The Byzantine Empire was the continuation of the Roman Empire in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. It survived the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century CE and existed for an additional thousand years until it fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1453. During most of its existence, the empire was the most powerful economic, cultural, and military force in Europe. It was also known for its art and architecture which would shape the course of history for the years that the empire was around and into the future. Byzantine architecture has had an impact on the way we look at architectural works today. Something that Byzantine architecture does is that it influences different types of architecture. Byzantine architecture is an important aspect of the history of architecture because of its unique elements that it introduced and inevitably influenced future architectural pieces.

To start off, Byzantine architecture blended Western and Middle Eastern architectural details. Builders renounced the classical order in favor of columns with decorative impost blocks inspired by Middle Eastern designs. Mosaic decorations and narratives were common in some Byzantine structures, mostly churches. There were two types of Byzantine churches. They were a square-shaped one with a central floor plan and a basilica style church. The churches would usually have a dominant center dome that would rise from a square base on half-dome pillars. Byzantine columns are quite varied, mostly developing from the classical Corinthian, but tending to have an even surface level, with the ornamentation undercut with drills and there are two types of columns used in some of the buildings which are composite and ionic columns. It was these architectural elements that were the main influencers for future works. Many of these buildings/structures have these elements present within them. 

One of these buildings is the Hagia Sophia. It is considered to be the epitome of Byzantine architecture and was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 AD on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. It was designed by Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles. The church contained a large collection of holy relics and featured a 50 foot silver iconostasis. Its interior is decorated with mosaics and marble pillars. At the top is the dome which is very famous since at the time of its completion, it was the largest dome in the world. 

Architectural works aren’t only limited to buildings. The Sangarius bridge is one of a handful of surviving bridges built during the Byzantine Empire. During the reign of Justinian I, the bridge was built over the Sakarya River. The bridge spans over 1400 feet and sits on 7 larger central arches and 5 smaller outer arches. It was built using the same techniques as many other medieval bridges. It was commissioned so that travel to the eastern provinces of the empire was easier. The bridge also allowed troops and supplies to make their way from the capital out toward the east much faster.

We’ve seen buildings and bridges but architecture is also represented in walls. One of the famous walls made during the Byzantine Empire was the Walls of Constantinople. The walls of Constantinople were the last great fortification system of antiquity. They were modified continuously over time but the major constructions were done by Constantine the Great in the 4th century, and Theodosius II in the 5th century. The walls wrapped the entire city, which created a large land wall on the western edge, and a smaller but still formidable sea wall along the eastern, northern, and southern edges of the city. They helped the Byzantine Empire defend Constantinople against countless sieges for about 1000 years. 

Now we move onto one of the more spread out pieces. Churches were made in abundance during the Byzantine empire. Some of the churches that were created are but are not limited to; the Basilica of Saint’Apollinare Nuovo, the Basilica of San Vitale, the Basilica Cistern, the Basilica of Saint’Apollinare in Classe and Our Lady of Saidnaya Monastery. All of these buildings have many things in common.  They are the mosaics present and for some of them they are centrally planned churches. The mosaics depict various scenes from the bible and some of them have depictions of Emperor Justinian the Great and his wife Theodora. As for the central plans, they really design the church in such a way that it allows the domes to be placed perfectly in the center. 

All of the examples mentioned have unique elements that ultimately define what byzantine architecture really is. The architecture of this time dramatically influenced the later medieval architectural pieces throughout Europe and the Near East, and became the primary progenitor of the Renaissance and Ottoman architectural traditions that followed its collapse. We see the different elements be represented in future pieces of architecture. This is what architecture can truly be. It can be the staple for what the future holds for the profession. 

Works Cited

Rcarney, and Rcarney. “Top 25 Examples of Byzantine Architecture.” Architecture of Cities, 4 Aug. 2021, https://architectureofcities.com/byzantine-architecture.