Hagia Sophia - Quiz
Hagia Sophia
  • 1. When was Hagia Sophia built?
A) 654 AD
B) 537 AD
C) 732 AD
D) 476 AD
  • 2. Which empire built Hagia Sophia?
A) Roman Empire
B) Ottoman Empire
C) Persian Empire
D) Byzantine Empire
  • 3. What is the architectural style of Hagia Sophia?
A) Renaissance
B) Gothic
C) Byzantine
D) Baroque
  • 4. Hagia Sophia became a museum in which year?
A) 1984
B) 1862
C) 1957
D) 1935
  • 5. What was Hagia Sophia converted into after the Ottoman conquest?
A) Marketplace
B) Mosque
C) Theatre
D) Library
  • 6. Who was the architect of Hagia Sophia?
A) Leonardo da Vinci
B) Iktinos and Kallikrates
C) Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
D) Michelangelo
  • 7. Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral for how long?
A) 1053 years
B) 916 years
C) 739 years
D) 482 years
  • 8. What does 'Hagia Sophia' mean in Greek?
A) Heavenly Palace
B) Sacred Monument
C) Holy Wisdom
D) Great Cathedral
  • 9. Which city is Hagia Sophia located in?
A) Rome
B) Cairo
C) Athens
D) Istanbul
  • 10. What significant event occurred at Hagia Sophia on 13–14 January 532?
A) The Byzantine–Sasanian War began.
B) Emperor Theophilus installed two-winged bronze doors.
C) It was inaugurated by Emperor Justinian I.
D) It was burnt to the ground during the Nika Revolt.
  • 11. Which emperor ordered the construction of a third Hagia Sophia after the second was destroyed?
A) Mehmed the Conqueror
B) Theodosius II
C) Justinian I
D) Constantine the Great
  • 12. What architectural innovation is Hagia Sophia known for employing?
A) Flying buttresses.
B) Baroque facades.
C) A fully pendentive dome.
D) Gothic arches.
  • 13. What was the original purpose of Hagia Sophia when it was first constructed?
A) It served as a Christian basilica.
B) It operated as a marketplace.
C) It was used as an imperial library.
D) It functioned as a Roman bathhouse.
  • 14. What was one major consequence of the Nika Revolt for Hagia Sophia?
A) Emperor Justinian I ordered its immediate reconstruction.
B) It became a mosque immediately after the revolt.
C) The church was converted into a museum.
D) The second church on the site was burnt to the ground.
  • 15. What was one significant architectural feature added to Hagia Sophia during Justinian's reign?
A) A ribbed dome with pendentives.
B) Flying buttresses.
C) Baroque facades.
D) Gothic arches.
  • 16. Which Byzantine emperor's reign saw Hagia Sophia being stripped of gold ornaments and silver oil-lamps?
A) Theodosius II
B) Isaac II Angelus
C) Arcadius
D) Constantine the Great
  • 17. Which Ottoman architect was responsible for strengthening Hagia Sophia in the 16th century?
A) Davud Ağa
B) Mimar Sinan
C) Gaspare Fossati
D) Giuseppe Fossati
  • 18. Which Sultan imported two large alabaster Hellenistic urns from Pergamon and placed them in Hagia Sophia?
A) Murad III
B) Suleiman the Magnificent
C) Ahmed I
D) Selim II
  • 19. Which organization included Hagia Sophia in their 1996 and 1998 Watch Lists due to its deteriorating condition?
A) Council of Europe
B) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
C) UNESCO
D) International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
  • 20. Who was the first Turkish President to transform Hagia Sophia into a museum?
A) Abdulmejid I
B) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
C) İsmet İnönü
D) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
  • 21. In what year did the Turkish government announce the reversion of Hagia Sophia back to a mosque?
A) 2015
B) 1998
C) 2020
D) 2003
  • 22. Who was the first imam appointed by Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs at Hagia Sophia since 1935?
