what is the architectural style of the hagia sophia
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Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; from the Greek Αγία Σοφία, , "Holy Wisdom"; or "Sancta Sapientia"; ) is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum ("Ayasofya Müzesi") in Istanbul, Turkey. Built in 537 AD at the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was famous in particular for its massive dome. It was the world's largest building and an engineering marvel of its time. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture". The Hagia Sophia construction consists of mostly masonry. The structure
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Zangi, featured an altar. The Aqsa Mosque has a sculpted ornament, taken from Crusader structures of the 12th century, in the arches of the facade. The upper double capital of the mosque on twisted columns expresses the unity of nature in a characteristic Romanesque style. After the fall of Constantinople, the Ottomans converted a major basilica, Hagia Sophia, to a mosque and incorporated Byzantine architectural elements into their own work, such as domes. This was a part of the conversion of non-Muslim places of worship into mosques. The Hagia Sophia also served as model for many Ottoman mosques, such as
Christian influences in Islam
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the building of the church a monastery bearing the same name was built near the edifice. Construction of the new church began shortly before that of Hagia Sophia, built from 532 to 537. It was believed that the building had been designed by the same architects, Isidorus of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, as a kind of "dress rehearsal" for that of the largest church of the Byzantine Empire. However, the building is quite different in architectural detail from the Hagia Sophia and the notion that it was but a small-scale version has largely been discredited. During the years 536
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This style influenced the construction of several other buildings, such as St. Peter's cathedral. Hagia Sophia should have been built to withstand earthquakes, but since the construction of Hagia Sophia was rushed this technology was not implemented in the design, which is why the building has had to be repaired so many times due to damages from the earthquakes. The dome is the key feature of Hagia Sophia as the domed basilica is representative of Byzantine architecture. Both of the domes collapsed at different times throughout history due to earthquakes and had to be rebuilt. The original construction of Hagia
Byzantine architecture
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the Fatih Mosque. Like the original plan of the Hagia Sophia, many of these mosques are also entered through a colonnaded courtyard. However, the courtyard of the Hagia Sophia no longer exists. Many Neo-Byzantine churches are modeled on the Hagia Sophia. The Kronstadt Naval Cathedral and Poti Cathedral closely replicate the internal geometry of the Hagia Sophia. The interior of the Kronstadt Naval Cathedral is a nearly 1-to-1 copy of the Hagia Sophia. The marble revetment also closely mimics the source work. Like Ottoman mosques, many churches based on the Hagia Sophia include four semi-domes rather than two, such as
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Church of St. Polyeuctus The Church of St. Polyeuctus (, "Hagios Polyeuktos") was an ancient Byzantine church in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) built by the noblewoman Anicia Juliana and dedicated to Saint Polyeuctus. Intended as an assertion of Juliana's own imperial lineage, it was a lavishly decorated building, and the largest church of the city before the construction of the Hagia Sophia. It introduced the large-scale use of Sassanid Persian decorative elements, and may have inaugurated the new architectural type of domed basilica, perfected in the later Hagia Sophia. Little is known of the church's history after its construction. The
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professors Justinian closed down the Neoplatonic Academy in 529. Other schools continued in Constantinople, Antioch and Alexandria which were the centers of Justinian's empire. Hymns written by Romanos the Melodist marked the development of the Divine Liturgy, while the architects Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles worked to complete the new Church of the Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia, which was designed to replace an older church destroyed during the Nika Revolt. Completed in 537, the Hagia Sophia stands today as one of the major monuments of Byzantine architectural history. During the 6th and 7th centuries, the Empire was struck
Byzantine Empire
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by porticos and a huge hypostyle prayer hall covered on its axis by two cupolas. The Great Mosque of Samarra in Iraq, completed in 847 AD, combined the hypostyle architecture of rows of columns supporting a flat base above which a huge spiraling minaret was constructed. The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul also influenced Islamic architecture. When the Ottomans captured the city from the Byzantines, they converted the basilica to a mosque (now a museum) and incorporated Byzantine architectural elements into their own work (e.g. domes). The Hagia Sophia also served as a model for many Ottoman mosques such as the
Islamic architecture
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Mimar Sinan set out to build a dome larger than that of Hagia Sophia with Selimiye Mosque (1569–74), he used a more stable octagonal supporting structure. The Selimiye Mosque is of the type originating with the Church of Sergius and Bacchus. Three other Imperial mosques in Istanbul built in this "Classical Style" of Hagia Sophia include four large semi-domes around the central dome, rather than two: Şehzade Camii, Sultan Ahmed I Camii (completed in 1616), and the last to be built: Yeni Cami (1597–1663). A Byzantine revival style of architecture occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries. An early example
History of Roman and Byzantine domes
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and Zeynep Sultan's second husband, is also in the hazîre of the mosque. From her first Marriage she got the son Mahmud Dramali Pasha. Zeynep Sultan Mosque The Zeynep Sultan Mosque (in Turkish Zeynep Sultan Camii) is a mosque built in 1769 by Ayazma Mosque's architect Mehmet Tahir Ağa for Ahmed III's daughter Zeynep Sultan. It evokes Byzantine churches because of its architectural style and materials that were used in its construction. The mosque is on Alemdar Caddesi (Street) in Istanbul, across the street from Gülhane Park, not far from the Hagia Sophia, and viewable from the tram that circulates
Zeynep Sultan Mosque
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Zeynep Sultan Mosque The Zeynep Sultan Mosque (in Turkish Zeynep Sultan Camii) is a mosque built in 1769 by Ayazma Mosque's architect Mehmet Tahir Ağa for Ahmed III's daughter Zeynep Sultan. It evokes Byzantine churches because of its architectural style and materials that were used in its construction. The mosque is on Alemdar Caddesi (Street) in Istanbul, across the street from Gülhane Park, not far from the Hagia Sophia, and viewable from the tram that circulates the city. In the back side of the mosque, there is a building, which was once used as "mektep" and now being used as
Zeynep Sultan Mosque
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Hagia Sophia, Trabzon Hagia Sophia (, meaning "Holy Wisdom" ) is a museum, formerly Greek Orthodox church which was converted into a mosque in 1584, and located in Trabzon, in the north-eastern part of Turkey. It dates back to the thirteenth century when Trabzon was the capital of the Empire of Trebizond. It is located near the seashore and two miles west of the medieval town's limits. It is one of a few dozen Byzantine sites still extant in the area. It has been described as being "regarded as one of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture." Hagia Sophia was
Hagia Sophia, Trabzon
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Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; from the Greek Αγία Σοφία, , "Holy Wisdom"; or "Sancta Sapientia"; ) is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum ("Ayasofya Müzesi") in Istanbul, Turkey. Built in 537 AD at the beginning of the Middle Ages, it was famous in particular for its massive dome. It was the world's largest building and an engineering marvel of its time. It is considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture". The Hagia Sophia construction consists of mostly masonry. The structure
Hagia Sophia
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Hagia Sophia a mosque once again, which would reverse Atatürk's measure of turning the Hagia Sophia into a secular museum. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. Its interior is decorated with mosaics and marble pillars and coverings of great artistic value. The temple itself was so richly and artistically decorated that Justinian proclaimed, "Solomon, I have outdone thee!" (Νενίκηκά σε Σολομών). Justinian himself had overseen the completion of the greatest cathedral ever built up to that time, and it was to remain the largest cathedral for 1,000 years up until the completion of the
