built by emporer justinian 527-565 AD, st. catherine's is the oldest, christian monastery in the world - or it has been since the allied forces levelled monte cassino outside rome, wrongly assuming it was the key to breaking fascist resistance.
all monasteries were built as fragments of an idealized roman town, and the fortified byzantine monastries reflect the walled cities of late antiquity after the loss of the pax romana.
the church is an east roman basilica, heavy handed in its details but incredible in its preservation. even the woodwork is original, a carved dedication to emporer justinian discovered on one of the roof trusses sometime in the 20th century.
there is a tradition in english gardening that places the maze on a slope, allowing you to read the plan, so to speak, from outside. the monastry is situated just like that, and a short climb gives you a fine sense of the labyrinthine fabric of this ancient and isolated community.
more words, yada, yada, yada.
Tags: sinai architecture arkitektur late roman byzantine justinian saint st catherine monastery convent egypt ægypten ortodoks orthodox fortification byzantium arquitectura Architektur arquitetura Architettura Architectuur building gebäude haus gebouw bouw bygning batiment maison edificio huis casa christian church kirke chiesa eglise kristen seier+seier creative commons CC
I love the introduction to ezraa from ross burns' invaluable "monuments of syria":
"...stop on the northern outskirts and inquire; someone will bring the key for the church of st. george".
incredibly, someone did. the church is from 515AD and still in use (notice the plastic chairs in the lower right corner). the plan is an octagon in a square. only the dome is modern.
a cruciform church, also 6th century - also still in use, is nearby.
Tags: ezraa roman byzantine byzantium justinian church architecture arkitektur Syrie architektur Arquitectura arquitetura Architectuur Architettura building gebäude haus gebouw bouw bygning batiment maison edificio huis casa christian kirke chiesa eglise kristen seier+seier creative commons CC
dynamics of late roman space, san vitale 527-548 AD, architect unknown.
a personal favorite, both in terms of building and photo
the geometry is complex and the picture is difficult to read without a plan: faculty.cva.edu/Stout/Byzantine/SanVitalePlan.jpg displaying the curved screens dividing the domed central space from the ambulatory.
Tags: ravenna italy architecture east roman byzantine church san vitale Justinian dome column basket capital arch rotunda byzantium late antiquity arquitectura arkitektur Architektur arquitetura Architettura Architectuur building gebäude haus gebouw bouw bygning batiment maison edificio huis casa chiesa eglise seier+seier creative commons CC
late roman architecture was so focused on interior space as to accept the mere resulting exterior shape as final. the classical heritage is completely internalized, leaving a shell of brick volumes mirroring the spaces inside.
this is often cited as a parallel to christian spirituality but the development away from the greek temple architecture-as-sculpture to an architecture of pure space had been underway for a long time. consider the massive maxentius/constantine basilica in the forum romanum next to the many marble temples.
san vitale 527-548 AD, architect unknown
more words, yada, yada, yada.
Tags: ravenna italy architecture east roman byzantine church san vitale Justinian brick byzantium late antiquity arquitectura arkitektur Architektur arquitetura Architettura Architectuur masonry late antiquity kirke chiesa building gebäude haus gebouw bouw bygning batiment maison edificio huis casa christian eglise kristen seier+seier creative commons CC
layered late roman space, san vitale 527-548 AD, architect unknown.
view from the entrance, through the ambulatory and the central space into the light filled apse, covered in green and gold mosaics.
Tags: ravenna italy architecture east roman byzantine church san vitale Justinian column basket capital mosaic apse marble byzantium late antiquity arquitectura arkitektur Architektur arquitetura Architettura Architectuur building gebäude haus gebouw bouw bygning batiment maison edificio huis casa christian kirke chiesa eglise kristen seier+seier creative commons CC
