The
Byzantine Empire was the longest political entity in European history. Its
primary distinction from immediate predecessor, the Roman Empire, is that it
was Christian. Byzantine was the name used by Greeks and Romans; Byzantines
themselves referred to their state as the Roman Empire, as it was, effectively,
a communication of the Roman Empire. The word Byzantine itself, in modern
parlance, is sometimes used to connote confusion, difficulty in understanding,
remoteness and mystery. The Byzantine Empire was the model for many European
medieval states, with it’s balancing of the roles of secular political
leadership with religion.
Byzantine
art is rich and reminiscent. It is Christian and humanist, and continues to
speak to the present day. Highlights of Byzantine are mosaics, ivories,
illuminated manuscripts, and domed churches. Most liturgical manuscripts
belonged to churches belonged to churches and monasteries, and were not in
private hands. Many of them look back to classical portraits but also provide important
information about Byzantine furniture and the equipping of interiors. They
created a more centralized plan by combining the past layouts. It was the
combination of a dome from the east and the square base of the classical temple
of the west; which introduced a new architectural type known as the Domed
Basilica. This began the creation of pendentives, which we see in the Hagia
Sophia structure.
Hagia
Sophia is the supreme architectural monument of the Byzantine Empire. It is a
combination of a congregational basilica and a multi-domed and vaulted
superstructure. Although there was a sanctuary located in the apse, a nave, and
side aisle, this is not immediately apparent because of the overwhelming
existence of the giant dome. Forty rounded windows invigorate the base of the
dome and constitute a new type of clerestory. The central dome of Hagia Sophia
rises to a height of 55 feet above the floor, the largest vault space of the
ancient and medieval world. Many churches built after it used it as a model.
Images Past:
Images Present:
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