A) Mefail Hızlı
B) Bülent Arınç
C) Önder Soy
D) Ali Erbaş
  • 23. Which president of Turkey signed the decree annulling Hagia Sophia's museum status in 2020?
A) Abdullah Gül
B) Ahmet Necdet Sezer
C) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
D) Tayyip Erdoğan
  • 24. Which Greek political figure called Hagia Sophia's conversion a 'breach of UNESCO World Heritage titling'?
A) Lina Mendoni
B) Kyriakos Mitsotakis
C) Dora Bakoyannis
D) Alexis Tsipras
  • 25. Which Sultan's reign saw the renovation of Hagia Sophia's interior to preserve many mosaics?
A) Selim I
B) Mehmed II
C) Abdulmejid I
D) Ahmed III
  • 26. Who was the first Western visitor to report seeing the ancient Justinianic floor of Hagia Sophia before it was covered over?
A) Cristoforo Buondelmonti
B) Bernardo Bonsignori
C) Pero Tafur
D) Gaspare Fossati
  • 27. According to Svenshon, what is the size of the side of the central square in Byzantine feet?
A) 100 feet
B) 98 feet
C) 99 feet
D) 101 feet
  • 28. When was the Deësis mosaic likely commissioned?
A) 1261
B) 1958
C) 1122
D) 1849
  • 29. Who engraved an image of Hagia Sophia's interior in 1672?
A) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
B) The Fossatis
C) Cornelius Loos
D) Thomas Whittemore
  • 30. Who built the wooden minaret over one of Hagia Sophia's half domes?
A) Beyazıd II.
B) Sinan.
C) Justinian.
D) Mehmed.
  • 31. When was the Emperor Alexander mosaic discovered?
A) 1849
B) 1894
C) 1958
D) 1122
  • 32. How many arched windows support the central dome?
A) 60
B) 30
C) 50
D) 40
  • 33. Which Byzantine church was remodeled to have a dome similar to Hagia Sophia's during Justinian's reign?
A) Hagia Irene
B) Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
C) Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa
D) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
  • 34. What was the main entrance between the exo- and esonarthex called?
A) The Emperor's Arch
B) The Royal Door
C) The Northern Entrance
D) The Imperial Gate
  • 35. What does touching the moisture on the wishing column reportedly cure?
A) Bad luck.
B) Financial troubles.
C) Many illnesses.
D) Broken bones.
  • 36. What is the main solution to prevent deterioration of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) Applying new plaster.
B) Using modern construction materials.
C) Sealing all openings.
D) Diverting excess rainwater.
  • 37. Who led the team from the Byzantine Institute of America that uncovered many mosaics in the 1930s?
A) Cyril Mango
B) John Smith
C) Michael Fossati
D) Thomas Whittemore
  • 38. What type of angels are depicted in the mosaics on the east pendentives?
A) Six-winged angels, possibly seraphim or cherubim.
B) Eight-winged angels of justice and mercy.
C) Two-winged angels symbolizing peace and war.
D) Four-winged angels representing the cardinal directions.
  • 39. What did Christ Pantocrator hold in his left hand in the Empress Zoe mosaic?
A) A purse
B) The Bible
C) A globus cruciger
D) A scroll
  • 40. What is another name for the 'wishing column' in Hagia Sophia?
A) The 'golden column'.
B) The 'healing pillar'.
C) The 'emperor's column'.
D) The 'perspiring' or 'sweating column'.
  • 41. In what year did vandalism occur at the Imperial Gate?
A) 2019
B) April 2022
C) 2005
D) 1987
  • 42. What period do the lustration urns date back to?
A) Byzantine period.
B) Renaissance period.
C) Hellenistic period.
D) Romanesque period.
  • 43. When did the stone floor of Hagia Sophia originally date from?
A) The 8th century
B) The 6th century
C) The 12th century
D) The 4th century
  • 44. What material is predominantly used in the Hagia Sophia's floor?
A) Limestone
B) Thessalian verd antique
C) Proconnesian marble
D) Granite
  • 45. What is the diagonal measurement derived from the side-and-diagonal number progression in Hagia Sophia?
