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مصدرها كتابواألشكال والمخططات مرفقةال الشروحات

s’Banister Fletcher :A history of Architecture By

.عشر الثامنة الطبعة

1. Period of Byzantine Architecture:

From (330 A.C.) To (1453 A.C.), and later.

It is the Eastern department of Roman Empire. (fig.1&2)

Byzantium renamed Constantinople after Constantine the Great, its Imperial

founder, and also called (New Rome), was inaugurated of the Roman Empire in 330

A.D. c. (Fig.1 The Roman Empire)

(Fig. 2 The Division of The Empire)

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2. Influences Factors:

A. Geographical Factors:

The Position:

- It stood at the junction of the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmora,

where Europe and Asia are divided by only a narrow strip of water.

- This gave it a commanding and central position for the government

of the eastern and most valuable part of the Roman Empire.

- It was also at the intersection of two great highways of commerce,

the water highway between the Black Sea and Mediterranean, and

the trade route between Europe and Asia.

- The natural harbor of the Golden Horn possesses advantages for

commerce.

- For its four miles in length, unaffected by tides, and of sufficient

depth to render its quays accessible to ships of deep draught.

Byzantine Art :

- Pervaded all parts of the Eastern Roman Empire and was carried by

traders to Greece, Serbia, Russia, Asia Minor, North Africa and

further west, and it had considerable influence on the architecture of

these districts.

B. Geological Factors:

Building Material:

- Constantinople had no good building stone, and local material such

as clay for bricks and rubble for concrete were employed.

- Other materials more monumental in character had therefore to be

imported (marble was brought from the quarries in the islands).

- Byzantine architecture was further considerably influenced by the

multitude of monolithic columns of such sizes as were obtainable

from the different quarries.

C. Climatic Factors:

The Roman adapted their methods of building to suit the needs of the

new eastern capital and to those conditions of life which had there

already created traditional forms of art, thus these features formed the

style of Byzantine architecture:

- Flat roofs for summer resort were combined with oriental domes.

- With small windows often high up in otherwise unbroken wall.

- Sheltering arches surrounded the open courts.

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D. Historical And Social Factors:

Byzantium was founded as a Greek colony c. 660 B.C., and in 300 A.D.

became the capital of Roman Empire.

The empire was finally divided by the death of Emperor (Theodosius I

(305 A.C.)), and Byzantium continued to be the capital of the Eastern

Empire.

In the Middle Ages was the bulwark of Christianity against the attacks

of Slav barbarians on the west, and of Moslems on the east.

The great building activity in the west division, from (495 – 404 A.D.),

influenced on Byzantine architecture.

From (527-565A.D.) Sicily and Italy were recovered to Eastern Empire,

and this new connection promoted a revival of building in Italy, here

again Byzantine influence came into play.

From before (584 – 753A.C.)

3. Architectural Character:

The character of Byzantine architecture, which dates from the (5c A. D. – To the present

days):

Is determined by the novel development of the dome to cover polygonal and square

plans for churches, tombs and baptisteries )المعمودية مبنى ديني( .

The practice of using a domical system of roof construction is in strong contrast to

the Early Christian timber trusses and the Romanesque system of stone vaults.

The basilican type of plan belongs to Early Christian architecture.

The domed, centralized type of plan to the byzantine.

During the first centuries of the Byzantine Empire, we can find domical

constructions in Italy and basilican plans in the Eastern Empire.

The system of construction in hand-laid concrete, introduced by the Romans,

progressively had become more like regular brickwork, and in this form was adopted

by the Byzantines. The brickwork was first completed and allowed to settle before

the interior surface sheathing of unyielding marble slabs was added, and this

independence of the component parts is characteristic of Byzantine construction

(fig.3 m).

Brickwork, moreover, lent itself externally to decorative caprices in patterns and

banding, and internally it was suitable for covering with marble, mosaic and fresco

decoration. The Byzantines therefore took great pains in the manufacture of bricks,

which were employed alike in military )عسكرية(, ecclesiastical )كنيسية( and domestic

.architecture)محلية(

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The ordinary bricks were like the Roman, about 38mm (1 ½ ins) in depth, and were

laid on thick beds of mortar.

Fig. 3

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The general use of brickwork necessitated )إستتتت(ل ( special care in making mortar,

which was composed of lime )كلس( and sand with crushed pottery )فخار(, tiles )البالط(

or bricks, and much of it remains as hard as that in the best building of Rome.

The decorative character of external facades depended largely on the arrangement

of the facing bricks, which were not always laid horizontally, but :

- sometimes obliquely.

- sometimes in the form of the meander fret.

- sometimes in the chevron or herring-bone pattern.

And in many other similar designs, giving great variety to the facades.

To ornament the rough brick exteriors by the use of stone bands and decorative

arches.

The Dome, a traditional feature in the east, because the prevailing motif )نمط( of

Byzantine Architecture, which was a fusion ) إنصتتتتتتتتنتتتار إنتتت متتتا( of the domical

construction with the Classical columnar style.

Domes of various types (fig. 3, A, B, C) were now placed over square

compartments ) مقصتتتتتتوراس مستتتتتتتتتانتتت ر( by means of “pendentives”(fig. 3,

fig.374, 484 ,391), where in Roman architecture domes were only used over circular

or polygonal structures.

These domes were usually constructed of brick or of some light porous stone, such

as pumice, or even of pottery, as in (fig.6, D).

