influence from the East is widely shown in the fashion of decorating external [[brick]] walls of churches built about the 12th century, in which bricks roughly carved into form are set up so as to make bands of ornamentation which it is quite clear are imitated from Cufic writing. This fashion was associated with the disposition of the exterior brick and stone work generally into many varieties of pattern, zig-zags, key-patterns etc.; and, as similar decoration is found in many Persian buildings, it is probable that this custom also was derived from the East. The domes and vaults to the exterior were covered with [[lead]] or with tiling of regional variety. The window and door frames were of [[marble]]. The interior surfaces were adorned all over by [[mosaic]]s or [[fresco]]es in the higher parts of the edifice, and below with incrustations of marble slabs, which were frequently of very beautiful varieties, and disposed so that, although in one surface, the coloring formed a series of large panels. The better marbles were [[bookmatched|opened out]] so that the two surfaces produced by the division formed a symmetrical pattern.

== Legacy ==
[[File:Chora_Church_Constantinople_2007_panorama_002.jpg|left|thumb|280px|[[Chora Church]] medieval Byzantine Greek Orthodox church preserved as the Chora Museum in the Edirnekapı neighborhood of [[Istanbul]]]]

===In the West===
Ultimately, Byzantine architecture in the West gave way to [[Carolingian architecture|Carolingian]], [[Romanesque architecture|Romanesque]], and [[Gothic architecture]]. But a great part of current Italy used to belong to the Byzantine Empire before that. Great examples of Byzantine architecture are still visible in Ravenna (for example Basilica di [[Basilica of San Vitale|San Vitale]] which architecture influenced the [[Palatine Chapel, Aachen|Palatine Chapel]] of Charlemagne).

===In the East===
[[File:Dongola Throne Hall.jpg|thumb|The 9th century [[Throne Hall of Dongola]] in [[Sudan]] was heavily influenced by Byzantine architecture.<ref>{{cite book |last=Godlewski |first=Włodzimierz |year=2013 |title=Dongola-ancient Tungul. Archaeological guide |publisher=Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw |url=https://pcma.uw.edu.pl/wp-content/uploads/template/main/file/Dongola_guide/Dongola_guide_book.pdf |isbn=978-83-903796-6-1 |page=12 }}</ref>]]
As for the East, Byzantine architectural tradition exerted a profound influence on early [[Islamic architecture]], particularly [[Umayyad architecture]]. During the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] era (661-750), as far as the Byzantine impact on early Islamic architecture is concerned, the Byzantine arts formed a fundamental source to the new Muslim artistic heritage, especially in Syria. There are considerable Byzantine influences which can be detected in the distinctive early Islamic monuments in Syria (709–715). While these give clear reference in plan - and somewhat in decoration - to Byzantine art, the plan of the Umayyad Mosque has also a remarkable similarity with 6th- and 7th-century Christian basilicas, but it has been modified and expanded on the transversal axis and not on the normal longitudinal axis as in the Christian basilicas. The tile work, geometric patterns, multiple arches, domes, and polychrome brick and stone work that characterize Muslim and [[Moorish architecture]] were influenced heavily by Byzantine architecture.

===Post-Byzantine architecture in Eastern Orthodox countries===

In [[Bulgaria]], [[North Macedonia]], [[Serbia]], [[Romania]], [[Belarus]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Armenia]], [[Ukraine]], [[Russia]] and other Orthodox countries the Byzantine architecture persisted even longer, from the 16th up to the 18th centuries, giving birth to local post-Byzantine schools of architecture.

[[File:St Demetrius Tarnovo Klearchos 2.jpg|thumb|[[Church of Saint Demetrius of Thessaloniki, Veliko Tarnovo]]]]

* In Medieval Bulgaria: The [[Golden Age of medieval Bulgarian culture|Preslav]] and [[Architecture of the Tarnovo Artistic School|Tarnovo]] architectural schools.
* In Medieval Serbia: [[Raška architectural school]], [[Vardar architectural school]] and [[Morava architectural school]].

