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Byzantine Architecture By Colleen Messina

In the Dark Ages, one building was so stunning that it was said to be "suspended by a golden chain from heaven." What kind of building would seem so divine?

The heavenly building was the church of Hagia Sophia. The historian Procopius said that it seemed suspended from heaven. He was specifically talking about its big concrete dome that seemed to float in space. This church's name meant Divine Wisdom. It was built from 532 to 537 A.D. under the emperor Justinian I. This church was a great example of Byzantine architecture.

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.

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.

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.

Anthemius also made sure the outside of the building was beautiful, too. Anthemius supervised thousands of craftsmen. He had masons and marble-carvers. He used many different colors of marble for this church. You might compare it to visiting Baskin Robbins for many flavors of ice cream. Anthemius went all over the empire to find many flavors of marble! Some parts of the building were also recycled. Those pieces came from ancient sanctuaries in faraway places like Egypt. Even though the dome may have seemed like it came down from heaven, many people worked hard on Earth to build the Hagia Sophia.

Hagia Sophia started a 500-year trend in architecture. It influenced future buildings in the same way that the Greek Parthenon did. When the Turks captured Constantinople in 1153, they destroyed many Christian churches. But they liked Hagia Sophia so much that they made the Christian church into a mosque. Soon, architects in Greece, Armenia, and Venice also built domes. Anthemius' innovation influenced many cathedrals and mosques.

Even though Hagia Sophia was an earth-shaking design, it had a hard time surviving the shaking earth caused by the many earthquakes that struck it. The dome collapsed only 21 years after it was built, but architects fixed it. Then, earthquakes damaged it again in 869 A.D., 989 A.D., 1344, 1766, and 1894. Each time, however, builders restored the wonderful masterpiece of Anthemius. Finally, in 1934, the old church became a museum.

Anthemius of Tralles' masterpiece ignited the Byzantine style of architecture. This style influenced many other incredible buildings including the famous Taj Mahal. The Byzantine genius might have been surprised that his wonderful floating dome created a golden thread of inspiration that lasted for centuries. Name Date

Byzantine Architecture Questions

1. Which building was a great example of the Byzantine style of architecture? A. the Coliseum B. the Empire State building C. Hagia Sophia D. the Eiffel Tower 2. What did the term Hagia Sophia mean? A. Divine Dome B. Round Wisdom C. Golden Thread D. Divine Wisdom 3. Which section of the Roman Empire became the Byzantine Empire? A. east B. north C. west D. south 4. Which part of the Hagia Sophia was exceptional? A. its walls B. its floors C. its columns D. its dome 5. Which natural events kept destroying the church? A. fires B. earthquakes C. floods D. tsunamis

6. What was the name of the type of structure of the Hagia Sophia? A. a domed basilica B. an arched cathedral C. a retaining structure D. a fortress 7. Which kind of cross has arms of equal length? A. a Latin cross B. a German cross C. a Greek cross D. an American cross 8. The Hagia Sophia is still used as a religious building. A. True B. False