Byzantine art and architecture were deeply influenced by Christianity, with religious themes dominating artistic expression. Mosaics, icons, and grand structures like the Hagia Sophia showcased the empire's artistic prowess and spiritual devotion.

The Eastern Orthodox Church played a central role in Byzantine society, shaping daily life and cultural norms. The empire's preservation of classical knowledge and artistic techniques had a lasting impact on medieval European and Eastern cultures.

Byzantine Art and Architecture

Characteristics of Byzantine art

• Heavily influenced by Christianity and the Eastern Orthodox Church with religious themes and symbolism prevalent throughout art serving as a means of religious instruction and devotion
• Mosaics prominent art form used to decorate walls, floors, and ceilings of churches and public buildings created using small, colorful tiles (tesserae) arranged to form intricate patterns and images with gold and glass tiles used to create a shimmering, luminous effect
• Icons significant element of Byzantine art as religious paintings or panels depicting Christ, the Virgin Mary, saints, or biblical scenes considered sacred objects of veneration and used in religious worship characterized by stylized, two-dimensional figures with large eyes and elongated features
• Influenced by Greco-Roman art and culture, early Christian art, and Eastern influences such as Persian and Syrian art

Byzantine architectural features

• Hagia Sophia prime example of Byzantine architecture built in the 6th century CE under Emperor Justinian I originally a Greek Orthodox basilica, later converted into a mosque, and now a museum with a massive central dome (31 meters in diameter) supported by pendentives and semi-domes and an interior decorated with elaborate mosaics and marble
• Key features include central-plan churches with domes and pendentives, use of brick and stone masonry, elaborate decoration including mosaics, frescoes, and sculptural elements, and emphasis on interior space and light
• Influenced Islamic architecture particularly Ottoman mosques, inspired the development of Romanesque and Gothic architecture in Western Europe, and elements incorporated into Russian and Eastern European church design

Byzantine Culture and Society

Eastern Orthodox Church's influence

• Dominant religious institution in the Byzantine Empire with close relationship between the Church and the state and the Emperor seen as the protector and defender of the faith
• Influenced daily life and social norms with religious practices and rituals integrated into everyday life, Church festivals and celebrations marking important events and seasons, and monasticism playing a significant role in religious and intellectual life
• Served as centers of learning with churches and monasteries preserving and transmitting classical Greek and Roman texts and developing Byzantine theology and philosophy
• Primary patron of art and architecture with religious themes and symbolism dominant in artistic expression and churches and monasteries as the main centers of artistic production

Byzantine impact on medieval culture

• Preserved and transmitted classical knowledge with Byzantine scholars copying, translating, and commenting on ancient Greek and Roman texts and transmitting classical learning to the Islamic world and Western Europe
• Influenced medieval European art with Byzantine mosaics, icons, and illuminated manuscripts inspiring Western European artists and techniques and styles adopted and adapted by medieval European artists
• Deeply influenced the development of Russian, Serbian, and Bulgarian cultures with the adoption of the Eastern Orthodox faith and Byzantine artistic and architectural traditions
• Contributed to the development of medieval literature with Byzantine chroniclers and historians providing valuable accounts of the medieval world and Byzantine hagiographies and religious texts influencing medieval European literature
• Played a crucial role in the spread of Christianity with Byzantine missionaries converting Slavic peoples to Eastern Orthodox Christianity and influencing the religious and cultural development of Eastern Europe and the Balkans