Many of Byzantium's greatest masterpieces date from the final days of its empire.
1261–1453 C.E.
Beginner's guide
The Late Byzantine period begins when the Byzantines retake Constantinople from the crusaders in 1261 and ends when the city falls to the Ottoman Turks in 1453.
videos + essays
We're adding new content all the time!
The vita icon in the medieval era
The vita icon emerged as an innovative format for depicting the life of a saint—and quickly became popular across Europe.
Picturing salvation — Chora’s brilliant Byzantine mosaics and frescoes
A powerful Byzantine court official builds himself a dazzling burial chapel.
Byzantine miniature mosaics
Explore the tiny pieces of gold, glass, and colorful stones that compose the miniature mosaics of the Byzantine Empire.
Late Byzantine naturalism: Hagia Sophia’s Deësis mosaic
This mosaic shows how the arts—and an interest in naturalism—flourished in the final centuries of the Byzantine Empire.
Late Byzantine church architecture
Don't skip the final chapter: many of Byzantium’s most beautiful churches date from the last days of the empire.
Byzantine Griffin Panel
A panel with a Griffin (a lion and an eagle — the king of birds and the king of animals — combined).
Icon with the Triumph of Orthodoxy
Created at the end of the Byzantine Empire, this image looks back to the achievements of an earlier empress.
