| Byzantine Empire | | | | octagonal church once at Antioch. Those of the |
| When he Roman Empire fell in 476 AD the Middle | | | | latter type we must suppose were nearly always |
| Age started. However, before its fall, the empire | | | | vaulted, for a central dome would seem to furnish |
| was divided into the Eastern and Western Roman | | | | their very raison d'etre. The central space was |
| Empires. In 476, the "Western Roman Empire" fell, | | | | sometimes surrounded by a very thick wall, in |
| while the Eastern Roman Empire, whose capital | | | | which deep recesses, to the interior, were |
| became Constantinople, preserved Roman culture | | | | formed, as at the noble church of St George, |
| (and architecture) and became the Byzantine | | | | Salonica (5th century), or by a vaulted aisle, as at |
| Empire. | | | | Sta Costanza, Rome (4th century); or annexes |
| The religious buildings and their designs are the | | | | were thrown out from the central space in such a |
| first achievements of the Byzantine Empire. | | | | way as to form a cross, in which these additions |
| Another important advancement was the | | | | helped to counterpoise the central vault, as at the |
| development of bacilicas. Bacilicas were early | | | | Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna (5th century). |
| Christian or medieval churches. This style was | | | | The most famous church of this type was that |
| common in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox | | | | of the Holy Apostles, Constantinople. Vaults |
| churches. | | | | appear to have been early applied to the basilican |
| Byzantine and Islamic architecture share a | | | | type of plan; for instance, at Hagia Irene, |
| common trend: that is, the use of the dome. One | | | | Constantinople (6th century), the long body of the |
| example is the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, | | | | church is covered by two domes. |
| which was Islamic architecture, but illustrates the | | | | Hagia Sophia |
| influence Byzantine bestowed as the dome style | | | | The Golden Age of Byzantine Architecture was |
| passed on to the Muslims. They often used | | | | under the rule of Justian in 527-565. It was during |
| "Persian' dome. We modernly refer to this as the | | | | this period that the most famous examples of all |
| Onion Dome. The most celebrated example is the | | | | Byzantine Architecture was built, including the |
| Taj Mahal (A.D. 1630) at Agra, India. Byzantine's | | | | Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia was rebuilt from |
| advancement in developing the dome created a | | | | 532 to 537 after the previous church was |
| new style in global architecture, for no other | | | | destroyed by riots and fires. This church has |
| civilization had designed buildings, especially religious | | | | some unique features which became the patterns |
| buildings, as did the Byzantines. | | | | for Byzantine Architecture for years after. |
| Structural evolution | | | | The style of the Hagia Sophia or Church of Divine |
| As early as the building of Constantine's churches | | | | Wisdom, was to have a large dome in the middle |
| in Palestine there were two chief types of plan in | | | | of the structure. The dome has a unique form in |
| use: the basilican, or axial, type, represented by | | | | that it rest on 4 massive pillars which are |
| the basilica at the Holy Sepulchre, and the circular, | | | | arranged in a square. |
| or central, type, represented by the great | | | | |