Before the Corpus: Byzantine Mosaics in Istanbul in Nineteenth-Century French Guide-Books

Abstract

The study of a series of nineteenth-century French guide-books shows the evolution of the art of travel: guidebooks were first based on the experience of travellers and the documentation summarized by writers. Little by little, guide-books became more detailed and gave more accurate descriptions of the ornamentation of buildings: art history replaced general impressions. Guide-books also witnessed the changes of mentalities on both sides: foreign visitors and local citizens.

Keywords

• istanbul
• guide-books
• nineteenth-century travel
• byzantine church
• art history