The Church of Sancta Sophia, Constantinople: A Study of Byzantine BuildingLethaby, W. R. (William Richard)
Religion
The Church of Sancta Sophia, Constantinople: A Study of Byzantine Building
Lethaby, W. R. (William Richard)
Ayasofya Müzesi
The cornices of the interior, which really formed walks for the
lamplighters, are made up of no regular combination of curves; they
project steeply forward, the general slanting plane being little
disturbed (A, Fig. 60); they are decorated with rows of acanthus, the
curved tips of which catch the light in bright points. The cornice of
aisle is given at B. We also give a profile of the door-head, which
shows how the mouldings conform to a plane of least labour (C). By the
jambs and heads being mitred together, the difficulty of working stop
ends was also obviated. The mouldings are not sharp and accurate, as is
suggested by Salzenberg’s engravings.
[Illustration: FIG. 61.--Closures between Pillars, Front of Gynaeceum.]
We may mention here that all the doors entering the church from the
narthex have raised marble thresholds, that of the Royal Door being a
magnificent piece of verde antique which rises some seven inches above
the level of the floor; the others are of white marble.
_Windows, &c._--The pierced lattices of the windows also furnish
examples of another beautiful method of marble slab construction. The
large windows are subdivided by marble posts, between which the pierced
lattices make a mere screen. Salzenberg, who found a store-room full of
broken fragments, gives a section of a bar. Windows over the western
entrances, and another at the foot of the south-west stair, which are
similarly pierced out of sheet marble, have a simple meander carved
on the bars (Fig. 62); this we suppose to be of the ninth or tenth
century. The lower part of the window openings going down to the floors
are filled with marble closures, some of which bear flat sculptured
devices, such as a fish in a lozenge, and on the outside a cross; above
this came a second tier of slabs pierced with square openings, which
were possibly covered by marble slabs as opening casements.
[Illustration: FIG. 62.--Marble Window Lattice.]
Some of these closures are translucent; one in the West Gallery
over narthex is the well-known “Shining Window” which is mentioned
by Grelot. These transparent slabs of “Phengites” were much used
in Byzantine architecture. The transparent marble slab windows of
S. Miniato are well known. At Ravenna there is a sculptured slab
altarfront, through which shone the light of candles placed behind.
[Illustration: FIG. 63.--Cipollino Slabs with Cross.]
Placed against the east side of the marble screen now in south
gynaeceum are slabs of cipollino, which bear large crosses standing
on circles; the relief being very slight and the edges softened these
show in the faintest way; each cross extends over two slabs, the joint
being down the middle. A similar slab with a cross is now placed in the
opening on south side of bema. These cross slabs some seven feet high
are beautiful examples of the proper use of marble. (Fig. 63.)
[Illustration: FIG. 64.--Forms on Carved Impost Moulding.]
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