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Little Hagia Sophia Little Hagia Sophia Mosque (), formerly the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus (, "Ekklēsía tôn Hagíōn Sergíou kaì Bákchou en toîs Hormísdou"), is a former Greek Eastern Orthodox church dedicated to Saints Sergius and Bacchus in Constantinople, converted into a mosque during the Ottoman Empire. This Byzantine building with a central dome plan was erected in the sixth century by Justinian, likely was a model for Hagia Sophia ("Holy Wisdom"), and is one of the most important early Byzantine buildings in Istanbul. It was recognized at the time as an adornment to the entire city,
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on columns that carried a clearstory wall with five windows. It was converted to a mosque after the fall of the city to the Ottoman Turks in 1337, and functioned as such until it was converted into a museum in 1935. In November 2011 it was again converted into a mosque. Hagia Sophia, İznik The Hagia Sophia (, "Holy Wisdom") at Nicaea is a Byzantine-era church in Nicaea (now known as İznik) in Turkey. The church of Hagia Sophia was built by Justinian I in the middle of the city in the 6th century. It was in this building that
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Hagia Sophia, İznik The Hagia Sophia (, "Holy Wisdom") at Nicaea is a Byzantine-era church in Nicaea (now known as İznik) in Turkey. The church of Hagia Sophia was built by Justinian I in the middle of the city in the 6th century. It was in this building that the Second Council of Nicaea met in 787 to end the first period of Byzantine Iconoclasm. A timber-roofed basilica with a central nave and side aisles, it was built shortly after 1065, but extensively remodeled after its conversion into a mosque. Before the remodeling it had two rows of triple arcades
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Hagia Sophia Church, Nesebar The Church of Saint Sofia (, Byzantine Greek: "Ναός Αγίας Σοφίας"), also known as the Old Bishopric () is an Eastern Orthodox church in Nesebar, eastern Bulgaria. It is situated in the old quarter of the town which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site list and of the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria. The church is located in what is supposed to have been the center of the ancient city. It is a three-naved unvaulted basilica with a semi-circular apse, a narthex and an atrium. The church has a total length of 25.5 m
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everyday, except for Tuesdays. Construction of Hagia Irene The most famous example of Byzantine architecture is Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia held the title of largest church in the world until the Ottoman Empire sieged the Byzantine capital. After the fall of Constantinople, the church was converted into a mosque and was used for religious services until 1931, until it was reopened as a museum in 1935.Translated from Greek, the name Hagia Sophia means "Sacred Wisdom". The construction is a combination of longitudinal and central structures. This church was apart of a larger complex of buildings created by Emperor Justinian.
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closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey. Hagia Sophia was, , the second-most visited museum in Turkey, attracting almost 3.3 million visitors annually. According to data released by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry, Hagia Sophia was Turkey's most visited tourist attraction in 2015. From its initial conversion until the construction of the nearby Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul) in 1616, it was the principal mosque of Istanbul. The Byzantine architecture of the Hagia Sophia served as inspiration for many other Ottoman mosques, such as
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for the Emperor. The Byzantine mosaic above the portal depicts Christ and an unnamed emperor. A long ramp from the northern part of the outer narthex leads up to the upper gallery. Throughout history the Hagia Sophia has been a victim to natural disasters, such as earthquakes, and has also fallen victim to vandalism. Structural damage can easily be seen on its exterior surface. To ensure that the Hagia Sophia did not ensue any damage on the interior of the building, studies have been conducted using ground penetrating radar within the gallery of the Hagia Sophia. With the use of
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Saint Sophia Cathedral (Washington, D.C.) Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral was founded as a church in 1904 to serve the Greek Orthodox residents of the District of Columbia. In 1962, the church was elevated to a cathedral under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of America in New York City and serves as his cathedral in Washington. The church is not named for Saint Sophia the martyr, but rather the Holy Wisdom of God in the tradition of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople. The building is in the Neo-Byzantine style with a central dome that reaches in height. The congregation met in
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which had not yet been harmonized into a collective whole. Taking heavily from the Byzantine tradition, and in particular the influence of the Hagia Sophia, Classical Ottoman architecture was, as before, ultimately a syncretic blend of numerous influences and adaptations for Ottoman needs. In what may be the most emblematic of the structures of this period, the classical mosques designed by Sinan and those after him used a dome-based structure, similar to that of Hagia Sophia, but among other things changed the proportions, opened the interior of the structure and freed it from the colonnades and other structural elements that
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was the Hagia Sophia. The brickwork-and-mortar ribs and the spherical shell of the central dome of the Hagia Sophia were built simultaneously, as a self-supporting structure without any wooden centring. In the early Byzantine church of Hagia Irene, the ribs of the dome vault are fully integrated into the shell, similar to Western Roman domes, and thus are not visible from within the building. In the dome of the Hagia Sophia, the ribs and shell of the dome unite in a central medallion at the apex of the dome, the upper ends of the ribs being integrated into the shell:
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Ottoman architecture Ottoman architecture is the architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries. The architecture of the empire developed from the earlier Seljuk architecture and was influenced by the Byzantine architecture, Armenian architecture, Iranian as well as Islamic Mamluk traditions after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans. For almost 400 years Byzantine architectural artifacts such as the church of Hagia Sophia served as models for many of the Ottoman mosques. Overall, Ottoman architecture has been described as Byzantine influenced architecture synthesized with architectural traditions of Central Asia and the Middle
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Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia (Agia Sophia) is largely influenced by the architectural legacy of the Byzantine style and is a representative example of the architectural style used for Orthodox places of worship across the world. Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 18 March 2016 having satisfied the following criteria. The place is important in demonstrating the course, or pattern, of cultural or natural history in New South Wales. The Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia (Agia Sophia) is of state heritage significance as the first Greek Orthodox
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supporting structure system collapsed.” The Hagia Sophia was repeatedly cracked by earthquakes and was quickly repaired. Isidore of Miletus’ nephew, Isidore the Younger, introduced the new dome design that can be viewed in the Hagia Sophia in present-day Istanbul, Turkey. After a great earthquake in 989 ruined the dome of Hagia Sophia, the Byzantine officials summoned Trdat the Architect to Byzantium to organize repairs. The restored dome was completed by 994. Isidore of Miletus Isidore of Miletus (; ; ) was one of the two main Byzantine Greek architects (Anthemius of Tralles was the other) that Emperor Justinian I commissioned
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of the currency on its own. One of the rarest banknotes on exhibit is the one depicting the Byzantine church of Hagia Sofia in Constantinople. Designed in 1920, the banknote depicts Hagia Sophia without the Ottoman minarets and was part of the Megali Idea. A few years later the Asia Minor disaster occurred and the currency was never circulated. Rare art deco style banknotes, printed in France, some featuring Hermes, allegorically depict the continuity of Greek currency and commerce from ancient times to the 1930s. The exhibition also includes banknotes that were issued during WWII by the occupying Axis forces.
