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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
: From Byzantine Church to Turkish Mosque to Twentieth-Century Museum: In seven pages this art history paper considers the three important transformations of the Hagia Sophia from a Byzantine Christian Church of the Holy Wisdom to an Islamic mosque after the 1453 Ottoman conquest, and finally secularized as an Istanbul museum in 1934. Seven sources are listed in the bibliography.
Page Count:
7 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGhagsoph.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
Erected in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey) as the ultimate architectural monument to Christianity, Hagia Sophia has survived fires, earthquakes, transitioning from Christian church to Islamic mosque, and secularization in
the form of contemporary museum. Art historians never cease to be amazed at the adaptability of Hagia Sophia to the times and widely divergent cultures it was intended to
represent. Even though it dates back to the 4th century B.C., Hagia Sophia is not an ancient artifact or relic of a bygone era. It is an artistic
celebration of history, religion, and society, and remains as relevant now as it was when it was first constructed. Christianity became the Byzantine Empires state religion during the reign of
Constantine the Great (Nelson 41). Continuing the family tradition, his son Emperor Constantius, who reigned from 337 to 361 created the first incarnation of Hagia Sophia in 360 (Gilles
58). This religious artwork became a magnet for public discord, and during the reign of Theodosius the Great (379-395), during the second synod, the rebel Arian faction set it
afire (Gilles 58). Theodosius later rebuilt it with picturesque cylindrical arches that were revolutionary at the time (Gilles 58). After a second fire, it was reconstructed yet again
by Justinian I (Justinian the Great) during the sixth century. Due in large part to Justinians watchful eye, an artistic masterpiece was constructed that featured "the largest uninterrupted interior
space in the world before the construction of the Pantheon of Rome" (Shaw 10). Byzantine theologian and historian Joannes Zonaras records that Justinian built the church considerably larger than
its existing foundation, which may have necessitated enlargement through the purchase of neighboring houses (Gilles 59). In January 532, five years
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