A) 130
B) 150
C) 140
D) 160
  • 46. Who was traditionally allowed to use the Imperial Gate exclusively?
A) The Patriarch
B) The emperor
C) The Empress
D) The clergy
  • 47. What did members of the Varangian Guard leave in the first floor gallery?
A) Symbols of their allegiance
B) Inscriptions in Latin
C) Mosaics
D) Runic graffiti
  • 48. What instrument was used to investigate the subsurface structure under Hagia Sophia?
A) Laser scanning devices
B) LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters
C) Ground-penetrating radar
D) Seismic reflection tools
  • 49. What progression is used for calculating the square measurements in Hagia Sophia's design?
A) Side-and-diagonal number progression
B) Arithmetic progression
C) Fibonacci sequence
D) Geometric progression
  • 50. What did the Ottomans cover on the seraphs' faces?
A) Figurative mosaics.
B) Golden stars.
C) Ceramic tiles.
D) Paintings of prophets.
  • 51. Which organization's World Heritage Committee was mentioned in relation to Hagia Sophia's status change?
A) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
B) Council of Europe
C) UNESCO
D) International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
  • 52. Who rediscovered the southwestern entrance mosaic during restorations in 1849?
A) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
B) Thomas Whittemore
C) Cornelius Loos
D) The Fossatis
  • 53. What is the length of each side of the great square Hagia Sophia?
A) Approximately 31 m
B) 25 m
C) 35 m
D) 40 m
  • 54. What did the Thessalian verd antique bands across the nave floor resemble?
A) Mountains.
B) Deserts.
C) Forests.
D) Rivers.
  • 55. Which poet likened the ambo and solea to an island in a sea?
A) Michael the Deacon
B) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
C) Paul the Silentiary
D) Tursun Beg
  • 56. Which synagogue is modeled after the Hagia Sophia?
A) Süleymaniye Mosque
B) Saint Louis Cathedral
C) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
D) Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco)
  • 57. What happened to the figurative mosaics during the iconoclastic controversy?
A) They were moved to another location.
B) They were destroyed.
C) They were covered with gold leaf.
D) They were replaced by abstract designs.
  • 58. What is the oldest depiction of the apse mosaic known?
A) A hexaptych menologion icon panel from Saint Catherine's Monastery.
B) A fresco in the apse.
C) An engraving by Guillaume-Joseph Grelot.
D) A drawing by Cornelius Loos.
  • 59. Who compared the floor to waves of marble?
A) Tursun Beg
B) Michael the Deacon
C) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
D) Paul the Silentiary
  • 60. Which Neo-Byzantine church closely replicates the internal geometry of Hagia Sophia?
A) Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
B) Église du Saint-Esprit (Paris)
C) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
D) Saint Clement Catholic Church
  • 61. In what year did the first Friday prayer in Hagia Sophia as a mosque take place?
A) 1498
B) 1576
C) 1 June 1453
D) 29 May 1453
  • 62. What was a significant issue with the construction of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) The walls were built without any mortar
B) The builders used more mortar than brick, weakening the structure
C) They used too much stone and not enough mortar
D) The walls were constructed with metal reinforcements
  • 63. What is another name for the upper gallery in Hagia Sophia?
A) Apse
B) Matroneum
C) Narthex
D) Pendentive
  • 64. How high is the central dome of Hagia Sophia from floor level at its maximum?
A) 45.6 m
B) 65.6 m
C) 75.6 m
D) 55.6 m (182 ft 5 in)
  • 65. What material is used for the disc marking the spot of the empress's throne?
A) Single blocks of marble.
B) Marble from Pergamon.
C) Green stone verd antique.
D) Reliefs of geometric shapes and plants.
  • 66. Where did many items from Hagia Sophia end up after the Sack of Constantinople?
A) Rome, to be displayed in the Vatican.
B) Athens, as part of a cultural exchange.
C) Constantinople, stored in hidden vaults.
D) Venice, organized by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
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