D.041 Justinian Basilica at Sabratha

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Creator

Denis Baly

Image ID

D.041

Alternate Identifier

B04.041

Subcollection

D: North Africa

Abstract

View of a ruined staircase in the Justinian Basilica

Description

"Perhaps the best known Christian basilica in Sabratha is that built by order of the emperor Justinian and mentioned in the works of his courtier Procopius [a section from which may be seen here]. This stood to the northwest of the Curia and the Forum. For its construction the builders drew upon ruins of pagan temples and early imperial monuments, some of which now stood outside the limits of the Byzantine city wall, built during the sixth century to protect the much-shrunken town of Sabratha. Of the usual basilica design, with nave and side aisles running along a northeast-southwest axis, the Justinianic Basilica had an external porch in front of the principal entrance at the southwest. In all probability there was an apse at the northeastern end of the interior as well as a pulpit, a canopied altar, and marble altar table" (Matthews, 5).

References

Matthews, Kenneth D., and Alfred W. Cook. Cities in the sand: Leptis Magna and Sabratha in Roman Africa. Philadelphia: Univ. of Pennsylvania Press, 1957.

Image Notes

Creation date unknown. Processing date unknown. Formerly cataloged as B.04.041. Notes written on the slide or index: Sabratha Justinian Basilica.

Curator Notes

Legacy Subcollection: "D: Sabratha"

Image Format

35 mm slide

Geographic Reference

Sabratha, Libya