[[File:Fethiye_Museum_9620.jpg|thumb|280px|Dome of the [[Pammakaristos Church]], Istanbul]]

===Neo-Byzantine architecture===
{{Main|Neo-Byzantine architecture}}
[[Neo-Byzantine architecture]] was followed in the wake of the 19th-century [[Gothic revival]], resulting in such jewels as [[Westminster Cathedral]] in [[London]], and in [[Bristol]] from about 1850 to 1880 a related style known as [[Bristol Byzantine]] was popular for industrial buildings which combined elements of the Byzantine style with Moorish architecture. It was developed on a wide-scale basis in [[Russia]] during the reign of [[Alexander II of Russia|Alexander&nbsp;II]] by [[Grigory Gagarin]] and his followers who designed [[St Volodymyr's Cathedral]] in Kyiv, [[:Image:Kronstadt Naval Cathedral 1.jpg|St Nicholas Naval Cathedral]] in [[Kronstadt]], [[Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia]], [[St. Mark's Church, Belgrade|Saint Mark's church]] in [[Belgrade]] and the [[New Athos Monastery]] in [[New Athos]] near [[Sukhumi]]. The largest Neo-Byzantine project of the 20th century was the [[Church of Saint Sava]] in [[Belgrade]].

== Important Byzantine monuments ==

=== Hagia Irene ===
[[File:Hagia Irene exterior.JPG|thumb|Exterior view of [[Hagia Irene]].]]
[[Hagia Irene]] served as a model church for the Hagia Sophia. Construction on the church began in the 4th century. This was the first church that was built in Constantinople, but due to its location, it was severely damaged by earthquakes and the Nika riots, and required repair several times. The Hagia Irene is defined by its large atrium, and is in fact the only surviving building of the [[Byzantine Empire]] to have such a feature.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|date=2016-01-01|title=The Unique Construction of the Church of Hagia Irene in Istanbul for The Teaching of Byzantine Architecture|journal=Procedia Engineering|language=en|volume=161|pages=1745–1750|doi=10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.770|issn=1877-7058|last1=Musílek|first1=Josef|last2=Podolka|first2=Luboš|last3=Karková|first3=Monika|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==== Construction ====
Hagia Irene is composed mainly of three materials: stone, brick, and [[Mortar (masonry)|mortar]]. Bricks 70&nbsp;cm x 35&nbsp;cm x 5&nbsp;cm were used, and these bricks were glued together using mortar approximately 5&nbsp;cm thick. The [[building material]]s chosen for the construction of the church had to be lightweight, durable, and strong. Volcanic materials were chosen for this purpose, as volcanic concrete is very light and durable. Perhaps the most definite feature of the Hagia Irene is the strict contrast between the interior and exterior design. While the plain outside composed of stone and brick favors functionality, the interior is decorated in elaborate mosaics, decorative marble, and, in some places, covered in plaster. Another important characteristic of the church include two domes that follow one behind another, the first being a lower oval, and the second being a higher semi-circle.<ref name=":0" />

==== History of Hagia Irene ====
Throughout history Hagia Irene has undergone several changes. There were multiple repairs due to the Nika riots and earthquakes. When the Ottomans took over Hagia Irene they repurposed it and made a few changes, but none as drastic as what was done to Hagia Sophia.<ref name=":0" /> Today, Hagia Irene is still standing and open to visitors as a museum. It is open everyday, except for Tuesdays.

'''Construction of Hagia Irene'''
{| class="wikitable"
|+Timeline<ref name=":0" />
!Time
!Event
|-
|4th C.
|Construction began
|-
|532
|Church was burned during Nika riots
|-
|548
|[[Justinian I|Emperor Justinian]] repaired the church
|-
|740
|Significant damages from earthquakes
|-
|1453
|Constantinople was conquered by the Ottomans - became a weapons storehouse
|-
|1700
|Became a museum
|-
|1908-1978
|Served as a military museum.
|}

