Page:A History of Architecture in All Countries Vol 2.djvu/436

420 420 BYZANTINE ARCHITECTURE. pAi4T n. Of this building nothing now remains above ground i but its portal, now known as ^^jST "^ the Golden Gateway.^ tremely interesting as an example of the style of the age, when practised where ancient materials were not available to be Avorked up in its design. Both externally and in- ternally it preserves all the elements of transi- tion between a horizontal ti'abeate style like the classical Koman, and an arcuate style, which Christian architecture became immediately after its date .3 844. Golden Gateway, ■^^est side. (From a Photograph.) Thessalonica. As before mentioned, it is to Constantinople, or Alexandria, or Antioch, that we should naturally look to supply us with examples of the style of the early transition, but as these fail, it is to Thessalonica alone- — in so far as we now know — that we can turn. In that city there are two ancient examples. One, now known as the Eski Juma or old mosque (Woodcut No. 845), may belong to the 6th century, though there are no very exact data by which to fix its age. It consists of a nave, measuring, exclusive of narthex and l)cma, 93 ft. across by 120 ft. — very much the proportion of the Betlilehem church, but having only three aisles, the centre one 48 ft. in width. The other church, that of St. Demetrius, is larger, but less simple. It is five-aisled, has two internal transepts, and various adjuncts. Altogether it seems a con- ' In 1868 Captain Warren mado a discoveiy on the north side of the i^lat- form on which tlie Dome of the liock stands, which seems to settle the ques- tion. In an excavation there lie found several piers cut in the rock, with arches between them, exactly on the spot and at the depth at which we would expect to find the snbstructm-e of the basilica, from Ensebius' description. The ex- ploration has not been followed up. Whenever it is, it will settle the whole question one way or the other. fSee " Recovery of Jerusalem, London," 1871, p. 218.) - It now seems to be generally ad- mitted, even by those most opposed to my views in this matter, that this gate- way ^^■as erected for festal purposes by Christians between the ages of Constan- tine and Justinian (De Vogiie says 5th to th century), but no one has ventured to sugffest by whom or for what pur- pose, ""rill they can do so they have no locns standi in" the argumentas to the age or destination of these buildings.^ " 3 For further particulars, see " The Holy Sepulchre and the Temple at Jeru- salem," by the Author. Murray, 186.5.
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