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a larger version of the domed modules used throughout the rest of the structure to generate open space. This idea became important to the Ottoman style as it developed. The Beyazidiye Mosque (1501–1506) in Istanbul begins the Classical period in Ottoman architecture, in which the great Imperial Mosques, with variations, resemble the former Byzantine basilica of Hagia Sophia in having a large central dome with semi-domes of the same span to the east and west. Hagia Sophia's central dome arrangement is faithfully reproduced in three Ottoman mosques in Istanbul: the Beyazidiye Mosque, the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque, and the Süleymaniye
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side arches were painted the prophets and the teachers of the church. In his book "De caerimoniis aulae Byzantinae" ("Book of Ceremonies"), Emperor Constantine VII (913–919) wrote a detailed account of the ceremonies held in the Hagia Sophia by the emperor and the patriarch. Upon the capture of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade, the church was ransacked and desecrated by the Crusaders, as described by the Byzantine historian Niketas Choniates. During the Latin occupation of Constantinople (1204–1261) the church became a Roman Catholic cathedral. Baldwin I of Constantinople was crowned emperor on 16 May 1204 in Hagia Sophia, at a
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Hagia Irene Hagia Irene or Hagia Eirene (, Byzantine , "Holy Peace", ), sometimes known also as Saint Irene, is a Greek Eastern Orthodox church located in the outer courtyard of Topkapı Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It is one of the few churches in Istanbul that has not been converted into a mosque. The Hagia Irene today operates as a museum and concert hall. The church was dedicated to the peace of God, and is one of the three shrines which emperors devoted to God's attributes, together with Hagia Sophia (Wisdom) and Hagia Dynamis. The building reputedly stands on the
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values and language. The place is important in demonstrating aesthetic characteristics and/or a high degree of creative or technical achievement in New South Wales. A landmark set of Inter-war Academic Classical buildings straddling the prominent corner of South Dowling and Napier Streets in Paddington, the architectural style of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia (Agia Sophia) and the Saint Sophia Hall are influenced by the architectural legacy of the Byzantine style. Not evident from its external elevations, the cathedral incorporates a centralised domed cupola above the nave, under which hangs the main chandelier. The cupola symbolises the sky and
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cathedral in Seville in Spain. Justinian's basilica was at once the culminating architectural achievement of late antiquity and the first masterpiece of Byzantine architecture. Its influence, both architecturally and liturgically, was widespread and enduring in the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Muslim worlds alike. The vast interior has a complex structure. The nave is covered by a central dome which at its maximum is from floor level and rests on an arcade of 40 arched windows. Repairs to its structure have left the dome somewhat elliptical, with the diameter varying between . At the western entrance side and eastern liturgical
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the city was returned to the Byzantine Empire in 1246. After the capture of Thessaloniki by the Ottoman Sultan Murad II on 29 March 1430, the church was converted into a mosque. It was reconverted to a church upon the liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912. Its ground plan is that of a domed Greek cross basilica. Together with the Gül and the Kalenderhane Mosques in Istanbul and the destroyed Church of the Dormition in Nicaea, it represents one of the main architectural examples of this type, typical of the Byzantine middle period. In the Iconoclastic era, the apse of the
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few years after his death in 1226. Both have now been detached and partially restored, and can be seen in the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul. As a whole, the mosque of Kalenderhane represents – together with the Gül Mosque in Istanbul, the Church of Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki and the Church of the Dormition in ("Koimesis") in Iznik (Nicaea), one of the main architectural examples of a domed Greek cross church from the Byzantine middle period. Kalenderhane Mosque Kalenderhane Mosque () is a former Eastern Orthodox church in Istanbul, converted into a mosque by the Ottomans. With high probability the
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four water channels in order to represent paradise as the Qur'an described it. Ottoman architecture Ottoman architecture is the architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries. The architecture of the empire developed from the earlier Seljuk architecture and was influenced by the Byzantine architecture, Armenian architecture, Iranian as well as Islamic Mamluk traditions after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans. For almost 400 years Byzantine architectural artifacts such as the church of Hagia Sophia served as models for many of the Ottoman mosques. Overall, Ottoman architecture has been described as
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at Theodora's insistence. Interpretations that Justinian never forgot that it was Theodora who had saved his throne depend on seeing Procopius' account as a straightforward report, and not framed to impugn Justinian with the implication that he was more cowardly than his wife. Following the Nika revolt, Justinian and Theodora rebuilt and reformed Constantinople and made it the most splendid city the world had seen for centuries, building or rebuilding aqueducts, bridges and more than twenty five churches. The greatest of these is Hagia Sophia, considered the epitome of Byzantine architecture and one of the architectural wonders of the world.
