Photos of the Best Amazing Byzantine Historic Sites & Art

Photos of the Best Amazing Byzantine Historic Sites & Art

Photos images of Byzantine Historic Places & Byzantine art, including Byzantine mosaic, Byzantine Fresco & Byzantine archaeological sites.

Who were the Byzantines?

Byzantine is the name given to the Romans of the Eastern Roman Empire from the time of the decline of the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Batzantines would not have recognised the name Byzantine as they called themselves Romans until the fall of Constantinople in 1453. The name was chose by historians because it is a derivation the old name of their capital was Byzantium or Byzantion

The term Byzantine was adopted to differentiate the Orthodox Eastern Roman Christians from the earlier Western Romans. There were certainly big difference between the Eastern Roman Byzantine in 1453 and the Western Romans of Austus Caesars reign. For a start the Eastern Roman Byzantines became Greek speakers. The Byzantines were also devoid Christians ruled by ruthless rulers who killed or blinded their siblings when they became Emperors. The Byzantines were ambitious and were famed for their political deceipts.

Constantinope

Constantinople was the trading hub between the West and the East and grew incredibly rich. They used the Venetians and Genoese to sell their goods to an eager western consumers. Constantinople was build great buildings like the Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) Cathedral in 532, it was the biggest cathedral for 1000 years. At the same time Western Europe was falling apart and people were starting to loose the skills for any building projects. This of course made the Byzantines a target for envy and hatred.

The Byzantine Empire carried on the wars with old Roman Enemies like the Persian by they ruled the whole of North African the Near East. Byzantine churches and art is found all over these regions and are reflected in this photo collection.

Fractious Christians

As devout Christians the Byzantines loved theological arguments. It is said that such arguments were part of everyday discussions. Sometimes the arguments came to blows which sometimes led to outright rebellion.

Byzantine iconoclasm

One of the major concerns the Eastern Orthodox Byzantines had was over the depiction of God, the Saints and religious characters. The second commandment says “thous shalt not worship false idols”. So is a person praying to a picture of the Virgin Mary worshiping her or using her depiction as a devotional aid? Those that thought that the creation of religious images (icons) was sacrilege were known as iconoclast. Between 726 to 842 AD there was outright war waged against icons by the iconoclasts. Sometimes they won and Icons were banned but eventually an understand was agreed to on how religious depictions could be made. This created a rigid framework outside which artists roamed at their peril. One of the great difference between Byzantine art and western art is the near absence of sculpture in Eastern art. Exceptions are Ivory Diptychs.

The Pope and the Church of Rome had no problem with depictions of God, Jesus and the saints and after the 11th century Western Christian art took a strong creative hold.

Byzantine Architectural Style

As a continuation of the Roman Empire the Byzantines tended to build Basilica churches with a central Isle and two naves. These were build building the Roman round topped arch. They had little architectural detail on the outside but all the interior walls were painted with fresco paintings.

Subjects for paintings and mosaics included: scenes for the life of Jesus: Scenes form the Bibles: Scenes for saints lives. Because of the  Iconoclastic restrictions these paintings tended to depict people in rigid poses against plain backgrounds. Gold was a popular background in mosaic panels. The Characters in Byzantine paintings and mosaics are dressed in sumptuous clothes. This gives some idea of what a sophisticated civilisation they lived in.

At the eastern end of Byzantine churches was a curved apse with a half dome ceiling. The altar was placed in the apse hidden from public view by a low wall. This meant that the congregation could see the back wall of the apse and the ceiling. As main focal points these were where depictions off Christ, the Virgin Mary, the Apostles and important saints are depicted.

Byzantine Art Style

At typical depiction on the apse ceiling is Christ Pantocrator. In this iconography Christ is seated on a throne often in a vertical eye shaped panel known as a Mandorla. The idea was that it would feel like you were looking at him in heaven through the mandorla. In his left hand Christs hold an open bible. With his right hand he is making a blessing. The fingers of his hand may the Chi Rho Gesture (To Christ) used by Constantine The Great as his Christian symbol. The thumb touches the third finger and the first two fingers are held upright. This is still the Eastern Orthodox blessing today.

Another popular depiction was the Theotokos in which an expressionless Virgin Mary hold an expressionless baby Jesus who is making a blessing. There are various versions of this icon but they are all based on this idea. From the Gothic period the Catholic church developed this into the powerful later Madonna & Child imagery.

