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