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Representing Architectural Time and Space
Ancient Architecture
Byzantine Architecture
Medieval Architecture
Renaissance Architecture
Baroque Architecture
19 Century Architecture
Modern Architecture
Islamic Architecture
Columbia University
+   Department of Art History and Archaeology
+   Visual Media Center
+   National Endowment for the Humanities

 
Kariye Camii, Detail of Fresco
INTRODUCTION    
Read an introduction to the topic of Early Christian & Byzantine Architecture in the context of this resource.
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360° PANORAMAS INTERACTIVE PLAN(S) FEATURED PROJECT(S)
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In 330 AD, Constantine the Great transferred the capital of the Roman Empire to the city of Byzantion on the shores of the Bosporus. During the early Byzantine period (330-700), the Empire included Eastern Europe, the Roman Near East, Egypt and portions of North Africa. The Arab conquests of the seventh century would greatly reduce this area, but the Byzantine world would soon extend into areas of Russia, which were never before Romanized. With the exception of the Latin Conquests, when crusaders captured the imperial capital (1204-61), Constantinople remained as the geographic and symbolic center of this cultural and political sphere until its conquest and collapse (1453).

The Byzantines thought of themselves as the heirs of the Roman Empire, Greek remained the lingua franca of their domain, for example, as it had in this area under Roman rule, and we may approach their architecture from this position. One may interpret the works of civic architecture—the great walls and gates of the capital city, the Aqueduct of Valens, the Hippodrome, cisterns, fora and royal palaces—in light of Imperial functions, rituals and symbols. The public spaces and structures of Constantinople functioned within a complex ideology finding its expression in ceremonial and architectural monumentality.

But approaching any work of Byzantine architecture outside of its deep connection to religion gives us an incomplete picture of this tradition. While the Byzantines were the heirs of the Roman Empire, they turned away from the gods of antiquity to embrace Christianity.

Although the Empire was religiously diverse, by the late fourth century Christianity became the official religion of the Empire, and faith would help maintain the authority and prominence of Constantinople through its decline from political significance. Much of Byzantine architecture was created to express religious experience and mediate between the believer and God.   Taken in its architectural context, the iconographic program of the mosaics and frescoes of the Kariye Camii envelopes the believer within scenes of the Old Testament and the lives of Christ and Mary Mother of God. Visual expressions of faith within the context of the Eucharist and other religious ceremonies then provide layers of meaning, even the primary context, to the architectural heritage of the Byzantine world.

INTRODUCTION

360° PANORAMAS
Boeotia (Greece)

Building: Hosios Lukas (Church of St. Luke)
Date: 10th–early 11th century

Exterior view #1
Exterior view #2
Interior view of katholikon
Interior view of theotokos
Interior view of narthex

Istanbul (Turkey)

Building: Church of Constantine Lips
Date: 907

Interior view

Building: Church of St. Polyeuktos
Date: ca. 527

View of the site

Building: Church of the SS. Sergius and Bacchus
Date: ca. Begun 527

Exterior view


Istanbul (Turkey) continued...

Building: Fethiye Camii (Church of Pammakaristos)
Date: ca. 1100

Exterior view
Interior view #1
Interior view #2

Building: Golden Gate
Date: ca. 390
Exterior view
Building: Kariye Camii (Church of the Savior)
Date: 1316–21
Interior view of inner narthex, bay 1
Interior view of inner narthex, bay 2
Interior view of inner narthex, bay 3
Interior view of inner narthex, bay 4
Interior view of naos
Interior view of outer narthex, bay 2
Interior view of outer narthex, bay 3
Interior view of outer narthex, bay 4
Interior view of outer narthex, bay 5
Interior view of outer narthex, bay 6
Istanbul (Turkey) continued...
Interior view of parecclesion, bay 1
Interior view of parecclesion, bay 2
Interior view of parecclesion, bay 3
Interior view of parecclesion, bay 5

Building: Palace of Blachernae
Date: begun 5th century, enlarged 11th–12th century

View of ruins

Building: Palace of Lausos
Date: ca. 5th century

Exterior view

Building: Palace of the Boukoleon
Date: Begun 6th century

View #1 of the site
View #2 of the site (QTVR Missing)

Building: Palace of the Porphyrogenitus
Date: 14th century

View of ruins
Istanbul (Turkey) continued...

Building: Tekfursaray
Date: ca. late 13th–early 14th century
View of site
Building: Yedikule Fortress (Castle of the Seven Towers)
Date: Begun 4th century
Exterior view
View from tower
Buildings: Hagia Sophia and Sultan Ahmet
Architects: Anthemius and Isadorus (Haghia Sophia) and Mehmet Aga (Sultan Ahmet)
Date: Byzantine in three phases(ca. 360CE; 415CE; 537CE) and Ottoman Periods (1609–1616)
View #1 between Haghia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmet
View #2 between Haghia Sophia and the Sultan Ahmet
Ravenna (Italy)

Building: Mausoleum of Galla Placidia
Date: ca. 452 CE

Interior view #1
Interior view #2

Building: Orthodox Baptistry
Date: ca. 425 CE

Interior view

Building: Sant’Apollinare in Classe
Date: consecrated ca. 549 CE

Interior view #1 of the apse
Interior view #2 of the apse
Interior view of the nave

Building: Sant’Apollinare Nuovo
Date: begun ca. 500 CE

Interior view of the nave from the center
Interior view of the nave from the center, north side
Interior view of the nave from the center, south side
Interior view of the east nave

Ravenna (Italy) continued...

Building: San Vitale
Date: begun ca. 526 CE; dedicated ca. 548 CE

Exterior view
Interior view of the ambulatory
Interior view of the apse
Interior view of the choir
Interior view #1 of the main vessel of the nave from center
Interior view #2 of the main vessel of the nave from center
Interior view of the main vessel of the nave from aedicule

Building: Mauseoleum of Theodoric
Date: ca. 520 CE

Interior view of lower level (high res | low res)
Interior view of upper level (high res | low res)

 

Rome (Italy)

Building: Basilica of St. John Lateran
Date: Rebuilt 17th and 18th centuries

Interior view of the Baptistry (high res | low res)
Interior view of the nave (high res | low res)
Interior view of the south nave aisle (high res | low res)
Interior view of the crossing (high res | low res)
Interior view of the south transept (high res | low res)

Building: Santa Costanza
Date: ca. 350 CE

Interior view #1
Interior view #2
Interior view #3
Interior view #4
Interior view #5
Interior view #6
Interior view #7
Interior view #8
Interior view #9

Rome (Italy) continued...

Interior view #10
Interior view #11
Interior view #12
Interior view #13

Exterior view #1
Exterior view #2
Exterior view #3
Exterior view #4
Exterior view #5
Exterior view #6

Building: Santa Sabina
Date: ca. 422 - 432 CE

Interior view #1 of the nave
Interior view #2 of the nave

Thessaloniki (Greece)

Building: Hagios Georgios
Date: Begun ca. 300

Interior view (with restoration scaffolding)

 
INTERACTIVE PLAN(S)
Also, be sure to visit the following interactive plans:

Istanbul, The Fethiye Camii, 360°

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Experience Istanbul, The Kariye Camii Interactive Plan. Go there.
   
FEATURED PROJECT(S)
restoring Byzantium
Experience the Restoring Byzantium Web site. Go there.
 


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