The Hagia Sophia
What does it's name translate too?
"Holy Wisdom."
How did the Hagia Sophia become a mosque?
* A new religion had challenged Christianity (Islam). * In 1453 CE, Sultan conquered the Byzantine empire and makes the city of Constantinople the new city of the Ottoman Empire. * He entered the church on a Tuesday and that Friday he was praying in the mosque of Hagia Sophia. * Many details in the church had been replaced in order to transformer it into a mosque. * The Hagia Sophia became the classical model for many mosques throughout the Ottoman empire.
Why was it built?
* After the Nike riots in 532 CE, the previous basilica was destroyed. Emperor Justinian had sought to create the greatest Basilica. * He wanted a Basilica that would both convey his power as emperor and his piety as a christian.
Who were the two architects Justinian ordered to design the Hagia Sophia?
* Anthemios of Tralles. * Isidore of Miletus.
When was it built?
* Constructed in 537 CE.
Isidore The Younger
* He faced a number of issues that had caused the original dome to collapse. - When a dome's arc is round enough the weight and force of the structure descends down into the supporting piers. However, the original dome's arc was too shallow, thereby, pushing outward and forcing the already weakened walls to give. * To fix these problems Isidore the Younger increased the height of the dome, which increased the arc and depth, and added 40 windows to provide support. * The windows also allowed light to enter the church. * Before these improvements, however, he was forced to rebuild much of the original walls and semi-domes in order to make the new dome last longer than the first.
What did Justinian want the Hagia Sophia to be like?
* He wanted the dome in the church to be centered in a rectangular base, which was a major challenge for architects.
What happened to the first dome?
* In 557 CE, the first dome had collapsed. * The second dome, designed with structural ribs and a greater arc than the previous dome, was designed by the nephew of one of the original architects, Isidore the Younger had guaranteed that the new one would last much longer than the original one.
How long did it take to complete the Hagia Sophia?
* It took roughly 6 years.
What did he offer the Architects in return?
* Justinian took a big gamble. * He offered the two architects the whole fortune of the Byzantine empire.
How were they able to design the Hagia Sophia?
* The architects, who were primarily mathematicians, made use of new architectural concepts in order to build exactly what the emperor wanted. * In order to create the largest interior space possible, they designed an enormous dome and supported it using a revolutionary construction method called pendentives.
Why was the dome important?
* The dome looked as if it was suspended from heaven by a golden chain. * Entering the church and seeing the beatiful dome gave people the sense as if they were entering gods divine holiness. * The dome had a religious meaning for both religions. It was a symbol of the heavens.
What were the challengers the architects faced?
* They needed to support the dome and still keep a huge amount of space for worshipers. - If they used walls or columns to support the dome they would not provide as much space, instead it would much smaller and narrower. * They also had to be able to rest the dome on the tip of the arches.
How did they solve these issues?
* They used large arches. - The arches want to push out and fall down, therefore, book ends were used. - They built butris peirs and two semidomes that pushed against the arches canceling out the sideways force caused by the dome. * They also used pendetives.
What place of worship is the Hagia Sophia?
* Today, the Hagia Sophia is now a mosque (a place of worship for Muslims).