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Hagia Sophia - Quiz
Contributed by: Robertson
  • 1. When was Hagia Sophia built?
A) 732 AD
B) 537 AD
C) 476 AD
D) 654 AD
  • 2. Which empire built Hagia Sophia?
A) Byzantine Empire
B) Roman Empire
C) Persian Empire
D) Ottoman 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) 1957
B) 1984
C) 1862
D) 1935
  • 5. What was Hagia Sophia converted into after the Ottoman conquest?
A) Library
B) Theatre
C) Mosque
D) Marketplace
  • 6. Who was the architect of Hagia Sophia?
A) Iktinos and Kallikrates
B) Leonardo da Vinci
C) Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
D) Michelangelo
  • 7. Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral for how long?
A) 739 years
B) 916 years
C) 482 years
D) 1053 years
  • 8. What does 'Hagia Sophia' mean in Greek?
A) Great Cathedral
B) Heavenly Palace
C) Sacred Monument
D) Holy Wisdom
  • 9. Which city is Hagia Sophia located in?
A) Istanbul
B) Rome
C) Cairo
D) Athens
  • 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) It was inaugurated by Emperor Justinian I.
C) The Byzantine–Sasanian War began.
D) Emperor Theophilus installed two-winged bronze doors.
  • 11. Which emperor ordered the construction of a third Hagia Sophia after the second was destroyed?
A) Theodosius II
B) Justinian I
C) Constantine the Great
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 was used as an imperial library.
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 second church on the site was burnt to the ground.
C) Emperor Justinian I ordered its immediate reconstruction.
D) The church was converted into a museum.
  • 15. What was one significant architectural feature added to Hagia Sophia during Justinian's reign?
A) Flying buttresses.
B) Gothic arches.
C) A ribbed dome with pendentives.
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) Constantine the Great
C) Theodosius II
D) Arcadius
  • 17. Which Ottoman architect was responsible for strengthening Hagia Sophia in the 16th century?
A) Mimar Sinan
B) Gaspare Fossati
C) Giuseppe Fossati
D) Davud Ağa
  • 18. Which Sultan imported two large alabaster Hellenistic urns from Pergamon and placed them in Hagia Sophia?
A) Suleiman the Magnificent
B) Selim II
C) Murad III
D) Ahmed I
  • 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) İsmet İnönü
B) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
C) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
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) 1998
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) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
B) Abdullah Gül
C) Ahmet Necdet Sezer
D) Tayyip Erdoğan
  • 24. Which Greek political figure called Hagia Sophia's conversion a 'breach of UNESCO World Heritage titling'?
A) Dora Bakoyannis
B) Alexis Tsipras
C) Kyriakos Mitsotakis
D) Lina Mendoni
  • 25. Which Sultan's reign saw the renovation of Hagia Sophia's interior to preserve many mosaics?
A) Abdulmejid I
B) Ahmed III
C) Selim 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) Gaspare Fossati
B) Pero Tafur
C) Bernardo Bonsignori
D) Cristoforo Buondelmonti
  • 27. In what year did the first Friday prayer in Hagia Sophia as a mosque take place?
A) 1498
B) 1 June 1453
C) 1576
D) 29 May 1453
  • 28. Which organization's World Heritage Committee was mentioned in relation to Hagia Sophia's status change?
A) UNESCO
B) Council of Europe
C) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
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) 65.6 m
B) 75.6 m
C) 45.6 m
D) 55.6 m (182 ft 5 in)
  • 30. How many arched windows support the central dome?
A) 60
B) 50
C) 40
D) 30
  • 31. What is the length of each side of the great square Hagia Sophia?
A) 35 m
B) Approximately 31 m
C) 25 m
D) 40 m
  • 32. According to Svenshon, what is the size of the side of the central square in Byzantine feet?
A) 101 feet
B) 100 feet
C) 99 feet
D) 98 feet
  • 33. What progression is used for calculating the square measurements in Hagia Sophia's design?
A) Geometric progression
B) Fibonacci sequence
C) Side-and-diagonal number progression
D) Arithmetic progression
  • 34. What is the diagonal measurement derived from the side-and-diagonal number progression in Hagia Sophia?
A) 150
B) 130
C) 160
D) 140
  • 35. When did the stone floor of Hagia Sophia originally date from?
A) The 6th century
B) The 12th century
C) The 4th century
D) The 8th century
  • 36. What material is predominantly used in the Hagia Sophia's floor?
