HISTORY OF

BYZANTINE
ARCHITECTURE
GROUP MEMBERS

S/N REG NUMBER NAMES

1. EES/19/ARC/00291 - Suleiman Yakubu
2. EES/19/ARC/00292 - Uba Khadijah Adam
3. EES/19/ARC/00294 - Usman Rabiatu Bello
4. EES/19/ARC/00295 - Usman Simpa Yusuf
5. EES/19/ARC/00296 - Yahaya Abubakarsadiq Ndako
6. EES/19/ARC/00297 - Yahaya Khalid Sadiq
7. EES/19/ARC/00299 - Marwan Ismail Saad
8. EES/20/ARC/00481 - Abdullahi Muhammad zahra..
9. EES/20/ARC/00482 - Mujahid Abubakar
10. EES/20/ARC/00483 Ibrahim Ayuba Ahmad
11. EES/20/ARC/00484 - Idris Mubaraq Ahmed
12. EES/20/ARC/00485 - Abubakar jamilu Rabiu
BRIEF HISTORY : ORIGIN OF
BYZANTINE
 Byzantine architecture is the architecture of the
byzantine empire
 The empire gradually emerged as a distinct
artistic and cultural entity from what is today
referred to as the roman empire after 330 A.D.,
when the emperor Constantine moved the capital
of the roman empire east from Rome to
Byzantium.
BRIEF HISTORY : ORIGIN OF
BYZANTINE
 They had a similar government structure, similar
cultural values, and they both were some of the
most influential powers in their time.
 The Romans and Byzantines were very similar..
Even the Byzantine rulers referred to themselves
as Romans, and the term “Byzantine Empire”
didn’t even emerge until long after the empire fell
in 1453.
Introduction
 • Byzantium (Constantinople) became the new capital in 324
A.D.
 • The location of Constantinople (Istanbul) is the finest in
Europe.
 • It sits on the strait of Marmara, one of the very strategic
locations.
 • The separation of the Roman empire accompanied a
separation in religion, with the separation of the Christian
church.
 • The difference in belief and rituals between the eastern and
western church led to some differences in architecture also.
Introduction
 • At the time of the emperor Justinian (527-565
A.D.), Italy became under the rule of the Byzantine
empire.
 The place is poor in terms of building materials
(stone and mud are available), but had some marble,
which was used and exported
 The climate was hotter than Rome, which added to
the oriental character of the architecture of the place
 The term Byzantine architecture is used to describe
the architecture of the empire, and sometimes also to
describe the buildings built in the western empire but
within the same style.
INFLUENCE OF BYZANTINE
ARCHITECTURE
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.
Influence of byzantine
architecture
 -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.
Influence of byzantine
architecture
B. Geological Factors:
 - 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.
Influence of byzantine
architecture
 - 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.
HAGIA SOPHIA
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,
INTERIOR VIEW
CONTINUEOUS OF HAGIA
SOPHIA

Hagia Sophia was destroyed and rebuilt twice. Following its
reconstruction, Hagia Sophia was considered the center of
Orthodox Christianity for 900 years, until the conquest of
Constantinople by the Ottomans.
Roman builders created many great structures. Then Rome fell.

The empire split into western and eastern halves. Emperor

Justinian I ruled the eastern section of the old Roman Empire. He
revolutionized architecture, and he loved to build churches. His
empire was called the Byzantine Empire, and its center was
Byzantium. This eastern empire lasted for more than 1,000 years.
CONTINUEOUS OF HAGIA SOPHIA

 Justinian I gave the job of designing his most important

church to an amazing man. Anthemius of Tralles was well-
educated. He understood architecture, math, and mechanics.
He was also an artistic genius. He decided to do something
bold for this special church. Hagia Sophia became his
masterpiece.
 The boldest part of Anthemius' design was a huge central
dome. No one had ever built anything like it. The dome's
weight was supported by smaller domes that surrounded it.
That meant that it had no columns. This made a large, open
space inside. It seemed like the dome was floating in space!
Anthemius did not realize that his creation would inspire other
architects for centuries.
CONTINUEOUS OF HAGIA SOPHIA

 This building was called a domed basilica. The bottom section

of the building was built in the shape of a cross. The dome sat
over the central section of the cross. The cross had different
dimensions depending on its location. In the east, the cross
had equal sized arms. That style was called a Greek cross. In
the west, the cross had two long arms and two shorter ones.
That style was called a Latin cross.
CONTINUEOUS OF HAGIA SOPHIA
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF
HAGIA SOPHIA
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF
HAGIA SOPHIA
 Its basic rectangular shape measures 74.6 x 69.7 metres (245
x 229 ft). Its huge domed ceiling is 55 metres above the floor
and rests on four massive arches with four supporting
pendentives. This was a spectacular achievement, and
Justinian boasted he had managed to outdo Solomon, but it
was all rather too good to be true, and the dome collapsed in
558 CE, its cracks catastrophically worsened by two
earthquakes.
ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES OF
HAGIA SOPHIA
 A replacement - a structurally stronger ribbed and steeper
dome measuring 31.8 metres in diameter - was made which
still survives today (despite partial collapses in 989 and 1346
CE). The Hagia Sophia was the biggest church in the world
until the 16th century CE and one of the most decorated with
many of its glittering mosaics and wall paintings still wowing
visitors today
HAGIA SOPHIA PLAN, SECTION
AND ELEVATION SKETCHES
HAGIA SOPHIA PLAN, SECTION
AND ELEVATION SKETCHES
 CONTINUEOUS OF HAGIA
SOPHIA
Roman and Greek Architecture, which had been around
for centuries, were very important in the development of
Byzantine Architecture. It’s very clear in the column
capitals found in many Byzantine buildings, which all
evolved from the original “big three” types of Greek
Columns: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. This column at
the Hagia Sophia still has the overall proportions of other
Ancient Greek Columns, and you can even see traces of
the scrolls found at the tops of Ionic Columns.
CONTINUEOUS OF HAGIA SOPHIA
ELEMENT OF BYZANTINE
ARCHITECTURE
Domed Roof
 Byzantine structures can be identified by their peculiar domes.
Theses huge hemispherical roofs used to be based over a
square-shaped foundation. The construction of one heavy
design over another required immense detailing and
perfection. To achieve this, two techniques were resorted to:
1. Use of the squinch:- in architecture is a construction
filling in the upper angles of a square room so as to form a
base to receive a dome. This is like an arch in every corner of
a square base, that transforms it into an octagon, or
ELEMENT OF BYZANTINE
ARCHITECTURE
Element of Byzantine
Architecture
2. Use of the pendentive :- A triangular piece of vaulting
springing from the corner of a rectangular area to support a
round or polygonal dome . Usually four are needed to support
base.

