It served as a center of religious, political, and artistic life for the Byzantine world and has provided us with many useful scholarly insights into the period. It was also an important site of Muslim worship after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453 and designated the structure a mosque.
What is the most significant architectural feature of the Hagia Sophia?
Architectural Style of the Hagia Sophia
The Hagia Sophia measures 269 feet in length and 240 feet in width, with the domed roof stretching 180 feet above the ground . It was built in a grand Christian basilica style and is the most significant surviving example of Byzantine architecture.
What is special about the construction of the dome of Hagia Sophia?
He built four massive columns at the corner of each square . On top of the columns, he built four arches. He then filled the spaces between the arches with masonry to create curved triangular shapes called pendentives. The pendentives and the tops of the arches combine to form a strong base for the dome.
Why is the Hagia Sophia an important landmark in world history?
Built between 532 and 537, Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom, Ayasofya) represents a brilliant moment in Byzantine architecture and art . It was the principal church of the Byzantine Empire in its capital, Constantinople (later Istanbul), and a mosque after the Ottoman Empire conquered the city in 1453.
What are special features of Hagia Sophia?
Hagia Sophia combines a longitudinal basilica and a centralised building in a unique Byzantine way—with a huge 32-metre main dome supported on pendentives (triangular segment of a spherical surface) and two semi-domes .
What is the significance of iconoclasm?
Iconoclasm literally means “image breaking” and refers to a recurring historical impulse to break or destroy images for religious or political reasons . For example, in ancient Egypt, the carved visages of some pharaohs were obliterated by their successors; during the French Revolution, images of kings were defaced.
How did architects create elements in the dome of Hagia Sophia?
The Hagia Sophia dome is supported by four pendentives that were built at each corner of the square base of the cathedral. The use of pendentives by Isidore marked the first large-scale incorporation of this constructive element, which became distinctive of Byzantine architecture.
What is Byzantine architecture known for?
Byzantine architecture is a style of building that flourished under the rule of Roman Emperor Justinian between A.D. 527 and 565. In addition to extensive use of interior mosaics, its defining characteristic is a heightened dome, the result of the latest sixth-century engineering techniques.
What was the purpose of the Byzantine art?
Byzantine Christian art had the triple purpose of beautifying a building , instructing the illiterate on matters vital for the welfare of their soul, and encouraging the faithful that they were on the correct path to salvation. For this reason, the interiors of Byzantine churches were covered with paintings and mosaics.
Why is the history of Hagia Sophia so complex?
After conquering Constantinople in 1453, Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II immediately went to the Hagia Sophia and ordered that it be converted into a mosque. ... Buttresses on the eastern side were added during the Ottoman period. In time, the Hagia Sophia became a complex consisting of tombs, a fountain, a library and more .
What elements of the architecture are classical legacies Hagia Sophia?
The Hagia Sophia’s Design
It combined the traditional design elements of an Orthodox basilica with a large, domed roof, and a semi-domed altar with two narthex (or “porches”). The dome’s supporting arches were covered with mosaics of six winged angels called hexapterygon.
How did architects create elements in the dome of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul that float higher than any previous dome?
How did architects create elements in the dome of Hagia Sophia (in Istanbul) that float higher than any previous dome? By using pendentives . 7. Which of the following features is NOT common to both Byzantine and Early Christian churches?
Why Hagia Sophia is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture?
Hagia Sophia is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture, and for nearly a thousand years it was the world’s largest cathedral . The vast, central basilica has a central large dome supported by two half domes on the eastern and western sides.
What was the power structure of the Byzantine Empire in religious matters?
In religious matters, what best describes the power structure in the Byzantine Empire? The emperor had power over the patriarch . What does the dome of Hagia Sophia represent? What best describes the economic situation of people in Constantinople?
What is the significance of the Feast of Orthodoxy?
Feast of Orthodoxy, feast celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent by the Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholics of the Byzantine Rite to commemorate the return of icons (sacred images) to the churches (843) and the end of the long iconoclastic controversy .
Why was the iconoclastic controversy so important?
The Iconoclasts (those who rejected images) objected to icon veneration for several reasons, including the Old Testament prohibition against images in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:4) and the possibility of idolatry . ...
What is the motivation and significance of iconoclasm in ancient Rome and Byzantium?
Iconoclasm is generally motivated by an interpretation of the Ten Commandments that declares the making and worshipping of images, or icons, of holy figures (such as Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and saints) to be idolatry and therefore blasphemy.
How is Gothic architecture distinguished?
The Gothic style evolved from Romanesque architecture, a medieval aesthetic characterized by arches, vaulted ceilings, and small stained glass windows.
What was innovative about the dome?
After studying the first large-scale domes built by the Romans, architects in recent centuries have been innovating the dome design by adding components like height, support rings for stronger roofs , and even optical illusions to make a dome feel taller than it really is.
What elements of the architecture are classical legacies?
Classical architecture originated in ancient Greece and Rome, and is characterized by symmetry, columns, rectangular windows, and marble , to name a few. For centuries, architects have drawn influence from these civilizations and incorporated traditional ideals into subsequent styles of architecture.
