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