A) Proconnesian marble
B) Thessalian verd antique
C) Granite
D) Limestone
  • 37. What did the Thessalian verd antique bands across the nave floor resemble?
A) Deserts.
B) Rivers.
C) Forests.
D) Mountains.
  • 38. Which poet likened the ambo and solea to an island in a sea?
A) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
B) Tursun Beg
C) Michael the Deacon
D) Paul the Silentiary
  • 39. Who compared the floor to waves of marble?
A) Michael the Deacon
B) Tursun Beg
C) Paul the Silentiary
D) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
  • 40. What was the main entrance between the exo- and esonarthex called?
A) The Emperor's Arch
B) The Imperial Gate
C) The Northern Entrance
D) The Royal Door
  • 41. Who was traditionally allowed to use the Imperial Gate exclusively?
A) The Patriarch
B) The emperor
C) The clergy
D) The Empress
  • 42. What is another name for the upper gallery in Hagia Sophia?
A) Apse
B) Matroneum
C) Pendentive
D) Narthex
  • 43. What did members of the Varangian Guard leave in the first floor gallery?
A) Mosaics
B) Symbols of their allegiance
C) Runic graffiti
D) Inscriptions in Latin
  • 44. What was a significant issue with the construction of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) The builders used more mortar than brick, weakening the structure
B) The walls were built without any mortar
C) The walls were constructed with metal reinforcements
D) They used too much stone and not enough mortar
  • 45. Who built the wooden minaret over one of Hagia Sophia's half domes?
A) Sinan.
B) Beyazıd II.
C) Justinian.
D) Mehmed.
  • 46. What happened to the figurative mosaics during the iconoclastic controversy?
A) They were destroyed.
B) They were replaced by abstract designs.
C) They were covered with gold leaf.
D) They were moved to another location.
  • 47. What did the Ottomans cover on the seraphs' faces?
A) Ceramic tiles.
B) Figurative mosaics.
C) Paintings of prophets.
D) Golden stars.
  • 48. What material is used for the disc marking the spot of the empress's throne?
A) Green stone verd antique.
B) Reliefs of geometric shapes and plants.
C) Marble from Pergamon.
D) Single blocks of marble.
  • 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) 2005
B) 2019
C) April 2022
D) 1987
  • 51. What is another name for the 'wishing column' in Hagia Sophia?
A) The 'perspiring' or 'sweating column'.
B) The 'emperor's column'.
C) The 'golden column'.
D) The 'healing pillar'.
  • 52. What does touching the moisture on the wishing column reportedly cure?
A) Broken bones.
B) Bad luck.
C) Financial troubles.
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) Constantinople, stored in hidden vaults.
C) Venice, organized by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
D) Rome, to be displayed in the Vatican.
  • 54. What type of angels are depicted in the mosaics on the east pendentives?
A) Two-winged angels symbolizing peace and war.
B) Six-winged angels, possibly seraphim or cherubim.
C) Eight-winged angels of justice and mercy.
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) Michael Fossati
C) Cyril Mango
D) Thomas Whittemore
  • 56. What is the main solution to prevent deterioration of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) Sealing all openings.
B) Applying new plaster.
C) Using modern construction materials.
D) Diverting excess rainwater.
  • 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) The Fossatis
B) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
C) Cornelius Loos
D) Thomas Whittemore
  • 59. Who engraved an image of Hagia Sophia's interior in 1672?
A) Thomas Whittemore
B) Cornelius Loos
C) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
D) The Fossatis
  • 60. What is the oldest depiction of the apse mosaic known?
A) A hexaptych menologion icon panel from Saint Catherine's Monastery.
B) An engraving by Guillaume-Joseph Grelot.
C) A fresco in the apse.
D) A drawing by Cornelius Loos.
  • 61. When was the Emperor Alexander mosaic discovered?
A) 1122
B) 1894
C) 1958
D) 1849
  • 62. What did Christ Pantocrator hold in his left hand in the Empress Zoe mosaic?
A) The Bible
B) A scroll
C) A globus cruciger
D) A purse
  • 63. When was the Deësis mosaic likely commissioned?
A) 1261
B) 1849
C) 1122
D) 1958
  • 64. Which Byzantine church was remodeled to have a dome similar to Hagia Sophia's during Justinian's reign?
A) Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
B) Hagia Irene
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) Église du Saint-Esprit (Paris)
C) Saint Clement Catholic Church
D) Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
  • 66. Which synagogue is modeled after the Hagia Sophia?
A) Süleymaniye Mosque
B) Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco)
C) Saint Louis Cathedral
D) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
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