 The most common unifying element in Byzantine

Architecture is the use of mosaics. Mosaics illustrated
religious scenes and important historical figures. Byzantine
Mosaics decorated the walls and ceilings of many different
churches from this time period. Byzantine craftsmen created
mosaics not just for the Byzantine Empire, but also for many
churches that were built by the Venetians, and
the Norman Kings of Sicily.
ELEMENT OF BYZANTINE
ARCHITECTURE
Element of Byzantine
Architecture
One of the largest collections of these mosaics is at the
Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The Hagia Sophia contains
hundreds of different mosaics, many of which are
covered up by a layer of plaster that was put up by
the Ottoman Empire. 
Element of Byzantine Architecture
Architectural Chracteristices

• The most important feature that would control the form of

this style is the development of the (dome architecture).
• This led to adopting central shapes, like circular or
octagonal plans.
• They developed (Pendentives) as vaulting system.
• The structural elements were usually built with a marble
shell, and filled with brick (close to the Roman concrete
technique).
• The mosaic for interior is considered the best in history.
• The traders moved the style to cities far from the empire’s
influence, such as S. Mark and Venice.
Architectural Chracteristices

The usage of brick architecture in domes became a

main character of the Byzantine architecture.
• One of the remarkable features is the grouping of
several small domes around a central large dome.
• They changed the classical orders; there were several
variations of them.
• The arches were still semi-circular.
• The brick architecture was in accordance with the
interior mosaic.
Architectural Characteristices

 The dome of the Byzantine architecture is an eastern

influence.
 • A pendentive: is a curved triangle of vaulting. It was
the technique used to transform the square plan to the
circular dome.
 • With the help of the pendentives, the Byzantine
architects were able to build domes over square plans
while the Romans built them on circular plans.
 • Windows were opened in the lower part of the dome.
 • In later periods a drum was used under the dome.
BUILDING MATERIALS
 Byzantium employed stone (including marble), brick(of mud
or clay), mortar (of varying qualities) and timber as it’s main
building materials the use of which was determined by
availability and local tradition along with structural, economic,
and aesthetic considerations.
Brick were used to create walls by laying two sides and pouring
rubble and mortar was made with lime, sand brick or crushed
stones. In some instances a reinforcing layer made entirely of
brick ran through the entire wall. Unlike roman walls the
byzantine version did not use core concrete (pozzolana), and
if the facing was damaged, then eventually the core would be
damaged as well.
BUILDING MATERIALS
Construction Techniques
 Byzantine engineers turned to the structural use
of pendentives to elevate domes to new heights. With
this technique, a dome can rise from the top of a
vertical cylinder, like a silo, giving height to the
dome. Like the Hagia Irene, the exterior of the
Church of San Vitale in Ravenna, Italy is
characterized by the silo-like pendentive
construction. A good example of pendentives seen
from the inside is the interior of the ​Hagia Sophia
(Ayasofya) in Istanbul, one of the most famous
Byzantine structures in the world. Dome :
Construction Techniques
 The dome where frequently constructed of bricks or
some light porous stone, such as pumice or even a
pottery as at S Vitale Ravenna. Byzantine domes and
vaults were believed to be constructed without
temporary supports
Construction Techniques
 Like Roman architects, the Byzantines employed
bricks for many buildings, and it became the basic
element of construction. A little bigger than Roman
bricks, those used in Constantinople, for example,
were square and measured up to 38 cm (15 inches)
along each side with a height of up to 6.5 cm (2.5
inches). Bricks were used to create walls by laying
two faces and pouring rubble and mortar between
them. The mortar was made from lime, sand, and
crushed brick or pebbles. Every so often a
strengthening layer made wholly of bricks runs
through the entire wall.
Construction Techniques

Unlike Roman walls, the Byzantine version did not use a

concrete (pozzolana) core, and so if the facing became
damaged, then, eventually, so too did the core. Another
difference is Byzantine builders used a much thicker layer of
mortar between bricks, probably as a cost-saving exercise as
fewer bricks were then needed. An unfortunate consequence
of this is that as the mortar dried, it warped, and so many
Byzantine buildings suffer from distortion or even partial
collapse. Bricks were also used for domes, arches and vaults,
often then employing bricks of double the standard size.
CONCULSION : TIME LINE
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 revolts.
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 is conquered by the Ottomans - converted into a Muslim

place of worship
1935 Hagia Sophia is converted into a museum by secularists
CONCLUSION