Byzantine Empire Architecture in Early Middle Ages

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Byzantine Empire Architecture in Early Middle Ages

The main peculiarity in architecture, interior decoration, and symbolic design from the Byzantine Empire is in its similarity to the main trends in architecture of the most influential powers situated around this state. The Byzantine Empire was located at the crossroads between all the major countries in the world including the countries of Europe and Asia. Evaluating Byzantine architecture in early Middle Ages, it becomes evident that there existed a measure of influence from Indian, Japanese, and Arabic cultures in the concepts of architecture design and decorative details accomplishment.

The geographical location of the Byzantine Empire and the history of the countrys development cause certain tendencies in its culture including art and architecture. The contribution made by Alexander the Great into the creation of a powerful state that would include huge territories from Europe to far Asia can be hardly underestimated (Necipoglu, 68). Due to his passion to the Babylonian, Indian, and Persian cultures, the newly formed by him and his successors state which later became the Byzantine Empire was subjected to the influence of eastern religious concepts, art solutions, and architecture design. In addition, the Byzantine Empire was the only way for traders from Asia and Europe to transport their goods. This inevitably caused assimilation of the Byzantine culture under the influence of the Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic cultural concepts (MacDonald, 35). Such influence caused the development of special style in the architecture of the Byzantine Empire.

To illustrate the main tendencies in Byzantine architecture, the example of Ravenna in Italy may be taken into consideration. Ravenna is a town with an ancient history which can be seen in the abundance of buildings belonging to the early middle ages period. Analyzing the concept of shapes, sizes, building parts balance, etc., a conclusion can be made that they somehow resemble religious buildings from Asia such as the Horyu-ji temple in Japan. In particular, many buildings in Ravenna have a rounded form of their basement just as the Horyu-ji temple. The other common similarity can be seen in the abundance of windows both in Ravenna buildings and the Horyu-ji temple which is explained by Buddhist beliefs that windows establish connection between humans in the temple and gods from the spiritual realm. In addition, the Horyu-ji temple is not a high building of five stores only. Similar height tendency can be seen in Ravenna as the majority of olden buildings are rather low in their height, and also feature no more than five stores.

Concluding on all the above-discussed information, it should be stated that Byzantine architecture in the early Middle Ages was subjected to the influence of powerful cultures of the countrys neighbors. The main tendencies in it have a lot in common with the buildings belonging to the Hindu, Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic cultures. Such tendency can be explained by the influence that the traders using Byzantine roads for their business had on the countrys culture including art and architecture. The other source of eastern influence in the Byzantine Empire was in the history of the countrys formation. Beginning from Alexander the Great, the rulers of the state which soon became the Byzantine Empire were inspired by eastern cultural and architectural concepts which found its reflection in the development of their state.

Works Cited

MacDonald, Willliam. Early Christian & Byzantine Architecture, New York: George Braziller, 1962. Print.

Necipoglu, Nevra. Byzantine Constantinople: Monuments, Topography, and Everyday Life, the Netherlands: Brill, 2001. Print.

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