ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Neo-Byzantine architecture

Okay kiddo, you know how buildings can look really different from each other? Some buildings look like big boxes with lots of windows, while others have towers and grand decorations. Well, neo-Byzantine architecture is a style of building that is inspired by the Byzantine empire from a long, long time ago.

The Byzantine empire was around a really long time ago, hundreds and hundreds of years ago. It was located in the area around Greece and Turkey, and their buildings were very special. They had huge domes, which are like big round roofs that look like half of a ball, and lots of colors and decorations.

Now, when people build something that is neo-Byzantine, that means they are using the same ideas and designs as the buildings from the Byzantine empire. So a neo-Byzantine building might have a big dome, lots of colors, and decorations like mosaics, which are pictures made from tiny pieces of colored glass.

Some famous buildings that are neo-Byzantine are the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. and the Church of Saint Mary the Virgin in New York City. They are big, beautiful buildings with lots of details and decorations, just like buildings from the Byzantine empire.