What are the features of the Byzantine churches?
The structure and appearance of the Byzantine churches have developed significantly during the thousands of the year of this empire. The first churches were based narrowly on samples drawn from Roman civil and religious architecture. Churches built during the middle years of the Byzantine Empire tend to maintain a unique architectural plan with large and richly decorated dome. The Byzantine Church built over the diminishing years of the Empire was often less decorated and began to introduce the wall of icons.
The first Byzantine churches were built on the Roman model because the Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire. These churches usually represented the layout of the basilica. This type of floor plan contains columns twins, which partly separate the streets along the side of the rectangular structure, and also serve to support the roof. A curved APSE is usually placed at the end of the basilica. To this structure was sometimes added wings and created Crucifotvar RM, but was generally shorter than the main hall of the basilica.
When the culture of the Byzantine Empire has become thoroughlyGreek, a new style of Byzantine Church appeared. Hagia Sophia, perhaps the most famous Byzantine building of all, represents the key features of this style. There is a central dome in this church and four wings the same length lead from this dome. It is a considerable departure from the traditional basilica plan and was made possible by architectural advances that allowed the construction of larger domes.
religious art in Byzantine churches usually employed rich materials to decorate the most visible surfaces. Churches in rich regions would be covered exclusively in mosaics, an art in which the Byzantines excelled. Glass shards and gold leaf were used together to create live colors and to increase the impact of light, which was allowed by the Byzantine Church of the improved construction of dome. Marble and other expensive materials were used to make the churches more beautiful, and although some churches represented religious FreSky, mosaics were preferred.
works of art in Byzantine churches usually depicted stylized religious characters. This character was to convey a symbolic and spiritual message rather than to accurately show human form. Early churches, such as San Vitale in Ravenna, sometimes depicted recognizable human figures, but in later years it became much less common. The depiction of the human form, even for religious reasons, was controversial in the Byzantine Church and in the 700s the period of iconoclasm began, during which many church arts were destroyed. Churches built during this period were not usually decorated with images of human beings, even stylized.
In the diminishing years of the empire, icons were re -accepted. The Byzantine Church built in the last centuries of Byzantine Empire not only represented religious images on their walls, but added icon wall on the front of the church. This wall has become completely covered with Byzantine icons, a painted stylized way thathas evolved centuries ago. Church decorations during this period were generally less rich because the wealth of the empire disappeared.