=== Hagia Sophia ===
The most famous example of Byzantine architecture is the [[Hagia Sophia]], and it has been described as "holding a unique position in the [[Christian world]]",<ref name="Heinle & Schlaich 1996">{{harvnb|Heinle|Schlaich|1996}}</ref> and as an architectural and [[cultural icon]] of [[Byzantine culture|Byzantine]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Culture|Eastern Orthodox civilization]].<ref>{{harvnb|Cameron|2009}}.</ref><ref name="M130">{{harvnb|Meyendorff|1982}}.</ref><ref name="Heinle & Schlaich 1996" /> The Hagia Sophia held the title of largest church in the world until the Ottoman Empire sieged the Byzantine capital. After the fall of Constantinople, the church was used by the Muslims for their religious services until 1931, when it was reopened as a museum in 1935. Translated from [[Greek language|Greek]], the name Hagia Sophia means "Holy Wisdom".<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/a-monumental-struggle-to-preserve-hagia-sophia-92038218/|title=A Monumental Struggle to Preserve Hagia Sophia|last=Bordewich|first=Fergus M.|work=Smithsonian|access-date=2018-11-22|language=en}}</ref>

==== Construction of Hagia Sophia ====
[[File:Hagia Sophia February 2013 02.jpg|thumb|Exterior view of Hagia Sophia]]
The construction is a combination of longitudinal and central structures. This church was a part of a larger complex of buildings created by Emperor [[Justinian I|Justinian]]. This style influenced the construction of several other buildings, such as [[St. Peter's Basilica]]. Hagia Sophia should have been built to withstand earthquakes, but since the construction of Hagia Sophia was rushed this technology was not implemented in the design, which is why the building has had to be repaired so many times due to damages from the earthquakes. The dome is the key feature of Hagia Sophia as the domed basilica is representative of Byzantine architecture. Both of the domes collapsed at different times throughout history due to earthquakes and had to be rebuilt.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2016-01-01|title=Disorders of the Building and its Remediation - Hagia Sophia, Turkey the Most the Byzantine Building|journal=Procedia Engineering|language=en|volume=161|pages=2259–2264|doi=10.1016/j.proeng.2016.08.825|issn=1877-7058|last1=Plachý|first1=Jan|last2=Musílek|first2=Josef|last3=Podolka|first3=Luboš|last4=Karková|first4=Monika|doi-access=free}}</ref>

==== History of Hagia Sophia ====
The original construction of Hagia Sophia was possibly ordered by Constantine, but ultimately carried out by his son Constantius II in 360. Constantine's building of churches, specifically the Hagia Sophia, was considered an incredibly significant component in his shift of the centralization of power from Rome in the west to Constantinople in the east, and was considered the high-point of religious and political celebration. The construction of the final version of the Hagia Sophia, which still stands today, was overseen by Emperor Justinian. Between the rule of these two Emperors, Hagia Sophia was destroyed and rebuilt twice. Following its reconstruction, Hagia Sophia was considered the center of Orthodox Christianity for 900 years, until the fall of Constantinople to the [[Ottoman Turks|Ottomans]].<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Cohen |first=Andrew |date=2011 |title=Architecture in Religion: The History of the Hagia Sophia and Proposals For Returning It To Worship |type=MA thesis |publisher=Florida International University |url=https://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/2400/ |doi=10.25148/etd.FI14060867 |pages=2–3|doi-access=free }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Timeline
!Time
!Event
|-
|360
|Construction began
|-
|404
|Hagia Sophia was burned down in public riot.
|-
|415
|Construction begins on the next version of Hagia Sophia.
|-
|532
|The church is once again demolished during Nika riots.
|-
|537
|The final version of Hagia Sophia opens to Christian worship after five more years of construction.
|-
|558
|Earthquake - dome collapsed
|-
|859
|Fire damage
|-
|869
|Earthquake damage
|-
|989
|More earthquake damage
|-
|1317
|Large buttresses added
|-
|1453
|Constantinople fell to the Ottomans - converted into a mosque
|-
|1935
|Hagia Sophia is converted into a museum by secularists
|-
|2020
|Reverted to a mosque
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery widths="170px" heights="170px">
File:Christ_Pantocrator_mosaic_from_Hagia_Sophia_2744_x_2900_pixels_3.1_MB.jpg|A Byzantine mosaic in [[Hagia Sophia]] in Istanbul, [[Turkey
File:Fethiye_Museum_9607.jpg|Mosaic of Jesus in [[Pammakaristos Church]] in Istanbul
File:Fethiye_Museum_9593.jpg|Mosaic of Saint Antony, the desert Father in Pammakaristos Church in Istanbul
File:Basilica San Marco (9739277391).jpg|Byzantine mosaics in [[St Mark's Basilica]], Venice
File:StSophiaChurch-Sofia-10.jpg|Interior of [[Saint Sofia Church, Sofia]], (6th century)
File:Croatia Porec Euphrasius Basilika BW 2014-10-08 11-13-28.jpg|Mosaic above the entrance portal of the [[Euphrasian Basilica]] in Poreč (6th century)
File:Храм Святой Софии - panoramio (1).jpg|[[Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki]] (8th century)
File:Iglesia de Santa Sofía, Ohrid, Macedonia, 2014-04-17, DD 11.JPG|Narthex of [[Church of St. Sophia, Ohrid|St. Sophia]], build in [[Ohrid]] in the [[First Bulgarian Empire]] (9th century), now in [[North Macedonia]]
File:Bulgaria Bulgaria-0529 - Church of St George (7390192098).jpg|Interior of [[Church of St. George, Sofia]], 4th century
File:Agkistro Byzantine bath.jpg|Agkistro Byzantine bath
File:Basilica Cistern after restoration 2022 (11).jpg|[[Basilica Cistern]]
File:Palace of Porphyrogenitus 2007 016.jpg|[[Palace of the Porphyrogenitus]]
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Architecture}}
* [[Architectural style]]
* [[Architecture of the Tarnovo Artistic School]]
* [[Architecture of Kievan Rus']]
* [[Byzantine art]]
* [[Golden Age of medieval Bulgarian culture]]
* [[History of Roman and Byzantine domes]]
* [[Medieval architecture]]
* [[Neo-Byzantine architecture]]
* [[Ottoman architecture]]
* [[Russian-Byzantine architecture]]
* [[Sasanian architecture]]
* [[Armenian architecture]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Works cited===
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Byzantine Art}}
* {{Cite book |last=Cameron |first=Averil |publisher=Psychogios |date=2009 |isbn=978-960-453-529-3 |location=Athens |language=el |script-title=el:Οι Βυζαντινοί}}
* {{Citation |last1=Heinle |first1=Erwin  |last2=Schlaich |first2=Jörg  |title=Kuppeln aller Zeiten, aller Kulturen |location=Stuttgart  |year=1996 |isbn=3-421-03062-6}}
* {{Cite book |last=Meyendorff |first=John |title=The Byzantine Legacy in the Orthodox Church |publisher=St Vladimir's Seminary Press |date=1982 |isbn=978-0-913836-90-3 |location=Yonkers |author-link=John Meyendorff}}

