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The leading monument of the age and prototype of Byzantine archi-
tecture is the Hagia Sophia (St. Sophia or the Church of Holy Wisdom),
Istanbul, constructed between 532 A.D. and 537 A.D. Its vast pendentive
dome - a distinctive element of the Byzantine form - floats on spherical

triangles (called pendentives) that are located between the dome and four
supporting piers. The interior glitters with mosaics that create an open,
weightless space. The domed, central-plan for churches dominated the ar-

chitecture of the Orthodox Christian world. By the late 9th century, the
typical plan for a church contained a Greek cross (a cross with arms of
equal length) within a square, flanked by a narthex on the west and an apse
on the east. The central feature of the church was the dome on a square

base, often resting on a cylindrical drum with tall windows.
Constantinople was the source of inspiration and guidance for the Or-
thodox Christians of the Byzantine Commonwealth, which included Asia

Minor, the Balkan states, Greece, eastern Italy and Sicily; it also influ-
enced Slavic, Carpatho-Russian, and North African cultures. Furthermore,
Byzantine art, at its zenith when the Romanesque style emerged in Europe,

permeated Romanesque ornament and even intermingled with Celtic art in
Scotland and Ireland. The Empire lasted in reduced size until 1453, when
the Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople. Characteristic Byzantine

forms, structures, and designs have been applied continuously in the old
empire, even through the Ottoman occupation.
The Byzantine style is characterized by the dome and the cruciform
shape, round arches, and circular windows. Buildings are formal and

symmetrical, with compact, functional plans. Exterior walls are smooth
and plain. Popular materials include buff brick in large, flat sizes; light-
colored stone, often in bands; and stucco or plastered and painted concrete.

Interiors strive for a dematerialized effect, with floating domes over
open spaces, ethereal light, and shimmering mosaics or gold leaf. Icono-
graphic murals are typical. Ornament is inspired by historical precedent,
often reinterpreted in an original manner. Carving is simplified, in low re-

lief.
In the late 19th century, American architects looked to the Byzantine
style for new forms and solutions for urban churches and synagogues, of-

ten combining the Byzantine with the more prevalent Romanesque and
Gothic styles. The spatial qualities of Byzantine domed churches provided
the perfect model for large houses of worship that required a centralized

plan with a vast volume and few supports. Books on Byzantine and Ro-
manesque architecture by European historians and articles in architectural

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