AP Art History : Analyzing Early Christian, Byzantine, and Early Medieval Architecture
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Example Question #11 : Analyzing Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Architecture
In the long history of the building, what has consistently been a concern of architects?
The weight of the dome
The ratio of brick to mortar
All of the other answers are correct.
The outward shift of the buttressing
All of the other answers are correct.
All of these are problems that have concerned and maddened builders since the construction of the building began, and all the problems are related to one other. The dome is very heavy, and when it's sitting on the foundation, it pushes the buttressing outward. The dome is so heavy in part because the brick to mortar ratio is 1:1, making the dense and heavy mortar far more weighty than it should be.
Image adapted from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/hledej.php?hleda=hagia+sophia+5.
Example Question #12 : Analyzing Early Christian, Byzantine, And Early Medieval Architecture
The structure reveals the influence of all but which of the following?
Early Byzantine artistry
The Turkish Islamic architectural tradition
Medieval English Church style
Roman secular structures
Medieval English Church style
The Hagia Sophia has been a Greek Orthodoxy church, a Roman Catholic Cathedral, a Mosque, and a museum. In fifteen hundred years of history, the building has seen influence from all over Europe. The minarets are Islamic, the mosaics on the interior are Byzantine, and the plan is Basilica, based on the Roman civic structures. What is has not ever seen the influence of, however, is the Church of England, which came about after the Hagia Sophia had already become a mosque.
Image adapted from http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/hledej.php?hleda=hagia+sophia+5.
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