Influences Of Byzantine Culture On Hagia Sophia

The Hagia Sophia was built in Constantinople in A.D. 532 by the emperor Justinian, who hired the renowned architects Anthemius and Isidorus to build it. It was built over an existing building built by Constantine himself. The Hagia Sophia was a very significant building of its time and one that drew attention and respect. At this time in history the Byzantines, specifically Justinian, wanted to make one message clear, that message being that the emperor of the byzantines empire,

While the Hagia Sophia and the Pantheon were built in and represent two different time periods and locations, they have some similar structural features as well as some resembling circumstances surrounding their prospective histories. Both of their unique construction is related to their different purposes and the symbolism behind the buildings. The Pantheon represents a time in which the Roman empire was booming with trade and commerce. There was a growing interest in art and sculpture as well as religion. There was also an emphasis on imperialism and the strength and power of the emperor. The transition from the Roman to the Byzantine empire took place under the emperor, Constantine and it happened around 330 C.E. He moved the capital from Rome to Byzantion and renamed the city Constantinople meaning the city of Constantine, which is modern day Istanbul. This was also a huge intersection in the east-west trade. He then changed the official religion of the empire to Christianity which created a major shift in structures, works of art, and lifestyle dynamics. The emperor was now seen as the head of the church, and in 391 C.E. all temples and forms of the pagan cult that dominated the Roman Empire were closed and banned.

The major cultural achievements was the preservation of the Greek language and culture. Greek ethics and science became the foundation of the Western Civilization. In the Byzantine Empire they preserved the Ancient Greek literature scribes. Homer ~ The iliad and the Odyssey are among most widely read poems in American and European schools and colleges today. Sophocles ~ Theatrical plays, including Oedipus Rex, helped to define a form of literature called tragedy. Socrates ~ Known to us through the writings of Plato and others, Socrates crafted a form of inquiry and debate, called the Socratic Method, that is used in classrooms today. It features questions rather than answers. Plato ~ One of Plato’s works, The Republic, describes an ideal society and explores the importance of justice in that society. Aristotle ~ His many scientific and philosophical writings advanced the use of logic and scientific thought. Euclid ~ He made inquires into astronomy, music, and mathematics. Regarded as the father of geometry. Hippocrates ~ His medical works and his ethical standards led to the still- used Hippocratic Oath taken by all doctors. Originally the language of the Byzantine Empire was Latin until 700 CE when it was changed to Greek by Emperor Heraclius. The culture of Constantinople was diverse. The Byzantine Empire had an important cultural legacy, both on the Orthodox Church and on the revival of Greek and Roman

The Hagia Sophia was one of the greatest Orthodox churches built by Justinian. Alexius IV in other words destroys the empire and lowers religious values. The empire and the emperor must be so vulnerable and powerless to have to burn religious icons in order to pay enemies. In essence, the melting of religious icons demonstrates the emperor’s weakness to sustain society. The turning against religious values made the citizens of the Byzantine Empire revolt, causing more internal conflict, which allows the Turks to devise ways to conquer the "holy lands" (Doc5.) Jonathon’s Phillips secondary source includes a primary a source where the tone is miserable and the person who is watching this empire crumble is in horror and complete sadness. This document shows Alexius IV has come to his last resort and began to destroy his one unifying element in his society. Alexius IV had to choose religion or the protection of his empire, and as most emperors would, he chose to protect society rather than preserving religion. The excerpt from The Letter of Alexius, the reader can clearly see the vulnerability of the

The legal, cultural, and structural developments during the Roman Empire (753 BCE- 476 CE) have had an effect on Western civilization. Influenced by the ideals of the ancient Greeks, the empire lived through many worldwide transformations that changed the way in which emperors governed and ruled the Roman people, and these adaptations can be seen in the style of artwork in each Roman reign. One of the most notable changes in art style is in the Late Empire Period, during the third and fourth centuries, where the change in government, from imperial rule to the tetrarchy, led artists to focus on the message of the piece rather than the individual represented, and become more abstract and geometric rather than classical and individualistic.[footnoteRef:1] Another notable period of change was under Constantine I, who overthrew the tetrarchy, and was the first Roman emperor to embrace Christianity. [1: Marilyn Stokstad and Michael W. Cothren, Art History. 4th ed., Vol 1 (London: Laurence King Publishing, 2011), 207.]

The Latin cross has a long arm with a short one crossing it on one end. This cross is used in early Christian architecture. When building medieval churches in the West, the Latin cross plan was followed. Saint Peter’s and Saint Paul’s basilica demonstrate the use of the Latin cross. The architecture of both of these churches were molded off of the Latin cross. The north and south arms of the transept extend to form a Latin cross. “Crossing the transept, one continued toward the triumphal arch that framed the apse, the semicircular space beyond the transept. In the apse, at an altar that stood on a raised platform, one received the sacrament of Holy Communion” (Fiero 182). The Greek cross has four arms of equal length. This cross is used in Byzantine architecture. The Hagia Sophia is an example of the Greek cross plan, even though the Latin cross plan was incorporated into this structure. Hagia Sophia was constructed by the East Roman emperor Justinian. Light is symbolic to Byzantine liturgy so the mosaics and marble surfaces were illuminated. Once Constantinople fell, the Hagia Sophia was transformed into a mosque and the mosaics were removed. “Hagia Sophia marks the golden age of Byzantine art and architecture that took place under the leadership of the emperor Justinian” (Fiero 186). The Latin cross plan directs the eye toward the alter, the Greek cross plan directs the eye upward towards the

It is hard to think of the ancient world without looking at the Greek and Roman empires. Although similar, the Greek and Roman empires are two different cultures. They existed from 500 B.C.E. to 500 C.E. (Fiero, 2006). One constant in both cultures was their pursuit of perfection in their art and architecture. This paper will examine this pursuit of perfection in both cultures and how their impact is felt in the modern age.

