GLASS LIGHT SOURCES OF BYZANTINE: FORESIGHTS ON THE LIGHTING OF THE MONUMENTAL CHURCH OF ANAIA
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In Byzantine religious and civil architectural structures, the light was provided by means of natural and artificial lighting devices. However, it is a known fact that, natural lighting objects are used more. Artificial lighting elements are mostly used at night and in places where natural light is insufficient. Some non-religious documents, regarding the enlightenment of religious buildings provide a little bit of information about the lighting system in churches. In this sense, it is known that churches are illuminated by lamps, candles, and light beams filtering through the window at certain times of the day, both during the day and at night. In Byzantium, window openings were initially closed with stone plates, but later, window glasses began to replace those stone plates. These glasses not only provide lighting in buildings, but also contribute to the mystical atmosphere in the space. In addition to window glasses, glass oil lamps are one of the popular lighting objects, especially in the Byzantine Period. It is possible to say that oil lamps have existed in various forms and with different lighting systems since the Late Roman and Early Byzantine periods. Oil lamps can be made from ceramic, glass or metal materials. The most important factor in the frequent preference of glass lamps is that, glass does not limit the effect of light as in terracotta and metal lamps, and on the contrary, it increases the degree of illumination. In our text, primarily for the illumination of the monumental church of Anaia, window glasses that are natural lighting objects, and oil lamps, which are artificial lighting objects, will be mentioned. Archaeological finds indicate that the monumental church of Kadikalesi was illuminated with crown and sheet (flat) shaped window glasses. Contrary to the limited data on the frame systems of the window glass, the presence of many lead and metal fragments indicate that glass oil lamps were used in the church sheds light on the illumination of the church. As a matter of fact, lead wick holders, metal chains and various metal fragments were found together with broken glass oil lamp pieces in the places where the excavations were made. In this text, window glasses and oil lamps that are possible to belong to the Kadikalesi monumental church are introduced. From this point of view, the monumental church of Anaia must have been illuminated by stemmed lamps with straight or knotted stem placing on polycandles with four or eight holes. In addition to the stemmed lamps, the lamps with handles that provide longer-lasting illumination are also preferred objects for lighting in the castle. Although beakers oil lamps are rare examples, the fact that they come with metal pieces shows that they carry traces of the daily life of the church. Again, according to the findings, it is thought that crown shaped glasses with a convex center were mostly used. In addition, although they are few in number, it is clear that the sheet (flat) shaped ones, which were recovered together with a few frame pieces, were also located in the church. As a result, the oil lamps and window glasses used in the illumination of the Kadikalesi monumental church are in harmony with their contemporary examples and supporting each other with the metalwork found among the excavation finds.