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from the same period as the triple land walls of Theodosius II. The most extant Byzantine structure which has survived from the reign of Heraclius (610–641) is the Prison of Anemas, incorporated into the city walls, at Blachernae. It is a huge castle-like structure with several towers and a network of underground Byzantine prisons. The early Byzantine architecture followed the classical Roman model of domes and arches, but further improved these architectural concepts, as evidenced with the Hagia Sophia which was designed by Isidorus and Anthemius as the third church to rise on this location, between 532 and 537, following
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relief organized by Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaovna. In 1930, Whittemore founded the Byzantine Institute of America, whose mission was to "conserve, restore, study, and document" the monuments and artworks of the Byzantine world. In 1931, Whittemore traveled with the Institute to Istanbul with the permission of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk to oversee the removal of plaster covering the Byzantine mosaics in Hagia Sophia. Of the radical and sudden transformation of Hagia Sophia from an active mosque to a secular museum in 1931 he wrote: "Santa Sophia was a mosque the day that I talked to him. The next morning, when I
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ceremony which closely followed Byzantine practices. Enrico Dandolo, the Doge of Venice who commanded the sack and invasion of the city by the Latin Crusaders in 1204, is buried inside the church, probably in the upper Eastern gallery. In the 19th century, an Italian restoration team placed a cenotaph marker near the probable location, which is still visible today. The marker is frequently mistaken by tourists as being a medieval marker of the actual tomb of the doge. The real tomb was destroyed by the Ottomans after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453 and subsequent conversion of Hagia Sophia into
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of the lord. The verses, especially the Psalm, were used as inspiration for some of the mosaics in Hagia Sophia. Hagia Irene also holds a synthronon. Synthronons are rows of built benches that are arranged in a semicircle in the apse. During Divine Liturgy this is where the clergy would sit. This is the only synthronon that has survived in the city from the Byzantine era. The synthronon in Hagia Irene has six tiers of seats. There are doors at both side that open up into an ambulatory beneath the fourth tier of seats. The cross on top of the
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Sava to Patriarch Makarije Sokolović. A historical composition of the death of the Metropolitan of Gračanica Dionisije covers the southeastern part of the narthex. The paintings of Gračanica rank highest among the achievements of Milutin's period, characterized by influences of the Byzantine splendiferous and luxurious style called the "Paleologan Renaissance". In terms of style, they are also related to the art of the other of Milutin's foundations. The design of the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade is based on the models of Gračanica and Hagia Sophia. In Chicago, the New Gračanica church is a detailed replica of Gračanica, completed
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model of domes and arches, but improved upon these elements, as in the Church of the Saints Sergius and Bacchus. The oldest surviving Byzantine church in Istanbul—albeit in ruins—is the Monastery of Stoudios (later converted into the Imrahor Mosque), which was built in 454. After the recapture of Constantinople in 1261, the Byzantines enlarged two of the most important churches extant, Chora Church and Pammakaristos Church. The pinnacle of Byzantine architecture, and one of Istanbul's most iconic structures, is the Hagia Sophia. Topped by a dome in diameter, the Hagia Sophia stood as the world's largest cathedral for centuries, and
Istanbul
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the courtyards. The intervals between the columns separating the basilica's naves are closed off by balustrade slabs. The capitals resemble those at Hagia Sophia, also built by Justinian. The large pulpit ("ambo") found in Basilica A is the only surviving "ambo" from the early Byzantine period and is kept in the garden of the Hagia Sophia. A marble triumphal arch was erected on the west side of the Forum, out of marble from Marmara Island. The triumphal arch had a vaulted roof with three passageways. The central archway of the three was wider and higher than the others and flanked
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Levant continued to make icons without significant interruption from the sixth century to the ninth. The missing nose on the Great Sphinx of Giza is attributed to iconoclasm by a Sufi Muslim fanatic in the mid-1300s. Certain conquering Muslim armies have used local temples or houses of worship as mosques. An example is Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), which was converted into a mosque in 1453. Most icons were desecrated and the rest were covered with plaster. In the 1920s, Hagia Sophia was converted to a museum, and the restoration of the mosaics was undertaken by the American Byzantine
Iconoclasm
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into a Western (Latin) and an Eastern (Greek) part was prefigured in the division of the Empire by the Emperor Diocletian in AD 285. Around 330, Constantine established the city of Constantinople as a new imperial city which would be the capital of the Byzantine Empire. Possessed of mighty fortifications and architectural splendour, the city would stand for another thousand years as a "Roman Capital". The Hagia Sophia Cathedral (later converted to a mosque following the Fall of Constantinople in 1453) is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture, with its vast dome and interior of mosaics and
History of Western civilization before AD 500
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Deccan". The Gol Gumbaz built by Muhammad is the largest dome in India and the second largest pre-modern dome in the world after the Byzantine Hagia Sophia with an impressive "whispering gallery". Some historians consider this one of the architectural marvels of the world. Persian language was given state patronage while the use of the local languages, Kannada and Marathi was popularised in local affairs. The fall of the Vijayanagara Empire in 1565 at the Battle of Talikota started a slow disintegration of the Kannada speaking region into many short-lived "palegar" chiefdoms, and the better known Kingdom of Mysore and
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of building churches and donating to the poor. The Christian basilica was copied from the civic structure with variations. The bishop took the chair in the apse reserved in secular structures for the magistrate—or the Emperor himself—as the representative here and now of Christ Pantocrator, the Ruler of All, his characteristic Late Antique icon. These ecclesiastical basilicas (e.g., St. John Lateran and St. Peter's in Rome) were themselves outdone by Justinian's Hagia Sophia, a staggering display of later Roman/Byzantine power and architectural taste, though the building is not architecturally a basilica. In the former Western Roman Empire no great buildings
Late antiquity
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traditional Byzantine forms and the Hagia Sophia in particular, the church was not meant as a purely historicist tribute; rather, it was an update and reinterpretation of architectural forms very much alive. In a letter dated September 9, 1958—when the project was well into the working drawings stages—Wright explained: "The edifice is in itself a complete work of modern art and science belonging to today but dedicated to ancient tradition—contributing to Tradition instead of living upon it." Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, United States, was designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956, and
Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church
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Museum (Harbin Architectural Art Gallery), showcasing the multi-cultural architectural developments of Harbin throughout the ages. At the official ceremony on September 2, 1997 to celebrate the restoration of Hagia Sophia Cathedral, Mayor Wang Guangdao underlined the cultural and economic benefits expected from the project: "The restoration of Hagia Sophia Cathedral inspired the people of Harbin, raised the level of our culture, let the whole of China and foreign friends know China, and opened a way for faster economic development." The restoration was the culmination of the Harbin municipal government's attempt to turn the city's colonial era structures into tourist attractions
