This Powerpoint slideshow presentation shows the amzaning 1500 years old building that is still standing today. Together with the Panteon in Rome, they are the two most important historical buildings in the history of European architecture today that are still in use. The building was started as a Christian church in the city of Constantinople, as the Christian rival church in the New Rome of the East. In 1453, the city fell to the Turks. It became a mosque and inspired many to follow its architectural style. Today, it is a museum.

1. Hagia Sophia A Christian
Masterpiece
Also known as Aya Sofya and St Sophia. Built in 537 AD
and situated in Istanbul, Turkey.
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free for non-commercial and personal use.

2. Hagia Sophia overlooking the Bosphorus, situated in Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul.

3. The History of Byzantium
The Roman Empire proved too vast to
govern. In 286 AD, it was divided into East
and West. The empire was re-united briefly
under the rule of Constantine (306-337
AD), who in 330 AD transferred the capital
from Rome to Byzantium, which was a little
Greek port and renamed as
Constantinople, or its modern name
Istanbul.
After the death of Constantine, the empire
was split up again. Eventually, the western
part of the empire was overran by
barbarians in 476 AD. The eastern part of
the empire survived until 1453, about a
thousand years later, when it was defeated
by the Turks. The surviving eastern empire
is known The Byzantine Empire.

4. Modern day Istanbul showing the massive city wall.

5. The History of the Building
Haghia Sophia (‘Holy Wisdom’ in Greek) was inaugurated in 537 AD, nearly 1500 years ago, by Emperor
Justinian. An enormous sum was used to build the church. It marks the beginning of Byzantine
architecture. For many years it was the most celebrated church in all of Christendom. After the fall of
Constantinople, it was converted into a mosque with the additions of minarets in 1458. Ever since it has
been an inspiration and a model for many of the Islamic mosques.
Today, it is used as a museum. Like the Pantheon in Rome, it is one of the oldest building in continuous
used today for nearly 1500 years.

6. The Architectural
Achievement and Plan
An old architectural problem is to fit a
circular dome over a square plan. A
perfect solution to the problem is the
use of a pendentive, a curved
triangular vault. These were
incorporated into the construction of
Hagia Sophia.

9. Cross section of the building showing the interior and exterior of Hagia Sophia.

10. The most impressive feature is the size of
the building, the enormous interior space
The Interior
that it encloses. The dome is 31m across
and reaching to a height of 56m. The space
under the dome is further extended by a
series of vaulted spaces, pushing the walls
further out, until the dome appears to be
hanging in the air.
On the base of the dome there is a row of
40 windows. Large windows are opened on
all the surrounding walls. These windows
illuminate the interior from all sides and from
above, creating an impression of light and a
weightlessness space within the church.
Much of the interior treasures including the
alter was plundered by the crusader in
1204 and loots were carried back to
Venice as trophies.
Weakened by the crusader, the only
Christian empire of the orient was finally fell
to the Turks in 1453. Islamic decorations
were added to the interior.

11. Entrance Hall to the building.

13. Pattern on the ceiling. A marble bottle.

19. Brightly lit gallery on the first gallery

21. View of the building from the first level gallery.

23. View of the building from the first level gallery.

25. Pillars and decoration on the second level gallery.

26. The Mosaic
Much of the mosaics from the time of
Byzantine survived. Architecturally the
interior is largely intact. The interior is
embellished with gold mosaics,
tapestries, polished marble, porphyry and
ivory.
On the next slide is the well known
mosaic of Jesus, The Deisis of the 12C.
Note pink coloured cheeks.

28. Jesus, The Deisis. 1118
Emperor Emperess Zoe
Constantin IX Reigned 1042-55
reigned 1042-55
Emperor John,
The Virgin and
Emperess Irene

31. The side entrance to the building.
Note the mosaic above the
entrance.

33. The Architectural Influence –
San Macro, Venice.
It was built between 1063 and 1082, with
many of architectural elements similar to that
of Hagia Sophia. In particularly the golden
mosaics that cover all the interior walls and
the multi-domes that form part of the ceiling.

34. The Architectural Influence
– Blue Mosque, Istanbul.
The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii),
Istanbul. It derides its name from the blue tile
work within the building. It was built between
1609-16 in the days of a declining Ottoman
Empire.

37. City of Istanbul at night

38. The End
The Byzantine culture is closest to the
Greek culture of today. The language for
Byzantine Empire is Greek and not Latin.
They share the same religion, Orthodox
Christianity and many of the symbols of
Byzantium are still being used in Greece
today.
Music : Eklapsa Htes by Mimis Plessas
played on a Bouzouki (a long neck
Greek mandolin).
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