HAA 144M - Hagia Sophia: Space and Ceremony

Semester: 

Fall

Offered: 

2023

Ioli Kalavrezou

The seminar will investigate an architectural masterpiece, the famous 6th c. Church of Hagia Sophia of Constantinople, now Istanbul.The monument stands at the forefront of the supreme architectural achievements not only of the emperor Justinian but of all Medieval and Byzantine domed architecture. It is best known for its unique design, its dome of unprecedented scale, and its splendid mosaics, now very much in the lime light. The seminar will analyse issues of design and materials, structure, symbolism and ritual performances.