Medieval and Manuscripts

8th-century Byzantine domes

With the decline in the empire's resources following losses in population and territory, domes in Byzantine architecture were used as part of more modest new buildings. The large-scale churches of Byzantium were, however, kept in good repair. By bracing the dome with broad arches on all four sides, the cross-domed unit provided a more secure structural system. These units, with most domes raised on drums, became a standard element on a smaller scale in later Byzantine church architecture, and all domes built after the transitional period were braced with bilateral symmetry.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Enniscorthy
• ▸Birket Israel
• ▸Cotton library

Uncatalogued shelf

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