ClipArt ETC
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design. The barrel vault is the simplest form of a vault: effectively a series of arches placed side by side, i.e., one after another.

Barrel Vault

A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by…

"Byzantine Capital. The leading forms of the Byzantine style are the round arch, the circle, and in particular the dome." -Vaughan, 1906

Byzantine Capital

"Byzantine Capital. The leading forms of the Byzantine style are the round arch, the circle, and in…

"Dome-System of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. The Byzantine style of this first period reached its highest example and splendor in the church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. After this church, which was originally built by Constantine, had been burnt to the ground, it was rebuilt, with the utmost care, and at great expense, by Justinian. On each of he open sides of the dome-covered square there abuts a semicircle with semi-domes of somewhat inferior height to the main dome." This diagram shows how the semi-domes are penetrated on each side by three smaller vaults.

Dome System of Hagia Sophia

"Dome-System of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. The Byzantine style of this first period…

"Exterior of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. Although the impression conveyed by this church is not so pure and simple as that which the basilicas produce, still its outlines are magnificent and imposing. The exterior displayed a novel divergency from the normal standard. Whist hitherto the antique form of the roof had been preserved, it was now replaced by a totally different one: inasmuch as the vaulting, at least of the domes, was visible from the outside without any screen, or the only covering it had was one of polished metal."

Exterior of Hagia Sophia

"Exterior of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. Although the impression conveyed by this church…

"Interior of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. Besides the Narthex, there was a second vestibule: both extended the whole breadth of the building. In front of it was an entrance court surrounded by a colonnade, which was entered through an arch resting on four pillars."

Interior of Hagia Sophia

"Interior of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. Besides the Narthex, there was a second vestibule:…

Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between A.D. 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site.

Plan of Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous…

Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous in particular for its massive dome, it is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture. It was the largest cathedral ever built in the world for nearly a thousand years, until the completion of the Seville Cathedral in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between A.D. 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, and was in fact the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site.

Section of Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia is a former patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. Famous…

"Section of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. The Byzantine style of this first period reached its highest example and splendor in the church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. After this church, which was originally built by Constantine, had been burnt to the ground, it was rebuilt, with the utmost care, and at great expense, by Justinian. On each of he open sides of the dome-covered square there abuts a semicircle with semi-domes of somewhat inferior height to the main dome."

Section of Hagia Sophia

"Section of the Church of Sta. Sophia at Constantinople. The Byzantine style of this first period reached…

A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or an elliptical dome over a rectangular room. The pendentives, which are triangular segments of a sphere, taper to points at the bottom and spread at the top to establish the continuous circular or elliptical base needed for the dome. In masonry the pendentives thus receive the weight of the dome, concentrating it at the four corners where it can be received by the piers beneath.

Diagram of Pendentives

A pendentive is a constructive device permitting the placing of a circular dome over a square room or…

This is a plan of the St Mark's, in Venice, Italy. Erected AD 929 to 1063. This is an example of Italian Byzantine Romanesque architecture. This church was created in order to "reproduce in some way the leading features of the church of the Holy Apostles at Constantinople." The scale is in feet.

Plan of St Mark's, Venice, AD 929–1063

This is a plan of the St Mark's, in Venice, Italy. Erected AD 929 to 1063. This is an example of Italian…

St. Sophia is a Byzantine church in Istanbul, Turkey.

St. Sophia

St. Sophia is a Byzantine church in Istanbul, Turkey.