Master Builders of Byzantium [Paperback]

Examining Byzantine architecture—primarily churches built in the area of Constantinople between the ninth and fifteenth centuries—from the perspective of its masons, its master builders, Robert Ousterhout identifies the problems commonly encountered in the process of design and construction. He analyzes written evidence, the archaeological record, and especially the surviving buildings, concluding that Byzantine architecture was far more innovative than has previously been acknowledged.

Ousterhout explains how masons selected, manufactured, and utilized materials from bricks and mortar to lead roofing tiles, from foundation systems to roof vaultings. He situates richly decorated church interiors, sheathed in marble revetments, mosaics, and frescoes—along with their complex iconographic programs—within the purview of the master builder, referring also to masons in Russia, the Balkans, and Jerusalem.

Robert Ousterhout is Professor of Byzantine Art and Architecture and Director of the Center for Ancient Studies, University of Pennsylvania.Examining Byzantine architecture, Ousterhout identifies the problems commonly encountered in the process of design and construction.

Preface to Paperback Edition

Introduction: The Problem of Byzantine Architecture
Defining the Byzantine Church
The Mysterious Disappearing Architect and His Patron
Drawing the Line and Knowing the Ropes
Buildings That Change
Building Materials
The Construction of Foundations and Walls
Structural Design, Structural Expression, and the Construction of Arches and Vaults
Builders and Artists: Creating the Decorated Interior
Afterword

Abbreviations
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
A Glossary of Architectural Terminology