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resolutions of patriarchate officials. The Nice Door is the oldest architectural element found in the Hagia Sophia dating back to the 2nd century BC. The decorations are of reliefs of geometric shapes as well as plants that are believed to have come from a pagan temple in Tarsus, Mersin now modern-day Turkey. It was incorporated into the building by Emperor Theophilos in 838AD where it is placed in the south exit in the inner narthex. The Emperor Door is the door that would be used solely by the Emperor as well as his personal bodyguard and retinue. It is the
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Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki The Hagia Sophia (, "Holy Wisdom") in Thessaloniki, Greece, is one of the oldest churches in that city still standing today. It is one of several monuments in Thessaloniki included as a World Heritage Site on the UNESCO list. Since the 3rd century, there was a church in the location of the current Hagia Sophia. In the 8th century, the present structure was erected, based on the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey). In 1205, when the Fourth Crusade captured the city, the Hagia Sophia was converted into the cathedral of Thessaloniki, which it remained after
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of the Hagia Sophia. Both include four semi-domes, but the two lateral semi-domes are very shallow. In terms of size, the Église du Saint-Esprit is about two thirds the scale of the Hagia Sophia. Synagogues based on the Hagia Sophia include the Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco), Great Synagogue of Florence, and Hurva Synagogue. Related Buildings: Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; from the Greek Αγία Σοφία, , "Holy Wisdom"; or "Sancta Sapientia"; ) is the former Greek Orthodox Christian patriarchal cathedral, later an Ottoman imperial mosque and now a museum ("Ayasofya Müzesi") in Istanbul, Turkey. Built in 537 AD at the
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contains a "broad, clearly articulated facade" and a large concrete dome. In his book "Hagia Sophia, 1850-1950: Holy Wisdom Modern Monument", author Robert S. Nelson compares the Cathedral to the Hagia Sophia. Almirall also designed most of the buildings for the Seaview Hospital in Staten Island, New York which at the time of its construction was the largest tuberculosis hospital in the world where many of the successful treatments for this disease were to be created. Today this hospital is a spectacular ruin. Raymond F. Almirall works. Held by the Department of Drawings & Archives, Avery Architectural & Fine Arts
Raymond F. Almirall
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Romanos the Melode marked the development of the Divine Liturgy, while architects and builders worked to complete the new Church of the Holy Wisdom, Hagia Sophia, designed to replace an older church destroyed in the course of the Nika revolt. Hagia Sophia stands today as one of the major monuments of architectural history. During the 6th and 7th centuries the Empire was struck by a series of epidemics, which would greatly devastate the population, contributing to a significant economic decline and weakening of the Empire. After Justinian died in 565, his successor, Justin II refused to pay the large tribute
History of the Byzantine Empire
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Sacred structures such as churches, basilicas, baptisteries started to appear after the Roman invasion of Illyria. An Early Christian architecture style developed simultaneously in Albania between the 4th and 6th century. As the Roman Empire fell into east and west, the Byzantines kept Roman architectural elements alive and became prominent for their slightly flatter domes and richer usage of murals and icons rather than statues. The Baptistery with the Basilica of Butrint, built in the 6th century, are among the most important Early Christian buildings in the Balkan Peninsula. It is besides the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, one of the
Architecture of Albania
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from 1261. It was commissioned to mark the end of 57 years of Roman Catholic use and the return to the Orthodox faith. It is the third panel situated in the imperial enclosure of the upper galleries. It is widely considered the finest in Hagia Sophia, because of the softness of the features, the humane expressions and the tones of the mosaic. The style is close to that of the Italian painters of the late 13th or early 14th century, such as Duccio. In this panel the Virgin Mary and John the Baptist ("Ioannes Prodromos"), both shown in three-quarters profile,
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notably Turkey's deputy prime minister Bülent Arınç in November 2013, have been demanding that Hagia Sophia be converted into a mosque again. In 2015, in retaliation for the acknowledgment by Pope Francis of the Armenian Genocide, the Mufti of Ankara, Mefail Hızlı, stated that he believes the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque will be accelerated. On July 1, 2016, Muslim prayers were held again in the Hagia Sophia for the first time in 85 years. On May 13, 2017, a large group of people organized by the Anatolia Youth Association (AGD), gathered in front of Hagia Sophia and
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building that underwent many damages during a fire in 1890. Much of the interior decoration was plastered over after the Great Thessaloniki Fire of 1917. The dome was not restored until 1980. Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki The Hagia Sophia (, "Holy Wisdom") in Thessaloniki, Greece, is one of the oldest churches in that city still standing today. It is one of several monuments in Thessaloniki included as a World Heritage Site on the UNESCO list. Since the 3rd century, there was a church in the location of the current Hagia Sophia. In the 8th century, the present structure was erected, based
Hagia Sophia, Thessaloniki
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palace into the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, so now Louis could pass directly from his palace into the Sainte-Chapelle. More importantly, the two-story palace chapel had obvious similarities to Charlemagne's palatine chapel at Aachen (built 792–805)—a parallel that Louis was keen to exploit in presenting himself as a worthy successor to the first Holy Roman Emperor. The royal chapel is a prime example of the phase of Gothic architectural style called "Rayonnant", marked by its sense of weightlessness and strong vertical emphasis. It stands squarely upon a lower chapel, which served as parish church for all the inhabitants of the
Sainte-Chapelle
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to salt crystallization. The crystallization of salt is due to an intrusion of rainwater that is at fault for the Hagia Sophia's deteriorating inner and outer walls. Diverting excess rainwater is the main solution to solve the deteriorating walls at the Hagia Sophia. Built between 532-537 a subsurface structure under the Hagia Sophia has been under investigation, using LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters to determine the depth of the subsurface structure and to discover other hidden cavities beneath the Hagia Sophia.The hidden cavities have also acted as a support system against earthquakes. With these findings using the LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters, it was also discovered
Hagia Sophia
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Constantinople, on one occasion, not a few Manicheans, after strict inquisition, were executed in the emperor's very presence: some by burning, others by drowning. Justinian was a prolific builder; the historian Procopius bears witness to his activities in this area. Under Justinian's patronage the San Vitale in Ravenna, which features two famous mosaics representing Justinian and Theodora, was completed. Most notably, he had the Hagia Sophia, originally a basilica-style church that had been burnt down during the Nika riots, splendidly rebuilt according to a completely different ground plan, under the architectural supervision of Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles.
