DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26747#1022
958
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTUEE.
Book N.
Tliese two churclies, both hy their style and. arrangements, might
more properly he called Eomanesque than Byzantine, but the limits
hetween the two styles are so imperfectly defined that we must wait
for further information hefore attempting to make a classification.
Tliere is another three-aisled basilica, now called Eski Djouma hy
the Moslems. It has an inner and outer narthex, each ahout 23 ft. in
width. Internally the church is 137 ft. long by 50 in width, and a
gallery runs over the side-aisles.
The church of Agia Sophia is huilt in the form of a Greek cross,
and surmounted hy a cupola 33 ft. in diameter. The choir is 24 ft. in
length, and this, with the vault of the church, is ornamented with a
very curious and interesting painting of the Transfiguration, dating,
with the church, prohahly from the 7th or 8th century.
The Apostles’ church, of ahout the same date, is square in plan, and
with the usual accompaniment of two narthexes.
The church of St. Bardias was constructed 987, and very much
resemhles the contemporary church of Mone tes Koras at Constantinople
(woodcut No. 787). One of tlie most modern apparentty is tliat of
St. Elie, erected in 1012 a.d.
These are perhaps the principal, hut they are only a few of the
monuments of this city, and which, if fuUy illustrated, would fill up a
great gap in our illustrations. Indeed the numher of unnoticed and
unedited monuments in this one place justifies more and more the
helief that the materials do still exist for restoring entirely the records
of tliis last chapter in our history.
Greece.
There are no douht numherless churches in the towns and villages
of this district which would fill up all the gaps in the history of By-
zantine architecture. At Mount Athos there are at least 100 huildings
of various eorts and of all ages, hut all these are as yet architecturally
unknown, being only descrihed in words that convey the impressions
of their authors, hut not the forms of the huildings. Eemains of great
interest may prohahly still exist in those towns that were of great im-
portance in the early ages of Christianity; and though we may hope
at some future period that these may he added to our illustrations of
art, at present we must pass them hy to speak of the Christian churches
of Greece, which are hetter known.
Of these one of the oldest and most elegant, though one of the
smallest, is that fonnerly known as the Catholicon or Cathedral of
Athens. As a cathedral its dimensions are, to our notions, ridiculousiy
small, its extreme lengtli and hreadth heing only 40 feet hy 25. It i,s
interesting as heing prohably anterior to the age of Justinian, and
perhaps the oldest Greek church now in existence. There are so
many ancient fragments mixed up in its construction, and so much of
the ancient art.istic feeling of Athens pervades its forms, that we may
he deceived in judging of its age from its style, though that is tlie
only evidence wo can reason from. lt is almost the only Greek church
that lias sculptured instead of painted decorations externally, and the
BYZANTINE ARCHITECTUEE.
Book N.
Tliese two churclies, both hy their style and. arrangements, might
more properly he called Eomanesque than Byzantine, but the limits
hetween the two styles are so imperfectly defined that we must wait
for further information hefore attempting to make a classification.
Tliere is another three-aisled basilica, now called Eski Djouma hy
the Moslems. It has an inner and outer narthex, each ahout 23 ft. in
width. Internally the church is 137 ft. long by 50 in width, and a
gallery runs over the side-aisles.
The church of Agia Sophia is huilt in the form of a Greek cross,
and surmounted hy a cupola 33 ft. in diameter. The choir is 24 ft. in
length, and this, with the vault of the church, is ornamented with a
very curious and interesting painting of the Transfiguration, dating,
with the church, prohahly from the 7th or 8th century.
The Apostles’ church, of ahout the same date, is square in plan, and
with the usual accompaniment of two narthexes.
The church of St. Bardias was constructed 987, and very much
resemhles the contemporary church of Mone tes Koras at Constantinople
(woodcut No. 787). One of tlie most modern apparentty is tliat of
St. Elie, erected in 1012 a.d.
These are perhaps the principal, hut they are only a few of the
monuments of this city, and which, if fuUy illustrated, would fill up a
great gap in our illustrations. Indeed the numher of unnoticed and
unedited monuments in this one place justifies more and more the
helief that the materials do still exist for restoring entirely the records
of tliis last chapter in our history.
Greece.
There are no douht numherless churches in the towns and villages
of this district which would fill up all the gaps in the history of By-
zantine architecture. At Mount Athos there are at least 100 huildings
of various eorts and of all ages, hut all these are as yet architecturally
unknown, being only descrihed in words that convey the impressions
of their authors, hut not the forms of the huildings. Eemains of great
interest may prohahly still exist in those towns that were of great im-
portance in the early ages of Christianity; and though we may hope
at some future period that these may he added to our illustrations of
art, at present we must pass them hy to speak of the Christian churches
of Greece, which are hetter known.
Of these one of the oldest and most elegant, though one of the
smallest, is that fonnerly known as the Catholicon or Cathedral of
Athens. As a cathedral its dimensions are, to our notions, ridiculousiy
small, its extreme lengtli and hreadth heing only 40 feet hy 25. It i,s
interesting as heing prohably anterior to the age of Justinian, and
perhaps the oldest Greek church now in existence. There are so
many ancient fragments mixed up in its construction, and so much of
the ancient art.istic feeling of Athens pervades its forms, that we may
he deceived in judging of its age from its style, though that is tlie
only evidence wo can reason from. lt is almost the only Greek church
that lias sculptured instead of painted decorations externally, and the