Pages: 427-448

Smaller churches with one apse and the nave rectangular in plan — undomed and without pillars to divide its internal space in bays — are the most common type of medieval churches in the Crimea. Such religious structures, rather diversified, are spread across the peninsula and include the majority of all existing churches today. The choice of terminology plays an increasingly important role in their studies, due to controversial use of such terms as ‘basilica’, ‘single-nave basilica’ or ‘basilica-type building’ to define them. The present study led to the following three conclusions. 1. When making a choice between functional and architectural approach, if a definition of an archaeological object is required, the second approach should be preferred. 2. It is unacceptable either to refer to those church structures, which do not have such characteristic features as ‘basilican section’ and ‘basilican lighting’, as basilicas, or to attribute them to ‘basilican type’, in order to avoid distorting the mere idea of it as a structure and its architectonic. 3. ‘Single-nave temple’ seems to be the most suitable term to use for the typological identification of such buildings (or, the full term would be: ‘a church, rectangular in plan, with one-part nave and a semicircular/faceted ‘apse’), or a ‘chapel’.

Keywords: Crimea, Medieval Ages, ecclesiastical architecture, basilica-like church without aisles, basilican church, church without aisles, chapel, architectural term

Information about author:

Vladimir Kirilko (Simferopol, Crimea). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute of Archaeology of Crimea of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Academician Vernadsky Ave., 2, Simferopol, 295007, Crimea
E-mail: [email protected]