Justinian I
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in elaborate mosaics, decorative marble, and, in some places, covered in plaster. Another important characteristic of the church include two domes that follow one behind another, the first being a lower oval, and the second being a higher semi-circle. Throughout history Hagia Irene has undergone several changes. There were multiple repairs due to the Nika riots and earthquakes. When the Ottomans took over Hagia Irene they repurposed it and made a few changes, but none as drastic as what was done to Hagia Sophia. Today, Hagia Irene is still standing and open to visitors as a museum. It is open
Byzantine architecture
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Sophia was ordered by Emperor Constatine I in 360. His building of churches, specifically Hagia Sophia, was considered an incredibly significant component in his shift of the centralization of power from Rome in the East to Constantinople in the West, and was considered the high-point of religious and political celebration. The construction of the final version of Hagia Sophia, which still stands today, was overseen by Emperor Justinian. Between the rule of these two Emperors, Hagia Sophia was destroyed and rebuilt twice. Following its reconstruction, Hagia Sophia was considered the center of Orthodox Christianity for 900 years, until the conquest
Byzantine architecture
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templon have been discovered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Though there is some architectural and archaeological evidence of early templa, the first and most detailed description of a templon comes from a poem by Paul the Silentiary, describing Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. It was composed near the end of Justinian I’s reign and was probably recited on Epiphany, January 6, 563, celebrating the reinauguration of the church after the reconstruction of the great dome. Hagia Sophia’s templon surrounded, according to Paulus, "such space as was reserved in the eastern arch of the great church for the bloodless sacrifices". That
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and he handed them over to the Norwegian Runic archive in 1997. There may be additional runic inscriptions waiting to be found on the walls and other parts of the Hagia Sophia. Runic inscriptions in Hagia Sophia There are at least two runic inscriptions in Hagia Sophia's marble parapets. They may have been engraved by members of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople in the Viking Age. The first runic inscription was discovered in 1964 on a parapet on the top floor of the southern gallery, and the discovery was published by Elisabeth Svärdström in "Runorna i Hagia Sofia", "Fornvännen" 65
Runic inscriptions in Hagia Sophia
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the Hagia Sophia. The dome rises above a square bay. Corner semi-domes convert this into an octagon, which muqarnas transition to a circular base. The dome has an average internal diameter of about 31.5 meters, while that of Hagia Sophia averages 31.3 meters. Designed and built by architect Mimar Sinan between 1568 and 1574, when he finished it he was 86 years old, and he considered the mosque his masterpiece. The first large Imperial Mosque of Istanbul in the imported Baroque style was the Nuruosmaniye Mosque (1748–1755). One of the finest was the Laleli Mosque of 1759–1764. Filippo Brunelleschi's octagonal
Dome
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by the deacon or priest at certain moments, especially before the reading of scripture, to draw the congregation's attention to sacred teaching. There are numerous churches dedicated to Holy Wisdom throughout the Eastern Orthodox world. Their archetype is the main basilica of Constantinople (now a museum), built in the 6th century, in English simply known as the Hagia Sophia. The extant building of the Hagia Sophia dates to the 6th century. It is not entirely clear when the first church at the site had been dedicated to "Hagia Sophia". The first church on the site, consecrated in 360 (during the
Holy Wisdom
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such a large diameter. The great dome at the Hagia Sophia is one hundred and seven feet in diameter and is only two feet thick. The main building material for the Hagia Sophia composed of brick and mortar. Brick aggregate was used to make roofs easier to construct. The aggregate weighs one hundred and fifty pounds per cubic foot, an average weight of masonry construction at the time. Due to the materials plasticity it was chosen over cut stone due to the fact that aggregate can be used over a longer distance. The weight of the dome remained a problem
Hagia Sophia
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marble; the lower storey has 16, while the upper has 18. Many of the column capitals still bear the monograms of Justinian and Theodora. Nothing remains of the original interior decoration of the church, which contemporary chroniclers describe as being covered in mosaics with walls of variegated marble. During the Ottoman conversion into a mosque, the windows and entrance were modified, floor level raised, and interior walls plastered. North of the edifice there is a small Muslim cemetery with the türbe of Hüseyin Ağa, the founder of the mosque. Little Hagia Sophia Little Hagia Sophia Mosque (), formerly the Church
Little Hagia Sophia
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dome. The first stage of work involved the structural stabilization and repair of the cracked roof, which was undertaken with the participation of the Turkish Ministry of Culture. The second phase, the preservation of the dome's interior, afforded the opportunity to employ and train young Turkish conservators in the care of mosaics. By 2006, the WMF project was complete, though many other areas of Hagia Sophia continue to require significant stability improvement, restoration and conservation. Hagia Sophia is currently (2014) the second most visited museum in Turkey, attracting almost 3.3 million visitors annually. Although use of the complex as a
Hagia Sophia
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National Technical University of Athens has begun to use Non Destructive Techniques along with infrared technology to scan walls of the Hagia Sophia to locate mosaics that have been previously covered with plaster. The National Technical University of Athens is using infrared technology, to assess the damage mosaics have taken within the Hagia Sophia beneath the plaster. The National Technical University of Athens uses categories such as water intrusion to determine a mosaics current state of condition. Because of its long history as both a church and a mosque, a particular challenge arises in the restoration process. Christian iconographic mosaics
Hagia Sophia
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Runic inscriptions in Hagia Sophia There are at least two runic inscriptions in Hagia Sophia's marble parapets. They may have been engraved by members of the Varangian Guard in Constantinople in the Viking Age. The first runic inscription was discovered in 1964 on a parapet on the top floor of the southern gallery, and the discovery was published by Elisabeth Svärdström in "Runorna i Hagia Sofia", "Fornvännen" 65 (1970), 247-49. The inscription is worn down so nowadays only "-ftan", which is the Norse name "Halfdan", is legible. The remainder of the inscription is considered to be illegible, but it is
Runic inscriptions in Hagia Sophia
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wish of the central dome and the centralizing political and economic changes made by the empire, but the idea was later objected by another book written by Sinan’s friend, Sai, claiming that Sinan had taken his inspiration from Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia. Perhaps lending more credence to this idea is a quote by Sinan in which he claims that he has built a taller dome than Hagia Sophia: "In this mosque...I [have] erected a dome six cubits higher and four cubits wider than the dome of Hagia Sophia." In order to accentuate and draw attention to the centralize structure of the
Selimiye Mosque
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the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade. Several churches combine the layout of the Hagia Sophia with a Latin cross plan. For instance, the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis (St. Louis), where the transept is formed by two semi-domes surrounding the main dome. This church also closely emulates the column capitals and mosaic styles of the Hagia Sophia. Other similar examples include the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia, Saint Clement Catholic Church, Chicago, and Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa in São Paulo and the Église du Saint-Esprit (Paris) closely follow the interior layout
Hagia Sophia
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Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral (in Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, Hagia Sophia) is a Greek Orthodox church built in 1952, in what was then the Greek section of Central Los Angeles, California. It is located at West 15th Street and South Normandie Avenue in the present day Harvard Heights neighborhood. This Greek Orthodox church is the result of a Hollywood success story. When Charles Skouras and his brothers, Spyros Skouras and George Skouras, were still trying to get ahead in Hollywood, Charles made a vow to God that he would build the most majestic cathedral if
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles
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site of a pre-Christian temple. It ranks as the first church completed in Constantinople, before Hagia Sophia, during its transfiguration from a Greek trading colony to the eastern capital of the Roman Empire. According to later tradition, the Roman emperor Constantine I commissioned the first Hagia Irene church in the 4th century, which was completed by the end of his reign (337). It served as the church of the Patriarchate before Hagia Sophia was completed in 360 under Constantius II. During the Nika revolt in 532, Hagia Irene was burned down. Emperor Justinian I had the church rebuilt in 548.
