Early Christian Basilicas, Research Paper Example

It was really when Constantine became the patron of Christianity that the architecture of the Christian church is changed.  Constantine wanted to make a statement about the church in terms of strength, power and piety.  He wanted to move away from the earlier classical Roman style of churches and columns.  He commenced the building of what we now term the early Christian basilicas.  It was in 321 A.D. that Constantine founded the Church of some peters in Rome.  The cross axes of the nave and transect allowed for concentration of attention on the tomb of St. Peter.  This dollars later, universally accepted throughout the Christian countries. (Anon, 2010)

The main architectural features included that of a launch roofed hall, interior colonnades dividing the aisles and an apse often at each end.  The basilicas had a wide centered, while with smaller flanking aisles.  The central aisle being arranged to allow light to flood from the above church windows. There are many fine examples of Basilicas throughout the world. St Peters in Rome being amongst the Finest. The Hagia is an example of classical Ottoman architecture.  It was built by Justinian 1st.  The Hagia  was an amazing feat of architecture for its time.  Also known as the Ayasofya mosque.  It is a domed basilica, oriented on the North West and Southeast axis.  Entering  from the North West, it has an outer and inner narltex.  It consists of a rectangular nave flanked either side by a an aisle  and a gallery with an apsidal sanctuary projecting Southeast.  Doors leading from the inner narltex to the nave are crowned by mosaics, depicting an Emperor prostate before Christ Pentocrater, flanked by the Virgin and Archangel Gabriel.  It has a grand dome raised 56 m above the ground.  It contains 40 windows giving the appearance that it is floating.  Flying actresses were added to the Northwest facade in the ninth or 10th century.  The Hagia  has four minarets that were added  at different times.  (Arapi, 2010)

Works Cited

Anon. (2010). The Romanization of Christianity and the Christianization of Rome: the Early Christian Basilica. Retrieved 3 18, 2010, from SUNY Oneonta Alumni: http://employees.oneonta.edu/farberas/arth/arth212/early_christian_basilica.html

Arapi, A. .. (2010). The History of the Hagia Sophia . Retrieved 3 18, 2009, from Archnet: http://www.archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=2966