FN: of or related to the Byzantinnian empire. The Byzantine Empire and the Coming of ChristianityIn an attempt to counter a threat from the Saracen Muslims , a new potent religious force from the East , the Byzantine army forcefully enlisted the men of the islands .And while Slavs did move into the area around 500 , when the Bulgarian Empire conquered the Balkans , the Serbs did n't gain control of Kosovo until the 12 th century , when a dynasty of their leaders known as the Nemanjids invaded it after a period of Byzantine rule .Although estranged from Rome for hundreds of years , these tradition - rich churches long have fascinated John Paul II , who comes from a part of the world where Latin and Byzantine Christianity overlap .As regular readers of such publications as Greek , Roman , and Byzantine Studies ; the Classical Journal ; and the Journal of Biblical Literature are by now well aware , a dispute has long simmered about whether people in ancient times read to themselves silently , as we moderns do , or mostly read aloud .Specialists will no doubt be arguing over Saenger 's thesis for years to come -- do n't let your subscription to Greek , Roman , and Byzantine Studies lapse .At the east end of the galleries , two small columns and a circle of green marble mark the spot where the empress sat during services ; on the floor of the nave below , a circle of coloured stone to the right of centre is the Opus Alexandrinum , the place where the Byzantine emperors were crowned .Arkádi Monastery ( Moní Arkadíou ) , in the foothills of the western Ída Mountains some 40 km ( 30 miles ) south east of Réthymnon , was founded in the Byzantine era , though its present buildings date from the late 16th century .Immediately next door to the Byzantine Museum is the War Museum , a modern building constructed during the military dictatorship .Mycenaean figurines and pottery , Classical Greek and Roman sculpture , and Byzantine icons , frescoes and tapestries are all well - displayed and illustrate very effectively the varied influences that make up the history of the city .The whole area was razed during Barbarian attacks in the centuries following the fall of the Roman Empire and was covered with new buildings during Byzantine times , all of which had to be cleared when excavations began .The combination of figurative and intricate geometric designs was a collaborative effort of Syrian Muslim craftsmen with Byzantine Christians .On the left is the Byzantine church of Haghia Eirene ( Divine Peace ) , rebuilt together with Haghia Sophia after being burnt down in 532 ( closed to the public ) .Look out for the remains of a marble - covered Byzantine road ( fourth- to 14th- century ) that once connected Lefkes with the nearby village of Karampoli down in the valley .Set on the south coast of the Argolid , it has been a strategic strongpoint for centuries and boasts no less than four castles dating from Byzantine and Venetian times — on far more ancient foundations — called Akronafplia Castle .The Romanesque façade makes a striking contrast with the eight Byzantine cupolas and two minaret - like towers around a central Gothic cone - shaped dome , reminiscent of Venice 's Basilica San Marco .In 1456 Athens and Attica were taken by the Turks in their rampage across the disintegrating Byzantine Empire .The Hippodrome was the setting for the ceremony which proclaimed Constantinople as the `` New Rome '' in a.d. 330 , following the division of the Roman Empire , and soon became the civic centre of the Byzantine capital , decorated with imposing monuments and flanked by fine buildings .Before you reach the village itself you 'll find a beautiful Byzantine chapel on your right .As Constantinople , jewel of the Byzantine Empire , it was for more than 1,000 years the most important city in Christendom .A Byzantine expedition from Constantinople ousted the Vandals from the Balearics in 534 .It was the great achievement of the Byzantine architects Isidorus and Anthemius , to transfer the weight of the dome to the pillars using arches and `` pendentives , '' the four triangular sections of masonry that fill the gaps between arches and dome , to create the illusion of an unsupported dome floating in space .The most spectacular art treasures of the church are its gorgeous Byzantine mosaics , glittering Old Testament scenes high on the walls ( do n't forget the binoculars ) , and a triumphant Mary and Jesus enthroned in the apse over the high altar .The delicate ninth - century mosaics of Jesus and four angels make the Chapel of St. Zeno the city 's most important Byzantine monument .Emperor Justinian ( 527–565 ) and