Hagia Sophia Essay

The Byzantine Empire was the continuation of the Roman Empire in the Greek-speaking, eastern part of the Mediterranean. Christian in nature, it was perennially at war with the Muslims, Flourishing during the reign of the Macedonian emperors, its demise was the consequence of attacks by Seljuk Turks, Crusaders, and Ottoman Turks. Byzantium was the name of a small, but important town at the Bosphorus, the strait which connects the Sea of Marmara and the Aegean to the Black Sea, and separates the continents

A very significant religion in Europe was Christianity. The two concepts that the Christians believed in were Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox. After garnering enough support, churches were built and arguably the most significant one was the Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople. The erection of churches allowed worshipers to get together and practice their religious ideas freely. The priests taught people the basic doctrines of Christianity and eventually, people began celebrating their religion with

Constantine the Great Constantine the Great, first Christian Emperor, originator of Constantinople, creator of the Byzantine Empire, military conqueror, and honored saint, has been labeled by many the most instrumental emperor of the Roman Empire. Constantine played a crucial role in the development of Europe during the Middle Ages, and founded Christianity as the formal religion of the Roman Empire. His dynamic yet effective predominance laid the infrastructure of European development. From

The triumph of the Eastern Orthodoxy In 726 AD, there was a massive eruption by the Santorini Volcano. The Agean Sea was filled with tsunamis, ash, and volcanic rock that caused the sea to boil. It was the largest eruption Europe had seen in over 2000 years. Right now you're probably wondering how this has anything to do with the subject at hand. This is the story of how an eruption sparked one of the biggest debates in the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The eruption of Santorini and the

Art of the Middle Ages In the Middle Ages their art was considerably different then a lot of the art we have now. They had no portrait paintings and the color schemes were generally very subtle in their work. Most of artwork during this time period revolved around religion themes. During the Middle Ages up until the start of the Renaissance period, art saw many drastic changes through the years. Three main types of art during this time period was Byzantine Art, Romanesque Art, and Gothic Art. These

In History, artistic achievements have represented cultural advancements in civilized society. The artist’s ability to express themselves on a surface plane has progressed immensely from the prehistoric era through the present. At one time, techniques were so primitive, simple handheld figures and tools were all artisans had the ability to craft. However, Mesopotamian and Greek and Hellenistic Art specifically, modernized the techniques and boundaries of sculpture and figurative art. As time goes

Our culture today is deeply based on visual perception which shows the fascination humanity has with the power of images. This paper intends to discuss the use and importance of images within the context of Byzantine art. The works of art produced in the service of the Eastern Orthodox Church, which are still employed today, show a remarkable synthesis of beliefs, theology and aesthetics of the Byzantine culture. The majesty of the images emphasize the Glory of God and the spiritual realities of

In 330 A.D., the Roman Emperor Constantine founded the city of Constantinople, the brilliant capital of the Eastern Roman Empire on the Greek village of Byzantine. The city was named after Constantine himself who became the first Christian emperor of Rome. He made Christianity a lawful religion in Roman society. It was an impenetrable, well-fortified fortress sitting on the Bosporus strait, which connects Europe and Asia. It became an economic and cultural hub of the east and center of both Greek

the world’s largest religion. Two of the five centers are located in Turkey: Istanbul (also known as Constantinople) and Antakya. Antakya was also a place where the followers of Jesus were called “Christians” for the first time in history. The Hagia Sophia church (recognized by Saint Peter) is one of the oldest surviving churches located right in Anasofya Meydanı, Istanbul. Turkey is also home to Seven Churches of Asia, where Revelations to John (the final book of the New Evidence) were sent. Today

creatures such as humans or animals depicted in a mosque, the Islamic place of worship. As such, many buildings which have been converted into mosques have been defaced to suit the proper Islamic code. One such incident of this happening is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Once a Roman Catholic church, it was converted into a mosque after the conquer of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Turks and all mosaics depicting Jesus, His mother and saints were