Master Builders of Byzantium Robert Ousterhout In a pioneering study that approaches Byzantine architecture from the perspective of its masons - its "master builders" - Ousterhout identifies the problems commonly encountered in the process of design and construction. He analyzes written evidence, the archaeological record, and especially the surviving buildings, concluding that Byzantine architecture was far more innovative than has previously been acknowledged. Ousterhout explains how masons selected, manufactured, and utilized materials from bricks and mortar to lead roofing tiles, from foundation systems to forms of vaulting. He situates the richly decorated church interiors, clad in marble and enlivened with decorative programs in mosaic and fresco, within the purview of the master builder. The study focuses on the churches built in the area of Constantinople between the 9th and 14th centuries, referring also to builders and buildings in Greece, Russia, the Balkans, and Jerusalem. Robert Ousterhout is a recognized specialist in Byzantine architecture, whose research focuses on the documentation and interpretation of the vanishing architectural heritage of the eastern Mediterranean. His most recent books include The Art of the Kariye Camii (2002), A Byzantine Settlement in Cappadocia (2005) and The Byzantine Monuments of the Evros/Meric River Valley (2007, with Ch. Bakirtzis). Ousterhout is Professor of Byzantine Art and Architecture and Director of the Center for Ancient Studies at the University of Pennsylvania.