his wife Theodora reannexed Italy to the Byzantine Empire and codified Roman law as the state 's legal system .The twin towers , Baroque façade , and Byzantine dome of the Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Concepción dominate a fascinating skyline that has remained virtually unchanged for centuries .The cloisters house a National Museum of Roman , early Christian , and Byzantine Sculpture .Cleverly integrating designs of Arab and Byzantine predecessors , the Norman palaces and churches join the crumbling grandeur of Spanish Baroque façades in momentary triumph over the chaos of the modern port city .This was the center of population from Byzantine times through to Greek independence , and thus can be called Athens Old Town .The more warmly - hued human figures are believed to be the work of Venetian mosaicists , as opposed to the more rigidly formal Byzantine figures of Palermo 's Palatine Chapel .In the nave , the church 's famous Byzantine mosaics show , on the left , Ravenna 's fortified port of Classis , from which a procession of 22 virgins follows the three Magi with gifts for Jesus on his mother 's lap ; on the right , from Theodoric 's palace , 26 male martyrs march towards Christ .In an attempt to counter a threat from the Saracen Muslims , a new potent religious force from the East , the Byzantine army forcefully enlisted the men of the islands .Of the few remains of the Byzantine city , the most remarkable building is the Haghia Sophia .Originally the main street of Roman and Byzantine times ( cardo means `` heart '' in Latin ) , it was once a broad colonnaded market and ceremonial street that went through the center of Jerusalem , from the Damascus Gate in the north to the southern edge of the city .The museum holds a wealth of artifacts from the early Christian and Byzantine eras , concentrating on the religious themes that were so important in unifying the Greek world at this time .Icons lie at the heart of Byzantine or Orthodox worship in both the Greek and Russian churches , and they form a focus for prayer — the characteristic gold leaf used in their production symbolized the glory of God .Founded in the seventh century and reconstructed in 1008 , it 's probably the finest of the Venetian - Byzantine churches , one of Europe 's finest outside of Ravenna .Built in the Neo - Romanesque style during the first years of the 20th century , consecrated in 1910 , the abbey contains a sanctuary ornamented with beautiful gold-and-polychrome mosaics in the Byzantine style .Small Byzantine churches sit on street corners , side by side with family homes .Pilgrims came from all over the Roman ( and , later , Byzantine ) Empire during the following centuries , but the prosperity they brought lasted only until 614 , when Persian armies overtook Judea and reduced Jerusalem to rubble again .On the east wall are two images showing Byzantine emperors and emperesses making offerings to Christ on his throne ( to the left ) , and to the Virgin and Child .Exploiting a natural genius for assimilating the useful elements of the local culture rather than indiscriminately imposing their own , they adopted Arab - style tax collectors and customs officials and Byzantine fleet-admirals for their navy .When it re - opens , it will carry displays of Early Christian , Byzantine , and European art , together with ancient coins and medals .The Byzantine Empire had powerful and well - fortified cities , but the countryside and the outlying islands were ravaged by waves of invaders .The thriving city has long since spread beyond the fifth - century Byzantine walls built by the Emperor Theodosius II , and now sprawls for miles along the shores of the Sea of Marmara on both the European and Asian sides .The Byzantine Empire and the Coming of ChristianityBut the empire 's troubles increased as invaders made further incursions into Byzantine territory .The Byzantine Empire had powerful and well - fortified cities , but the countryside and the outlying islands were ravaged by waves of invaders .As the Byzantine Empire weakened at the end of the first millennium , Crusader forces were sent from Western Europe to counter the Muslim forces and retake Jerusalem for the Christian faith .Pilgrims came from all over the Roman ( and , later , Byzantine ) Empire during the following centuries , but the prosperity they brought lasted only until 614 , when Persian armies overtook Judea and reduced Jerusalem to rubble again .Byzantine ritual colored the Roman liturgy .January : Piana degli Albanesi ( near Palermo ) : colorful Byzantine ritual for EpiphanyAs the Byzantine Empire weakened at the end of the