==Further reading==
* Bogdanovic, Jelena. [https://books.google.com/books?id=m2IpDwAAQBAJ "The Framing of Sacred Space: The Canopy and the Byzantine Church"], New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. {{ISBN|0190465182}}.
* {{Cite book|last=Ćurčić|first=Slobodan|title=Gračanica: King Milutin's Church and Its Place in Late Byzantine Architecture|year=1979|publisher=Pennsylvania State University Press|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T77qAAAAMAAJ|isbn=9780271002187}}
* [[Banister Fletcher|Fletcher, Banister]]; Cruickshank, Dan, [https://books.google.com/books?id=Gt1jTpXAThwC ''Sir Banister Fletcher's a History of Architecture''], Architectural Press, 20th edition, 1996 (first published 1896). {{ISBN|0-7506-2267-9}}. Cf. Part Two, Chapter 11.
* Mango, Cyril, ''Byzantine Architecture'' (London, 1985; Electa, Rizzoli).
* Ousterhout, Robert; [https://books.google.com/books?id=dyCBQgAACAAJ ''Master Builders of Byzantium''], Princeton University Press, 1999. {{ISBN|0-691-00535-4}}.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Byzantine architecture}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20041128043444/http://www.patriarchate.org/ecumenical_patriarchate/chapter_4/index.html Overview of Byzantine architecture in Constantinople] (archived 28 November 2004)
* [http://www.byzantinemuseum.gr/en/permanentexhibition/ancient_world_to_Byzantium/temples_of_the_new_religion/ The temples of the new religion]
* [http://www.byzantinemuseum.gr/en/permanentexhibition/ancient_world_to_Byzantium/christianization/ Christianization of the ancient temples]
* [https://charlvarchive.org Photographs and Plans of Byzantine Architecture in Turkey]

{{Archhistory}}
{{Byzantine Empire topics|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byzantine Architecture}}
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