#AllQuestionsABoutArt The Sound of Byzantium Along with faith, Rus' received from Byzantium a whole order of church construction and decoration. It was the masters of Byzantium who brought the laws by which our church is organized to this day.
1. The dome became the main focal point of the interior, and an image of Christ Pantocrator was often placed at its top. The most common are churches with one or five domes.
1 dome – symbolizes the One God and the head of the Church – Christ. 5 domes – the most common option: a large dome in the center (Christ), and four small ones around it (the evangelists).
2. The tradition of decorating churches with mosaics, frescoes, and icons came from Byzantium. The name of a church can often be determined by its main icon (to the right of the Royal Doors is the icon of Christ, and the next icon to the right is the church icon).
3. The Byzantine altar screen eventually evolved into a tall iconostasis—a wall of icons. It separates the altar—the space where the service is held—from the main part of the church, where the congregation prays.