The capital of the Roman Empire is known as Constantinople. It used to be known as Byzantium. This culture was driven by religion and religious practices. The religion that drove this culture was Christianity. The Byzantine people thought that this was the only authentic religion.

There were riots which led to Hagia being destroyed. Emperor Justinian had Anthemius & Isidorus rebuilt it. The Hagia Sophia supported the dome using pendentives. The central dome sits on top of a ring of windows which gives a mystical effect that it is floating on heavenly light and not masonry. The light shines off the mosaics and marble walls and floor defining the space. The dome is 108 feet across and 180 high. Its interior has colored stones from around the world along the floors and walls. It has Christian mosaics on the walls. The use of pendentives made buttresses, large internal northern and southern walls, and eastern and western half domes to necessary. The pendentives transfer the weight from the dome to the piers beneath instead of to the walls. The walls were concealed and not sufficient suggests although the scale and monumentality of the Hagia Sophia were similar to Roman the design was not according to Roman ways. Bricks were used instead of concrete, it included columns and buttresses, it has eight supporting piers, and semicircular half-domes , while the Pantheon did

The lower level and the second level are divided by the cornis in the ratio of a square root of 2 to 1. Exterior walls are divided into two zones by the cornis but no correspondence with the height of the interior cornis. The hemispherical dome has the skylight oculus of 8.9m in diameter. The second level is the re-design in 1747, which consists of a row of blind windows alternating with square designs. The real columns and pilasters of lower level are repeated again on the upper walls as graphic images. This kind of design technique, the repeat and the superimpose are frequently used in high Renaissance, Mannerism, Baroque and of course in modern age. Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia was built by Emperor Constantius, son of Emperor Constantinos I, and was opened for services in 360 AD. Although very little is known about this church, it is assumed that it was a basilica-type structure with a rectangular floor plan, circular apse and timbered roof. It was similar to St. Studios, a basilica in Istanbul, the ruins of which still exist. Ancient sources emphasize that the eastern wall was circular. Constantius donated gold and silver as well as religious objects to his church, but these were vandalized by Arians during the Council of 381 AD. Hagia Sophia was first named "Megale Ekklesia" (The Great Church) as it was the largest church in Constantinople. The historian Socrates indicated that the church was named Sophia during the reign of Emperor

The Hagia Sophia was very important to the society of Constantinople, now known as Istanbul. It was rebuilt twice after the original was destroyed. This first church was a wooden-roofed basilica with a nave flanked by two or four aisles, each carrying a gallery store. It was preceded by an atrium. The one the world knows now was the third construction and was completed in 537. It was first dedicated in 360 by Emperor Constantius, son of the city's founder, Emperor Constantine and it served as the cathedra, or bishop's seat, of the city. It was the center of Orthodox Christianity until 1453 when the city was taken over by the Ottomans. After that, it become a focal point for Islam until it was made into a museum. The original Hagia Sophia, called

The name “Hagia Sophia” actually means “Holy Wisdom”. Hagia Sophia was built in Istanbul which was formerly known as Constantinople. Hagia Sophia was built over 1400 years ago in 537 BC by Emperor Justinian I. Hagia Sophia was built to replace the old church that was torched and burned down. Hagia Sophia was a Greek Orthodox Church. The church incorporates Christian beliefs with murals of Jesus Christs but also hanging from the ceiling are Islamic writings.

One of the greatest remaining example of Byzantine Architecture, is the Hagia Sophia, also known as the Temple of the Holy Wisdom of God located in Istanbul. This temple exemplifies work of extraordinary religious architecture. Hagia Sophia was built in Ad 537 as requested by Justinian I, the Byzantine Emperor and was the largest Cathedral of its time in the world. The interior of the building contains markings of both Christian and Islamic influences. When Hagia Sophia was first built it served as a place for Christian worship. It was filled with an abundant amount of various icons such as Mosaics. Paintings of Jesus Christ and Mary were present with Hagia Sophia. However, when the Ottoman Empire was conquered by Constantinople in 1453, Hagia

The two halves shared some similarities and one of them was the form of entertainment that occurred in their culture. The Roman Empire and Byzantine cherished watching gladiator fights as well as chariot races at the big stadiums. In Rome they watched at the coliseum while in Byzantine the watching was done at Circus Maximus.

Artists created their own unique style in Greek culture and with the creation of the Roman Empire, Greek artwork had been spread throughout the region. When the empire eventually split and faded from existence, Greek artwork had left its mark on the remaining civilizations. Because Byzantium had arisen from the ashes of the Roman Empire, Byzantine artwork incorporated aspects of Greek art within their own artwork. The purpose of this investigation is to compare and contrast art in ancient Greece and Byzantium. Recognizing the similarities and differences between two related cultures is vital in understanding the evolution of art from one culture to another. Within this investigation designs/patterns and