Question

4. What does Hagia Sophia mean in English? Discuss its architectural and liturgical influences and the way the structure affects you.

Answer 1

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary. You will have to write how the structure affects you.

(Answer) Hagia Sophia means “Holy Wisdom” in English. The structure was built as a Greek Christian Orthodox edifice and went on to become an imperial mosque and is now a museum. It became a secular structure in the year 1935.

Architecturally, the structure is an amalgam of antiquity and Byzantine nuances. The quintessential dome structure is evident in Islamic structures and Mughal architecture around the world. The interiors are adorned with mosaic walls and stained glass windows like in a traditional Christian structure. In Islamic traditions, the dome is said to represent the kind of crown that an Islamic king would adorn. In Christian cultures, the stained glass windows are said to be the “poor man’s gospel” as it is descriptive of biblical stories and saints’ lives that a poor or illiterate individual would have used to understand biblical stories that they couldn’t read.

The building was refurbished under the supervision of emperor Justinian the great who looked at the temple and said, “Solomon, I have surpassed you.” This is in reference to the description of the great temple built by King Solomon for the Israeli tribes to offer oblations to Yahweh.