What did the Byzantine Empire preserve Why is this significant?
The Byzantine Empire survived for nearly a thousand years after the fall of the Roman Empire in the West. As a continuation of the Roman Empire, it preserved the form of Roman Government and Roman Law . ... This Code became the basis of the legal traditions of much of Western Europe.
What are the function of prehistoric architecture?
Architectural anthropologist argue that Paleolithic humans may not have “invented” architecture, rather they were the first to gradually define and structure their surroundings in order to create spaces that allowed them to better understand the world and their place in it .
How do you identify Renaissance architecture?
Renaissance style places emphasis on symmetry, proportion, geometry and the regularity of parts , as demonstrated in the architecture of classical antiquity and in particular ancient Roman architecture, of which many examples remained.
What are the most significant qualities of Byzantine art?
Byzantine art preferred stylized imagery over naturalistic depictions . The aim of their art was to inspire a sense of wonder and admiration for the church. In this way, their use of graceful, floating figures, and golden tesserae emphasized the otherworldliness of the religious subjects.
What is the message of Byzantine paintings?
The subject matter of monumental Byzantine art was primarily religious and imperial : the two themes are often combined, as in the portraits of later Byzantine emperors that decorated the interior of the sixth-century church of Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
Why were mosaics important to the Byzantines?
Mosaics were one of the most popular forms of art in the Byzantine Empire. They were extensively used to depict religious subjects on the interior of churches within the Empire and remained a popular form of expression from 6th century to the end of the Empire in the 15th century.
Which of the following two architectural forms best describes the plan of the Hagia Sophia?
Two architectural forms that best describe the plan of Hagia Sophia are basilica plan with a central plan on an vast scale .
Which is considered as the epitome of Byzantine architecture?
why is hagia sophia considered the epitome of byzantine architecture.
Why is the Corpus Juris Civilis important to the world?
Why was the Corpus Juris Civilis important? aka “Body of Civil Law” or Justinian’s Code; had legal & political impact ; reached Western Europe monarchs; set foundation for many law systems. ... He rebuilt the church of Hagia Sophia; Justinian’s Code; Absolute rule; economic and military power.
Why is Hagia Sophia in Turkey important in our church history?
Hagia Sophia, or the Church of Holy Wisdom, was built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I on the site of an destroyed basilica of the same name. Completed in 537, it was among the world’s largest domed structures and would serve as the foremost Orthodox Christian church for some 900 years .
Which civilization had the greatest influence on the development of the Byzantine Empire?
As it incorporated Greek and Christian culture, it transformed into a unique Byzantine culture. Additionally, the Byzantine Empire was influenced by Latin, Coptic, Armenian, and Persian cultures . Later on, it was influenced by Islamic cultures as well. Constantinople was an extremely diverse city.
Which is the epitome of the architectural splendours of Constantinople?
The Hagia Sophia , located in Istanbul, Turkey, is said to have changed the history of architecture as it was “the epitome of Byzantine architecture”.
Why is the Hagia Sophia an important landmark in world history?
Built between 532 and 537, Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom, Ayasofya) represents a brilliant moment in Byzantine architecture and art . It was the principal church of the Byzantine Empire in its capital, Constantinople (later Istanbul), and a mosque after the Ottoman Empire conquered the city in 1453.
What were the features of Constantinople?
Constantinople is almost surrounded by water , except on its side facing Europe where walls were built. The city was built on a promontory projecting into the Bosphorus (Bosporus), which is the strait between the Sea of Marmara (Propontis) and the Black Sea (Pontus Euxinus).
What architectural feature of the dome of the church of Hagia Sophia makes it appear to float above the central space of the church?
The dome was supported through the use of pendentives . The architects wanted the dome to appear almost as if it were “floating” above the walls –> using lots of windows at base of dome.
Why does Suleymaniye mosque look like Hagia Sophia?
Hagia Sophia served as a model for the Suleymaniye mosque; but rather than simply emulate the Byzantine model, Sinan sought to improve upon the model and usurp the Byzantine legacy. ... This model of dome architecture, pioneered by the Byzantines would influence Ottoman Mosques in the early centuries of the empire.
How does Procopius describe Hagia Sophia?
[The Church] is distinguished by indescribable beauty , excelling both in its size, and in the harmony of its measures, having no part excessive and none deficient; being more magnificent than ordinary buildings, and much more elegant than those which are not of so just a proportion.
Why is Caesaropapism significant?
caesaropapism, political system in which the head of the state is also the head of the church and supreme judge in religious matters . It was normal practice, however, for the Eastern Roman emperor to act as the protector of the universal church and as the manager of its administrative affairs. ...
What did the Byzantine Empire accomplish?
The Byzantine Empire was the longest-lasting medieval power , and its influence continues today, especially in the religion, art, architecture, and law of many Western states, Eastern and Central Europe, and Russia.
How did the Byzantine Empire maintain power?
They maintained this power, by using the code of laws , which had made them believe that there should be only one religion, Christianity. He told the people what they wanted to hear, from the help of Theodora and that was that Rome would be restored to its glory.
