International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

Suna Çağaptay
Bahcesehir University, Istanbul, Turkey; 
[e-mail] 
Solomoniac Myths: Reusing Solomon and His Temple in Byzantine Visualities
Who can surpass Solomon and his temple? Let’s start with the origins: in the tenth century 
BC, Solomon built a temple according to the plan of the Tabernacle mentioned in the Bible. With its 
architectural details mentioned, character and quantity of the architectural elements and symbolism, 
the temple has become a source of major scholarly debate among the historians. Due to all those 
details the temple was labeled to be deriving from God. Not only the temple, but the image of 
Solomon as the king is also worthy of attention. As historical accounts through the ages make clear, 
Solomon was the true king and he maintained a glorious kingship. As such the image of the king 
and the temple found was appropriated in numerous cases in Byzantine architecture.
In his seminal work on the iconography of medieval architecture, Richard Krautheimer 
discusses that the meaning in architecture was conveyed through the replication of forms in visually 
identifiable forms. While Krautheimer’s approach leads us to think it is the form that carries the 
message, I would like to take a different approach by discussing how fragile the relationship between 
the archetype and type in Byzantine architecture.
Using examples from the Byzantine such as the churches of Hag. Polyeuktos and Hag. Sophia, 
the Pantokrator, I would like to argue why the image of Solomon and his temple looms large in 
the imaginations of the Byzantine rulers. When one moves from those obvious examples where 
the copies of the temple “as it really was,” we may discuss the possibility for Byzantine imperial 
and royal attempts for self-definition. Stated differently, why this “super-historical” figure and his 
building were reused to serve for political, cultural and religious dynamics? 
I would like to argue that behind this pattern of reuse was the deep wish to commemorate the 
memory of phenomenal kingship of Solomon and to go back to the origins of sacred architecture. 

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As my paper will discuss with its ultimate design disclosed by God in the Bible, the temple of 
Solomon is seen as an architectural masterpiece taking us to the core of the divine architecture. 
In the Byzantine realm, the emperors chose Solomon’s monumental figure and his monument as 
things that are necessary to be copied, inspired and reuse in order to claim themselves as legitimate 
heirs to the idea of divine kingship and architecture.