Hagia Sophia

In chapter cardinal the remarkable church k right awayn as The Hagia Sophia was discussed briefly and I find it fascinating. I first learned about the Hagia Sophia in my art history class in high school. I deplete perpetu onlyy been interested in the fact that it started as a basilica, was then a mosque and is now a museum that functions as both a mosque and a cathedral. I think that this astonish structure is proof that different religions depose coexist and come together to develop things that we all can cherish. Hagia Sophia is in Istanbul, washout which was part of the Byzantine Empire until it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire.It was originally built under the rule of Justinian to function as a church in 532 A. D. Justinian had material brought everyplace from all over his empire. Large scars were brought from far-away quarries porphyry from Egypt, green marble from Thessaly, black stone from the Bosporus region and yellow stone from Syria (The Annotated Mona Lisa ). more(prenominal) than ten thousand people were utilize during this construction. This new church was immediately acknowledge as a major take a leak of architecture, showcasing the creative insights of the architects. Hagia Sophia is one of the greatest live examples of Byzantine architecture.The churchs beautify intragroup of mosaics and marble pillars and coverings is massive and takes ones glimmering away. The dome seems weightless as if held up by the unbroken row of 40 arched windows under it, which help flood lamp the colorful interior with light. All interior surfaces are covered over with polychromize marbles, green and white with purple porphyry and meretricious mosaics, encrusted upon the brick. This covering hid the giant pillars, giving them a brighter look. In 1453, the footrest turks took over and the sultan Mehmed II coherent the building to be reborn into a mosque.The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed, and some of the or iginal pretty mosaics that Justinian put in were plastered over. The Moslem features such as the mihrab, the minbar, and the four minarets extraneous were added over the course of the Ottomans rule. It was used as a mosque until 1935, when it was converted into a museum by the Republic of Turkey. For al most(prenominal) 500 age the Hagia Sophia served as a model for many of the Ottoman mosques such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the Sehzade Mosque, the Suleymaniye Mosque, and the Rustem Pasha Mosque. However the Hagia Sophia is still the most awe inspiring.I believe that if the ottomans had never converted the church or if the church hadnt been built under Justinian we wouldnt moderate the beautiful mix of architectural aspects that we have today. The fact that the church contains the beautiful gold inlayed mosaics of Justinian, the depictions of Christ, and the large medallions with the names of Muhammad and Islams first caliphs and that they all coexist beautifully is a consu mmate example of the harmony between the religions. flock from all over the world from all backgrounds come to worship or solely visit the beautiful structure.