Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and ArchitectureVan Millingen, Alexander
Philosophy
Byzantine Churches in Constantinople: Their History and Architecture
Van Millingen, Alexander
Architecture, Byzantine; Church architecture -- Turkey -- Istanbul; Church buildings -- Turkey -- Istanbul
The drum of the dome is a polygon of twelve sides, and was lighted by
the same number of windows. It rests on four columns, which were
originally square, but now have large champs at the angles, dying out at
top and bottom. Barrel vaults cover the arms of the cross, and dome
vaults surmount the chambers at its angles. As in the Pantokrator (p.
235), the eastern arm is pierced by two windows in the vaulting surface.
The central apse is lighted by a triple window, having oblong shafts,
circular on their inner and outer faces, and bearing capitals now badly
injured. A niche indents the northern, eastern, and southern interior
walls of the apsidal chapels. The windows in the northern and southern
walls of the church have been built up almost to their full height,
leaving only small openings for light at the top. There can be little
doubt that they were triple windows with a parapet of carved marble
slabs between the shafts. On the exterior the apse shows five sides, and
is decorated by an arcade of five arches and an upper tier of five
niches. The lateral apses do not project beyond the face of the eastern
wall, but are slightly marked out by cutting back the sides and forming
angular grooves. Bayet[426] assigns the church to the ninth or tenth
century, the age of Leo the Wise and Constantine Porphyrogenitus.
Fergusson[427] is of the same opinion so far as the earlier portions of
the building are concerned. But that date is based on the mistaken view
that the building is the church of the Theotokos erected by Constantine
Lips. Diehl[428] assigns the church to the second half of the eleventh
century.
[Illustration: PLATE LXXII.
S. THEODORE. SOUTH CROSS ARM (EXTERIOR), FROM THE SOUTH-EAST.]
[Illustration: S. THEODORE. THE EAST END, FROM THE SOUTH.
_To face page 248._]
[Illustration: FIG. 82.--S. THEODORE. PLAN AS GIVEN BY TEXIER.]
[Illustration: FIG. 83.--S. THEODORE. PART OF SOUTH ELEVATION SHOWING
THE SIDE CHAPEL AS GIVEN BY TEXIER.]
In the library of the Royal Institute of British Architects, in London,
are four volumes of Texier's sketches and drawings of buildings in or
near Constantinople. In that collection is found a complete set of
drawings of this church, showing a chapel on both the north and south
sides of the building, and even giving measurements on the south
side. Texier's drawings are unfortunately very inaccurate, so that
little trust can be placed in any of them. In addition to the plan of
the church an elevation is given, and two sketches covered with
indications of elaborate decoration, but evidently quite imaginary. The
chapel on the north side is noticed by no other writer, and was probably
added by Texier for the sake of symmetry. That on the south side, as
shown by him, differs in some respects from Salzenberg. The only thing
certain is that a side chapel did exist here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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