Hagia Irene
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a 60-mile radius – from throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Los Angeles's Greek community has never been centralized, as in other cities such as New York City and Chicago. Members of the church congregation have included Hollywood actors such as Telly Savalas, whose funeral was held there. Dr. Tom Apostle and Sharon Lawrence married at the church in 2002. Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral (in Greek: Ἁγία Σοφία, Hagia Sophia) is a Greek Orthodox church built in 1952, in what was then the Greek section of Central Los Angeles, California. It is located at
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Los Angeles
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that the Hagia Sophia's foundation is built on a slope of natural rock. The Imperial Gate mosaic is located in the tympanum above that gate, which was used only by the emperors when entering the church. Based on style analysis, it has been dated to the late 9th or early 10th century. The emperor with a nimbus or halo could possibly represent emperor Leo VI the Wise or his son Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus bowing down before Christ Pantocrator, seated on a jeweled throne, giving His blessing and holding in His left hand an open book. The text on the book
Hagia Sophia
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then moved to cut off the Hagia Sophia and Maria's supporters in the Augoustaion from the rest of the city. After a fiercely contested battle, towards evening Maria and her followers were driven from the arches at the entrance of the Augoustaion and their positions on top of the Milion and the Church of Alexios (on the western side of the square, north of the Milion) into the open square. Protected by their fellows who fired missiles from the upper galleries of the Hagia Sophia, the rebels began to withdraw into the exonarthex of the Hagia Sophia, while the imperials
Alexios Komnenos (protosebastos)
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made their way to the Hagia Sophia and battered down its doors before storming in. All throughout the period of the siege of Constantinople, the trapped worshippers of the city participated in the Divine Liturgy and the Prayer of the Hours at the Hagia Sophia and the church formed a safe-haven and a refuge for many of those who were unable to contribute to the city's defense, which comprised women, children, the elderly and the sick and the wounded. Being hopelessly trapped in the church, the many congregants and yet more refugees inside became spoils-of-war to be divided amongst the
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dome over an octagon or hexagon contained within a square, such as the Üç Şerefeli Mosque (1437–47). The dome and semi-domes of the Hagia Sophia, in particular, were replicated and refined. A "universal mosque design" based upon this development spread throughout the world. The first Ottoman mosque to use a dome and semi-dome nave vaulting scheme like that of Hagia Sophia was the mosque of Beyazit II. Only two others were modeled similarly: Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque and the Süleymaniye Mosque (1550–57). Other Ottoman mosques, although superficially similar to Hagia Sophia, have been described as structural criticisms of it. When
History of Roman and Byzantine domes
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phrase and interpreted it as showing artistic "self awareness", medievalists tended not to use it. Many examples, however, can be found in the pre-modern era, as in a mosaic from the Hagia Sophia dated to the year 944. To the left, Justinian I offers the Virgin Mary the Hagia Sophia, which contains the mosaic itself. To the right, Constantine I offers the city of Constantinople (now known as Istanbul), which itself contains the Hagia Sophia. More medieval examples can be found in the collection of articles "Medieval mise-en-abyme: the object depicted within itself", in which Stuart Whatling conjectures that the
Mise en abyme
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to reveal the faces in 2009 during renovations. Many religious structures have been modeled on the Hagia Sophia's core structure of a large central dome resting on pendentives and buttressed by two semi-domes. A notable Venetian example is the High Altar of Santa Maria della Salute. Several mosques commissioned by the Ottoman dynasty closely mimic the geometry of the Hagia Sophia, including the Süleymaniye Mosque and the Bayezid II Mosque. In many cases, Ottoman architects preferred to surround the central dome with four semi-domes rather than two. This is true in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the New Mosque (Istanbul), and
Hagia Sophia
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GPR (ground penetrating radar), teams discovered weak zones within the Hagia Sophia's gallery and also concluded that the curvature of the vault dome has been shifted out of proportion, compared to its original angular orientation. The upper gallery is laid out in a horseshoe shape that encloses the nave until the apse. Several mosaics are preserved in the upper gallery, an area traditionally reserved for the Empress and her court. The best-preserved mosaics are located in the southern part of the gallery. The upper gallery contains runic graffiti presumed to be from the Varangian Guard. The dome of Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
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of the Turkish province Trabzon said that “the works for opening the Hagia Sophia mosque in the city to practice prayers again are going on,” and that “during the prayer the mural paintings will be covered by curtains". The local union of architects from Trabzon filed a lawsuit against the ministry of religious affairs' conversion plan. A local judge ruled the transformation of the former church to be illegal, and ordered it to be maintained as a museum. The church figures prominently and has key significance for the author's spiritual development in Rose Macaulay's novel "The Towers of Trebizond". Hagia
Hagia Sophia, Trabzon
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can be uncovered, but often at the expense of important and historic Islamic art. Restorers have attempted to maintain a balance between both Christian and Islamic cultures. In particular, much controversy rests upon whether the Islamic calligraphy on the dome of the cathedral should be removed, in order to permit the underlying Pantocrator mosaic of Christ as Master of the World, to be exhibited (assuming the mosaic still exists). The Hagia Sophia has been a victim to natural disasters that have caused deterioration to the buildings structure and walls. The deterioration of the Hagia Sophia's walls can be directly relate
Hagia Sophia
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Hagia Irene in Constantinople (after 740). There were similar crosses in the apses of the Hagia Sophia Church in Thessaloniki and in the Church of the Dormition in Nicaea. The crosses were substituted with the image of the Theotokos in both churches after the victory of the Iconodules (787–797 and in 8th–9th centuries respectively, the Dormition church was totally destroyed in 1922). A similar Theotokos image flanked by two archangels were made for the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople in 867. The dedication inscription says: "The images which the impostors had cast down here pious emperors have again set up." In
Mosaic
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prayed the morning prayer with a call for the reconversion of the museum into a mosque. On June 21, 2017, Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) organized a special program, which included the recitation of the Quran and prayers in Hagia Sofia, to mark the Laylat al-Qadr, the program was broadcast live by state-run television TRT. In March 31, 2018, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recited the first verse of the Quran in the Hagia Sophia, dedicating the prayer to the "souls of all who left us this work as inheritance, especially Istanbul's conqueror," strengthening the political movement to make the
Hagia Sophia
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First Temple, the erection of Hagia Sophia by Emperor Justinian, as well as the work of Abbot Suger in the conception of first Gothic cathedrals. Hierotopic projects are not limited to churches and sanctuaries; in other cases, landscapes, architectural compounds and even cities and countries have become products of hierotopic creativity. The topics of hierotopic study cover a broad span of interests and range, for example, from the role played by light in church architecture to the study of religious ceremonies, feasts and folk customs. The comparison of hierotopic models at work in different cultures is another focus of interest.
