The Complete Guide To: Byzantium

belfast telegraph ^ | 2 December 2008 | Cathy Packe

[george76]

The Byzantine Empire lasted for more than 11 centuries, from AD330-1453. At various times, it incorporated most of Europe, including the Balkans, and Turkey, parts of North Africa, and the Middle East.

Predominantly Greek-speaking and Christian, its power superseded that of the Roman Empire. The imperial capital was Constantinople, formerly Byzantium, today Istanbul, a city that wielded considerable power until it was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Turks.

Some 300 of the greatest treasures of the Byzantine Empire are currently on display at the Royal Academy of Arts in London ...in an exhibition put together in collaboration with the Benaki Museum in Athens.

Among the treasures are the "Antioch Chalice", on loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, once thought to be the Holy Grail; and nine icons from St Catherine's Monastery in Sinai, which have left Egypt for the first time.

Like the Roman Empire, Byzantium left an indelible mark on its lands. If you have travelled at all, you are likely to have seen the influence, if not the actual cities, of Byzantium. Byzantine architecture, typified by a Greek cross plan, or later the cross-in-square design, can be seen in churches such as St Sofia, in the Bulgarian capital Sofia; the monastery of Djivari in Georgia; and the cathedral in Kiev.

In other buildings, most notably the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Byzantine craftsmen were used to create the mosaic decoration. And Byzantine artefacts have found their way into collections as varied as that of the National Museum in Belgrade and the Cathedral Treasury in Troyes, France.

Thessaloniki, the second city of Greece, was the most important in the Byzantine Empire...

[Lurker]

Ping.

[george76]

the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Byzantine craftsmen were used to create the mosaic decoration

??

[Mike Fieschko]

Welcome to Byzantium 1200. From the site: 'Byzantium 1200 is a non-funded and non-profit project aimed at creating computer reconstructions of the Byzantine Monuments located in Istanbul, TURKEY as of year 1200 AD.'

[stripes1776]

the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Byzantine craftsmen were used to create the mosaic decoration

The Muslims who conquered Palestine were a bunch of stupid camel drivers from the desert. They knew nothing about architecture or the fine arts and crafts. So they had their new slaves build their buildings and decorate them.

[forkinsocket]

I was told that the Caliph 3Abd al-Malik hired Byzantine workers from Syria to build the dome & his son Walid also hired them to build some other mosques in Damascus. The dome was intended to rival the church of the Sepulchre, so a lot of money was invested into it & it has some of the same elements.

[Sherman Logan]

Just as Solomon had to bring in craftsmen from Tyre to build the original Temple on the same site.

[martin_fierro]

[TADSLOS]

ROFLMAO!!

[george76]

Thanks

[SunkenCiv]

Defending Byzantium
Al-Ahram | 20 - 26 November 2008, Issue No. 923 | David Tresilian
Posted on 11/24/2008 3:55:54 PM PST by SunkenCiv
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2137711/posts

[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks george76, Lurker, and martin_fierro! "the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, Byzantine craftsmen were used to create the mosaic decoration"? The Dome of the Rock was originally part of a Greek Orthodox church which stood on the site, if memory serves -- although it sometimes doesn't. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[BroJoeK]

"Byzantine architecture, typified by a Greek cross plan, or later the cross-in-square design, can be seen in churches such as St Sofia, in the Bulgarian capital Sofia"

I was at Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't we say: it's the oldest largest cathedral still standing -- a marvel of engineering in it's time, and amazingly standing after nearly 1,500 years in an earthquake zone?

Hagia Sophia

[stripes1776]

Just as Solomon had to bring in craftsmen from Tyre to build the original Temple on the same site.

That just goes to show you that even the Jews had something to learn from the pagans.

[GreenLanternCorps]

There never was a “Byzantine Empire”. That term dates to the 1600’s. The state that died in the fall of Constantinople in 1453 was the ROMAN Empire. They spoke Greek but were Romans to themselves and everyone around them. It was not a successor state, it was the Eastern half of the Roman Empire.