Some domes and vaults were constructed without temporary support or “centering”

by the simple use of large flat bricks, and this is a quite distinct system probably

derived from Eastern methods, such as the church of S. John at the (11thc. A.D.).

Windows were formed in the lower portion of the dome which, in the later period,

was hoisted upon a high “drum )طبلة إستتتتت(وانة(" a feature which was still further

developed in western Renaissance architecture by the addition of an external

peristyle such as:

S. Sophia:

1. The haunches were strengthened by a ring of small buttresses to

compensate for the weakening effect of the window openings (fig.373,

384).

2. The grouping of small domes or semi-domes round the large central dome

was effective (fig.373, fig. 3 M).

3. And one of the characteristic features of Byzantine churches was that the

forms of the vaults and domes were visible externally, undisguised by any

timbered roof (fig.384 A, D).

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Thus in the Byzantine style the exterior closely corresponds with the interior.

Some Domes Characters :

Some Domes churches, there are tall bulbous wooden – framed domes above

the true domes (fig.391 B).

Fig. 6

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Some Domes do not show outwardly at all, as with the bema dome at Hosios

looukas (fig. 397A), or the dome above the eso-narthex at Nea Moni (fig.396).

The perfect expression of Byzantine style:

The columns are not merely ornamental, but really support the galleries,

and semicircular arches rest directly on columns with capitals suitable for

supporting the springers of arches of which the voussoirs were rectangular

blocks, not set in receding moulded planes as in mediaeval architecture

(fig. 465A,B).

The Byzantine capital was shaped to from a simple transition from the

square abacus to the circular shaft.

The numerous columns, such in S. Sophia, exhibit the remarkable and

beautiful structural expedient of surrounding the shafts, both under the

capital and above the base, by bronze annulets.(fig. 3 N, fig. 7 A,B)

Monolithic shafts which, owning to the height required, had to be set up

contrary to the stratification of the quarry, were therefore liable to split,

and these bronze annulets not only overcame this danger, but also

prevented the lead “seating” from being forced out by the superincumbent

weight.

The marble columns from old buildings were utilized, the importation of

newly-quarried columns and rare marbles for decorative purposes

continued, and the Theodosian code encouraged and regulated this

industry, so that colored marble were employed to a greater extent than in

preceding style.

The interiors were beautified by pavements in “opus sectile” or ‘opus

Alexandrinum”(fig. 466K), and in domes and apses by colored mosaic,

which were of glass rendered opaque by oxide of tin, an invention which

had also been employed in the Early Cheistian Architecture.

Marbles and Mosaic were used broadly to make a complete lining for a

rough carcase, and mouldings were replaced by decorative bands formed

in the mosaic.

This use of mosaics resulted in the rounding of angles and, with the

absence of mouldings and cornices, the designs and pictures continued

uninterrupted on a universal golden ground over apses, walls, arches and

pendentives upwards to the dome.

In late examples fresco painting was often used instead of mosaic.

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The character of Byzantine architecture shows development in its three main

periods:

1. 330-850: including the reign of Justinian.

2. 850-1200: including the Macedonian and Comnenian dynasties.

3. 1200-to recent times: the character was also affected by local influences.

Fig. 7

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4. Example: (Churches)

A. Mains Characters :

o Byzantine churches are distinguished by the centralized type of plan.

o Having a dome over the nave )المذبح( which:

In early examples, is sometimes supported by semi-domes.

In later examples the churches are much smaller and the domes is raised

upon a high drum with, occasionally, additional smaller domes rising at a

lower level.

o There is usually a narthex )صحن الكنيسة(, or entrance porch )بنو دخول(, at the west

end, and the east end is cut off from the nave by an “iconostas” or screen of

pictures.

B. Examples:

1. SS. Sergius and Bacchus, Constantinople:(fig. 8, fig. 9A,B)

o Erected by Justinian.

o Is nearly square on plan (33m*28m).

o It has four colonnaded exedrae to the central octagon, and the arrangement of the

interior is similar to that in (fig. 6 G)

o The church had a dome on pendentives placed over an intervening square and the

whole doubled in size.

o The dome over the central space, 16m in diameter and 21.2m high.

o The dome is visible externally, and has a speculiar, melon-like form with ridges

and furrows from base to summit (fig.3 H, J, K).

2. S. Vitale, Ravenna: (fig.6)

o An inner octagon)شكل ثماني( of (16,6m) is enclosed by an outer octagon of (35m).

o The apsidal chancel is successfully designed to open direct form one side of the

inner octagon, while the other seven arches enclose columns, in two tiers placed

on a semicircle, and these are reminiscent of the exedrae of (fig.7).

o The lower columns carry the gallery usual in eastern churches and the upper

columns terminate in squinches adjacent to the arches referred to above.

o It is upon the eight great arches and piers it is constructed f earthen pots fitted

into each other, those in the upper part being laid horizontally, thus producing a

lightness of structure which did not require the arches and buttresses found

necessary in above churches.

o This remarkable construction is protected by a timber roof, thus differing from

Roman usage and approximating to the practice which prevailed among

mediaeval architects (fig.6).

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o The walls, being carried up to support the timer-roof, act as haunches and assist

in directing the thrust of the dome downwards.

o The interior is remarkable for the beauty of its carved capitals with dosseret

blocks (fig. 10C), while the mosaic which line the walls of the sanctuary are

unique in this form of Christian art.

o The exterior in large thin bricks with thick mortar joints is characteristic of the

simple external treatment as the churches in (fig. 8).

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3. S. Sophia, Constantinople: (fig. 373, fig. 374, fig.name.

o