Hierotopy
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because there is no clerestory, the aisle windows are often very tall, to admit light to the nave. The crossing is the point in a large church at which the transept intersects the nave. This point is often marked externally by a tower or dome and internally by the piers and arches that are required to bear the weight of such a structure. The interior of the dome or tower may be one of the major architectural features of the interior of the church. In a centrally planned church such as Hagia Sophia, and typical of many Orthodox churches, the
Architecture of cathedrals and great churches
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dome was the highest in the Ottoman Empire, when measured from sea level, but still lower from its base and smaller in diameter than that of Hagia Sophia. The interior of the mosque is almost a square, in length and in width, forming a single vast space. The dome is flanked by semi-domes, and to the north and south arches with tympana-filled windows, supported by enormous porphyry monoliths. Sinan decided to make a radical architectural innovation to mask the huge north-south buttresses needed to support these central piers. He incorporated the buttresses into the walls of the building, with half
Süleymaniye Mosque
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also included women as deacons among those he regulated for service at the Great Church of Hagia Sophia, listing men and women as deacons together, and later specifying one hundred deacons who were men and forty who were women. Evidence of continuing liturgical and pastoral roles is provided by Constantine Porphyrogenitus' 10th-century manual of ceremonies ("De Ceremoniis"), which refers to a special area for deaconesses in Hagia Sophia. Paul's earliest mention of a woman as deacon is in his Letter to the Romans 16:1 (AD 58) where he says: "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is the servant
Deaconess
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from Pergamon during the reign of Sultan Murad III. From the Hellenistic period, they are carved from single blocks of marble. The Marble Door inside the Hagia Sophia is located in the southern upper enclosure or gallery. It was used by the participants in synods, who entered and left the meeting chamber through this door. It is said that each side is symbolic and that one side represents heaven while the other represents hell. Its panels are covered in fruits and fish motives. The door opens into a space that was used as a venue for solemn meetings and important
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largest door in the Hagia Sophia and has been dated to the 6th century. It is about 7 meters long and Eastern Roman sources say it was made with wood from Noah's Ark. At the northwest of the building, there is a column with a hole in the middle covered by bronze plates. This column goes by different names; the perspiring column, the wishing column, the sweating column or the crying column. The column is said to be damp when touched and have supernatural powers. The legend states that since St. Gregory the Miracle Worker appeared near the column in
Hagia Sophia
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upon massive piers, and windows filtered light through thin sheets of alabaster to softly illuminate interiors. (see Hagia Sophia) The pre-Islamic styles draw on 3-4 thousand years of architectural development from various civilizations of the Iranian plateau. The Islamic architecture of Iran in turn, draws ideas from its pre-Islamic predecessor, and has geometrical and repetitive forms, as well as surfaces that are richly decorated with glazed tiles, carved stucco, patterned brickwork, floral motifs, and calligraphy. Iran is recognized by UNESCO as being one of the cradles of civilization. Each of the periods of Elamites, Achaemenids, Parthians, and Sassanids were creators
History of architecture
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Caferağa Medresseh The Caferağa Medresseh () is a former medrese, located in Istanbul, Turkey, next to the Hagia Sophia. It was built in 1559 by Mimar Sinan on the orders of Cafer Ağa, during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566). The medrese was transformed by the Turkish Cultural Service Foundation in 1989 into a tourist centre with 15 classrooms/exhibition rooms, a big salon and a garden where traditional Turkish handicrafts such as calligraphy, ceramics, jewelry and so forth are taught, made and sold. The medrese is located close to the Hagia Sophia, stairs lead down to it from
Caferağa Medresseh
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1266. Moreover, noteworthy are a mosaic Icon from the eleventh century portraying the Theotokos, and four Icons dating from the thirteenth and fourteenth century. Under the church are visible excavations, and an underground passage said to reach Hagia Sophia (although the two buildings are several kilometers apart). Despite its historical importance, the church has never been studied from an architectural point of view. Church of Saint Mary of the Mongols Saint Mary of the Mongols (full name in Greek: Θεοτόκος Παναγιώτισσα (pr. "Theotókos Panaghiótissa", lit. "All-Holy Theotokos") or Παναγία Μουχλιώτισσα (pr. "Panaghía Muchliótissa"); Turkish name: "Kanlı Kilise" (meaning:"Bloody Church"), is
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onto thin aluminum panels that protected them from ultraviolet rays. The photographs included scenes of natural beauty such as a Filipino Bajau village built on coral reefs, a formation of rocks in Madagascar, an inlet in the Ionian Islands that is home to endangered sea turtles, and architectural highlights such as the Palace of Versailles and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. It also showed scenes of tragedy such as the 1999 earthquake in Turkey and the destruction of the Amazonian rain forest. The exhibit used photovoltaic solar panels to store electrical energy during the day that then lit the exhibit
McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink
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on whose proportions the new church was allegedly based. The building constituted thereby a direct challenge to the prestige and authority of the low-born reigning dynasty, and it may have been one of the reasons for the massive scale of Justinian's reconstruction of the Hagia Sophia a few years later. In light of this rivalry, it is perhaps no coincidence that Justinian too, when he beheld the completed Hagia Sophia, is said to have cried out: "Solomon, I have surpassed thee." The importance of the Solomonic allusions is however questioned by some scholars, who see the church more as a
Church of St. Polyeuctus
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Old Darülfünun building Old Darülfünun building () was a university building constructed next to Haghia Sophia in Istanbul, Ottoman Empire in the mid 19th century. It was a three-storey building in neo-Renaissance style that had a great visual impact on Istanbul's urban character. The building’s designer was Swiss architect Gaspare Fossati (1809—1883), who was also responsible for extensive restoration of Hagia Sophia. After its construction as a university () building in 1854, it was passed on to the Ministries of Finance and then on to the Minsitery of Justice and Foundation. Later it was also used by the Ottoman Parliament,
Old Darülfünun building