Islamic Arab Invasion

In the 7th century the wars between the Byzantines and Persains seriously weekend both Empires. The Islamic Arabs took advantage of this and poured out of the desert on a mission of conquest. 90 years later they had taken most of the Near East, the whole of North Africa and a lot of the Iberian Peninsular. They were unstoppable and it looked like the end of Christianity.

In desperation the Byzantine Emperor looked to the West for help.The Pope calle for a crusade to retake Jerusalem and many western monarchs joined. There was Crusade fever and great armies headed to Constantinople as a mustering point. The medieval westerners were awe struck by Constantinople and the magnificence of Byzantine Art. When they eventually returned home they wanted to rebuilt using Byzantine designs and decorated their churches with Byzantine art.

Byzantine Future the Bedrock of the Emerging West

Byzantine culture was the bed rock of the emerging Western Romanesque Medieval world. Today there are many examples throughout Europe of wonderful Byzantine style art. One of the most sumptuous can be seen at the Norman Palatine Palace Chapel in Palermo. Many cathedrals and churches still have Byzantine Christ Pantocrator mosaics or frescoes in their apse. Byzantine art was the byword in religious art.After the schism in 1052 between the Catholic and Orthodox church, Roman Catholic art slowly moved away from Byzantine styles leading eventually to completely different Renaissance art.

From the time of the Arab Invasions the Byzantine Empire struggled and was slowly reduced in size. A hear fatal hammer blow was to delivered by the Venetian ally Enrico Dandolo.

The Fourth Crusade

In 1202 Enrico Dandolo agreed to transport the Fourth Crusade to the Holy Land Via Constantinople in return for the spoils from the Crusade. on their way Enrico Dandolo used the Crusade troops to settle some old debts. He had the Crusaders take Zadar, on the Craotain coast, for Venice.

Shortly afterwards, Alexius Angelus, son of the deposed Byzantine emperor Isaac II, arrived in Zadar, looking for help to overthrow his uncle, Byzantine Emperor Alexius III. Dandolo agreed to the Crusade leaders’ plan to place Alexius Angelus on the throne of the Byzantine Empire in return for his support and funds to help the Crusade.

The Sacking of Constantinople

The sailed for Constantinople and made Alexius Angelus Emperor. When he refused to give the Crusade any funds Dandolo and the Crusaders took Constantinople and scared it on 12 April 1204. It was the biggest single act of vandalism that probably ever took place. Buildings were destroyed, rare artworks and books were burnt and the treasures of Constinople were shipped to Venice. The treasures that were lost are unimaginable. Ancient Greek texts lost forever.

Michael VIII Palaiologos Returns to Power

A Venetian Latin ruler was put in charge of Constinople known as the Latin Empire of Constantinople. They were so incompetent that on 25 July 1261, with most of the Latin troops away on campaign the Nicaean general Alexios Strategopoulos found an unguarded entrance to Constantinople, and entered it with 800 troops only, restoring the Byzantine Empire for his master, Michael VIII Palaiologos.

The Final Fall of the Roman Empire

Somehow the Byzantine Empire struggled on for nearly 200 years. With their wealth looted they had little hope of survival against the mighty Ottoman Turks. On  29 May 1453 Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks under Mehmed II and Rome finally fell, never to re-emerge.

Where to See Byzantine Art & Architecture

Today there is little Byzantine Art or architecture to be seen In Constantinople (Istanbul) as the Byzantine churches were converted to mosques and their artworks removed or painted over. Religious depictions are not allowed in Islam of Judaism. The exception is the late Byzantine humanist art at the Chora Church Istanbul.

More Byzantine art survives in Greece at Theseoloniki and some at Mystras. The best examples of Byzantine style art are to be seen the Georgian Churches: Ravenna: The Norman churches of Sicily. Byzantine style are can be found in many of the great Cathedrals in Italy: Pisa Cathedral: St John Lateran Rome. The Bardo Museum Tunis has a good collection of Christian Mosaics.

There is more Byzantine architecture left to be seen. Greece has a lot of Byzantine churches like those of Theseloniki: The Meterora Monasteries. A few remain in Anatolia and the great Hagia Sophia still stand in Istanbul.