Keywords
Episcopal Basilica
early Christianity
religious architecture
archaeology
late antiquity
Basilica in Novae
How to Cite
Abstract
The author presented the results of many years of archaeological research on the early Christian Episcopal basilica discovered in Novae. The aim of the article is to recreate the architecture of the temple, determine the subsequent phases of its construction and determine the time of its creation, reconstruction and destruction. The author used an archaeological method based on the analysis of stratigraphy, architectural relics and equipment of the building uncovered during excavations carried out in 1976–1982. The article showed that the basilica was built on the remains of an earlier ancient building on the western side of the forum of the former legionary fortress. It was the largest of the known early Christian basilicas discovered in today's Bulgaria. The object was almost 45 m long and over 24 m wide. In the last phase, it consisted of a three-nave body with three apses, a narthex and a complex of rooms adjacent to the north-east. The article also discusses changes in the entrance system, structural solutions of the walls and preserved elements of architectural decoration. The research results allowed us to recreate the development of one of the most important religious buildings in late antiquity, Novae, and showed the changes in the space of the former legionary fortress during the development of Christianity. The article makes an important contribution to research on early Christian architecture and the history of late ancient cities on the lower Danube.
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