first millennium , Crusader forces were sent from Western Europe to counter the Muslim forces and retake Jerusalem for the Christian faith .During Byzantine times it was used as a dye works , and the Ottomans used it for defensive purposes .Ruled in the early sixth century by Theodoric , king of the Ostrogoths , it was recaptured for Emperor Justinian in 540 , and Byzantine culture left its mark for another two centuries .Further south , Byzantine columns and Corinthian capitals found in situ were re - installed to give visitors an idea of how the original Cardo looked .At the summit , within three layers of protective wall , are the remains of a Temple of Aphrodite , an early Christian Basilica , Byzantine cisterns , a Frankish Tower , and Ottoman mosques and fountains — this is Greek history in a nutshell !To the east , the grand Byzantine citadel of Ravenna dominates the seaside resorts lining the Adriatic .In the same compound you 'll find the Basilica of Eleona , finished in 1923 on the site of a Byzantine church .Under the canopy carved with Romanesque - Byzantine reliefs is the high altar , richly encased in elaborate , bejeweled , and enamelled plates of gold and silver .Two Franciscan churches built over Crusader and Byzantine ruins are said to be the sites of these events ; today there are also Russian and Greek Orthodox convents in the village .At the other end of the Rue Saint-Vincent , you will come around the back of the 19th - century Romano - Byzantine Sacré-Cœur basilica , towering over Paris with its gleaming white façade and distinctive domes and arches .The heart of Chalki hides a Venetian tower and the whole valley has a number of small Byzantine chapels .Sofias you 'll find the Byzantine Museum housed in a splendid 19th - century mansion built for Sophie de Marbois , wife of one of Napoleon 's generals .Interiors were decorated with frescoes in the Byzantine tradition ; primitive sculpture of biblical episodes or rural life on the capitals of columns ; painted altar front panels ; carved wooden crosses , and Madonnas of great purity .The oldest most striking of the Byzantine monuments , in the northern corner of the city center , is the fifth - century Mausoleum of Galla Placidia .The island was recaptured after a terrible siege of Iráklion by Byzantine commander Nikephóros Phokás .At Thrónos visit the 14th - century Panagia chapel for its frescoes and the remains of an early Byzantine mosaic floor from a previous basilica — if the church is locked ask at the shop next door as they keep a key .The interior is decorated in Byzantine style and is strangely compelling .The walls of the interior were removed during the Byzantine era , and the north corner ( column and pediment ) was removed by Elgin and taken to London with the `` Elgin marbles . ''On Paros , the marble - clad Byzantine road at Lefkes takes you down the valley to Karampoli .The church was built on the site of Byzantine and Crusader ruins , paid for by donations from all over the world , and dedicated by the Franciscans in 1924 .Under Byzantine rule the city of Pericles sank into deep provincial obscurity .The mosaic floor of the original Byzantine church is especially charming .Glass plates in the church floor allow you to see fragments of the Byzantine floor mosaics left from the floor of an earlier church .The exhibits span the centuries from the Iberian era to the Visigothic period , but pride of place goes to objects from the 10th - century palace of Medina Azahara , like the bronze figure of a stag taken from a fountain presented by the Byzantine emperor Constantine VII .Guides will tell you that its 255 enameled panels were encrusted by master Venetian and Byzantine artisans with close to 2,000 precious stones , including pearls , garnets , sapphires , emeralds and rubies .Three great civilizations have shaped this part of the city — Roman , Byzantine , and Ottoman .From David Street head into the recently excavated Cardo , the main thoroughfare of Roman and Byzantine Jerusalem and a former Crusader marketplace .In Rome , the highly political popes played the Lombard duchies against those of the Byzantine Empire .Stop at the Byzantine church in the village — you 'll find stone from the ancient site used here too — and see the stone execution block of the martyrs .The island 's quiet spot is the 12th - century Venetian - Byzantine church of Santa Maria e San Donato , with a powerful mosaic in the apse .Byzantine and Ottoman ObscurityFor nearly 1,000 years the Church of Haghia Sophia was the greatest church in Christendom , an architectural wonder built by the Byzantine Empire to impress the world .