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Rachel Kanczes
Mrs. Horvath
AP World History- 3
26 March 2015
Byzantine and Islamic Art
The Byzantine Empire was constructed from the ruins of the collapsed Roman Empire
which allowed for a new culture and sense of creativity to take off. Byzantine Empire culture
was inspired largely by the previously collapsed Roman Empire, but their art influence was a
whole different story. Byzantine art was widely influenced by Islamic arts themes and genres
and often helped people express individuality and their amount of power. The two regions
basically combined their styles to create one form of art and the two regions were dependent on
each other for ideas and themes. Artists were often inspired by Islamic patterns and shapes
which led them to the creation of beautiful mosaics. Mosaics often depicted subjects like
hunting, nature, and mythological scenes. These types of mosaics were often found in palaces,
houses, and public baths. Mosaics that depicted scenes from the Bible were very rare in the 4th
and early 5th centuries, but became increasingly popular in the late 5th and 6th centuries. Mosaics
in churches and places of worship often depicted scenes of nature and were very popular in the
areas of Constantinople and Asia Minor.
In Constantinople and Asia Minor, mosaics that often showed biblical scenes became
very popular. They often included geometrical designs and incorporated nature into the mosaic.
One of the most popular pieces compiled of art, worship, and architecture was the Hagia Sophia
in Constantinople. The Hagia Sophia was built in 360, but in 404 was destroyed by riots in the
city. Around 515 Emperor Justinian I demanded that the church was to be rebuilt, and on

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December 27, 537 the building was inaugurated. Hagia Sophia has a central dome that has a
diameter of over 101 feet that was held up by four arches and many other semi-domes, which
was very impressive at the time. In 558 the first dome collapsed, but was rebuild larger in 562.
The magnificent church also had many panels of colored marble and stone, and was decorated
with a gold cross inside the large dome. The church was also decorated with many mosaics by
Byzantine artists. These mosaics became very important at the time because it allowed for the
Byzantine Empire to express religion and creativity into one. It also allowed for cultural
diffusion to take place by allowing Byzantine artists to adopt some Islamic techniques like using
Arab language and learning how to create textiles, tiles, and glass. The combination of these two
cultures allowed for a beautiful type of art to take its form.
The flower I chose to create shows the themes and styles of the mosaics in the Byzantine
Empire. My flower depicts a dove carrying an olive branch with a cross behind it. This scene
illustrates one of the many popular bible stories: Noahs Ark. Noahs Ark is one of the few rare
bible scenes depicted in a mosaic during this time in a synagogue at Misis. This flower shows
how nature was often showed in the mosaics, how colorful they could be, and how even
suddenly they could show a biblical meaning. The dove shows nature, the color of the tiles
shows creativity, and without knowing about the bible story the dove could be passed off as just
an animal or symbol. The flower shows how two regions were able to combine and make one
beautiful type of art very popular: Mosaics. Without Byzantine or Islamic art, mosaics might not
have become as popular as they are today and we might not have such colorful and beautiful
pieces of art to admire and recreate.

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Works Consulted
Brooks, Sarah. Icons and Iconoclasm in Byzantium. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New
York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org. Web, 24
March 2016.
Collingridge, Peter, Rublev, Andrei, S.. The Oxford Companion to Western Art. Ed. Hugh
Brigstocke. Oxford University Press. Oxford Art Online. Web. 24 March 2016.
Labatt, Annie, and Charlotte Appleyard. Byzantine Art under Islam. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art
History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org.
Web. 24 March 2016.
Mullett, Margaret. Early Christian and Byzantine art. Grove Art Online. Oxford University
Press. Oxford Art Online. Web. 26 March 2016.
Wegner, Emma. Hagia Sophia, 532-37. Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000. http://www.metmuseum.org. Web. 24 March 2016.