Early Byzantine Churchs In Macedonia And Southern Serbia A Study Of The Origins And Initial Development Of East Christian Art With Maps

Author : Richard Miles
Publisher : Oxbow Books
ISBN 13 : 1785706837
Total Pages : 368 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (857 download)

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Download or read book The Bir Messaouda Basilica written by Richard Miles and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2019-12-31 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume charts the radical transformation of an inner city neighbourhood in late antique Carthage which was excavated over a five-year period by a team from the University of Cambridge. Bordering the main thoroughfare leading from the Brysa Hill to the ports, the neighbourhood remained primarily a residential one from the second century until 530s AD when a substantial basilica was constructed over the eastern half of the insula. Further extensive modifications were made to the basilica half-a-century later when the structures on the western half of the insula were demolished and the basilica greatly enlarged with the addition of a new east-west aisles, a large monumental baptistery and a crypt. By carefully reconstructing the complex architectural plan of this innovative building, this study shows how the re-modelled Bir Messaouda basilica was transformed into a major pilgrimage centre overturning established tradition that located such complexes outside the city walls. The Bir Messaouda basilica provides important insights into the transition between Vandal and Byzantine control of the city, the development of a new Christian inter-mural urban landscape in the sixth century AD, and the significance of the pilgrimage in reinforcing ecclesiastical authority in post-Justinianic North Africa.