International congress of byzantine studies belgrade, 22 27 august 2016

BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE ‒ PART 1
Chairs: 
Phaidon Hadjiantoniou, Ferudun Özgümüş
Suela Xhyheri, Skender Muçaj, Irklid Ristani, Era Xhaferaj
, 
The Churches of the X-XII Centuries in South Albania. Archaeological Evidence after the 2000
Irklid Ristani, Skënder Muçaj, Suela Xhyheri
, 
Kamenica, a Conserved Model of the Byzantine Village
Ioanna P. Arvanitidou
, 
Τα λουτρικά συγκροτήματα της Βυζαντινής Θεσσαλονίκης
Phaidon Hadjiantoniou
, 
The Aqueducts of Pantokratoros Monastery on Mount Athos
Ferudun Özgümüş
, 
Recent Archaeological Finds in Byzantine Istanbul
Sotirios Fotakidis
, 
A Group of Byzantine Slabs from the Collections of the Istanbul Archaeological Museums
Silvia Leggio
, 
I Genovesi a Costantinopoli: alcune lastre scolpite dalla cinta muraria di Galata
Hilâl Aktur
, 
Spolia Use in the Mosques in Manisa

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Suela Xhyheri
Center for Albanian Studies, National Institute of Archaeology, Tirana, Albania; 
[e-mail]
Skender Muçaj
Tirana, Albania;
[e-mail]
Irklid Ristani
Tirana, Albania;
[e-mail]
Era Xhaferaj
Institute of Cultural Monuments, Tirana, Albania;
[e-mail]
The Churches of the X-XII Centuries in South Albania. 
Archaeological Evidence after the 2000
This discussion proposed to this thematic table (Epirus Revisited – New Perceptions of its 
History and Material Culture) brings to the focus the cultural heritage and the changes that took 
place in the territory of southern Albania seen through the most important and representative 
structure of that period: the church.
The archaeological excavations conducted in the course of this century, lying in a broad area 
in Southern Albania, brought to light new evidences regarding already published monuments of 
Christian cult and also uncovered the ruins of new churches dated from early 9
th
century to the end 
of 12
th
century, which were not known from the relevant scholarly studies before. 
Generally it can be stated that small single aisled churches with a narthex are usually located 
along the main routes and inside inhabited areas while large buildings are connected with the 
existence of Episcopal centers and monasteries. The initial plan has been subjected to modifications 
in the course of 11
th
– 12
th
century, with the addition of lateral naves, porticoes or annexes. 
The churches of the late 10
th
– 12
th
century (for example the church of Asomat, Fiqt’ e Lape 
(Kamenicë, Delvinë), Perhondi, Kurjan, Gurzezë, “Maja e Qishës” Kropisht, St. John, St. Mary in 
Ballsh, Peshkëpi e Sipërme, Sinjë, Peshkëpi e Sipërme ect.) is usually plain with reused remains of 
earlier buildings, little use of tiles all joined by the use of mortar in a “primitive” technique that 
precedes that of the earliest examples of cloisonné. To mention are the frequent finds of bricks with 
kufic elements and the tiles with recordings made with a comb that date in the late 10
th
through 
all the 11
th
century. The interior decoration is usually as plain as the exterior. The walls are usually 
executed in freco (the church of Asomat) with floors paved with square bricks (the church in 
Gurëzezë) or stone (the church of Asomat).
The church classic type is represented in more than one number of the possible variations as 
that of the cross – in – square form. This architectural form is exhibited in Albania by a number 
of significant monuments: the church of “Qisha Mëne” Asomat; “Maja e Qishës”, Kropisht, both 
in the Shushica Valley, the church of St. Triadha, Berat, the medieval church in Gurzezë, the ruins 

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of the church in Kalivaç, the church of St. George, Brataj and the church of Holy Trinity in Opar). 
The 11
th
-century cross-in-square church was already with a western narthex and expanded in the 
13
th
century through the addition of other structures. From similar additions to the central cross 
– in - square core plans resulted churches as for example: the church of St. Mary in Apollonia is 
in the form of the basilica type; the church of St. Nicholas in Kurjan, which has two later joined 
apses in the north and in the south; and the churches of St. Mary in Labovë e Kryqit, St. Nicholas in 
Perhondi, and of St. Mary in Peshkëpi e Sipërme have later additions.
Other forms of the churches of the Byzantine architecture, is the free cross plan (Marmiro), 
the basilica type (St. Mary in Ballsh, St. John in Delvinë, kisha në Peshkëpi, Sarandë) and the chapel 
type, all used in this period in the same area, without a preference for a specific type.
To understand more of these buildings we have to see through the archaeological and the 
sporadically historical evidence of each of them. These forms are particularly common in all the 
provinces of the Byzantine Empire, for example Preslav, in Bulgaria, in Greece, Asia Minor and Armenia.
The construction of churches from 10
th
– 12
th
century stimulated mostly the religious painting, 
which was favored from the practice of the complete covering the interiors of the sanctuaries with 
paintings. Although the fresco decoration of this period is sparse and preserved in a fragmentary 
condition some of them reflect the main currents in the stylistic development of monumental 
painting of the period. The surviving painting of 9
th
– 12
th
century confirms the connection to the art 
of Asia Minor, Greece and Southern Italy, while in the course of XI and XII century and especially in 
fresco decoration of those monuments located along or close to the coastal cities (Durrës, Vlorë) is 
observed the reference to Hellenistic models, a tendency derived from Constantinople and adapted 
in the art of the provinces. This tendency is also evident in sculptural decoration of the second half 
of 12
th
century which connection to analogous models in Southern Italy is evidenced.