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Hagia Sophia - Quiz
Contributed by: Robertson
  • 1. When was Hagia Sophia built?
A) 732 AD
B) 476 AD
C) 537 AD
D) 654 AD
  • 2. Which empire built Hagia Sophia?
A) Byzantine Empire
B) Persian Empire
C) Roman Empire
D) Ottoman Empire
  • 3. What is the architectural style of Hagia Sophia?
A) Byzantine
B) Gothic
C) Baroque
D) Renaissance
  • 4. Hagia Sophia became a museum in which year?
A) 1984
B) 1935
C) 1862
D) 1957
  • 5. What was Hagia Sophia converted into after the Ottoman conquest?
A) Mosque
B) Library
C) Marketplace
D) Theatre
  • 6. Who was the architect of Hagia Sophia?
A) Michelangelo
B) Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
C) Leonardo da Vinci
D) Iktinos and Kallikrates
  • 7. Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral for how long?
A) 916 years
B) 482 years
C) 739 years
D) 1053 years
  • 8. What does 'Hagia Sophia' mean in Greek?
A) Great Cathedral
B) Sacred Monument
C) Heavenly Palace
D) Holy Wisdom
  • 9. Which city is Hagia Sophia located in?
A) Rome
B) Istanbul
C) Cairo
D) Athens
  • 10. What significant event occurred at Hagia Sophia on 13–14 January 532?
A) It was inaugurated by Emperor Justinian I.
B) Emperor Theophilus installed two-winged bronze doors.
C) The Byzantine–Sasanian War began.
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) Constantine the Great
B) Mehmed the Conqueror
C) Theodosius II
D) Justinian I
  • 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 operated as a marketplace.
B) It served as a Christian basilica.
C) It functioned as a Roman bathhouse.
D) It was used as an imperial library.
  • 14. What was one major consequence of the Nika Revolt for Hagia Sophia?
A) The church was converted into a museum.
B) Emperor Justinian I ordered its immediate reconstruction.
C) It became a mosque immediately after the revolt.
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) Gothic arches.
B) Flying buttresses.
C) Baroque facades.
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) Constantine the Great
B) Theodosius II
C) Arcadius
D) Isaac II Angelus
  • 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) Ahmed I
B) Selim II
C) Suleiman the Magnificent
D) Murad III
  • 19. Which organization included Hagia Sophia in their 1996 and 1998 Watch Lists due to its deteriorating condition?
A) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
B) UNESCO
C) International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
D) Council of Europe
  • 20. Who was the first Turkish President to transform Hagia Sophia into a museum?
A) Abdulmejid I
B) İsmet İnönü
C) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
D) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
  • 21. In what year did the Turkish government announce the reversion of Hagia Sophia back to a mosque?
A) 1998
B) 2003
C) 2015
D) 2020
  • 22. Who was the first imam appointed by Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs at Hagia Sophia since 1935?
A) Önder Soy
B) Ali Erbaş
C) Mefail Hızlı
D) Bülent Arınç
  • 23. Which president of Turkey signed the decree annulling Hagia Sophia's museum status in 2020?
A) Ahmet Necdet Sezer
B) Tayyip Erdoğan
C) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
D) Abdullah Gül
  • 24. Which Greek political figure called Hagia Sophia's conversion a 'breach of UNESCO World Heritage titling'?
A) Dora Bakoyannis
B) Kyriakos Mitsotakis
C) Alexis Tsipras
D) Lina Mendoni
  • 25. Which Sultan's reign saw the renovation of Hagia Sophia's interior to preserve many mosaics?
A) Abdulmejid I
B) Selim I
C) Mehmed II
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) Gaspare Fossati
C) Bernardo Bonsignori
D) Pero Tafur
  • 27. According to Svenshon, what is the size of the side of the central square in Byzantine feet?
A) 100 feet
B) 101 feet
C) 99 feet
D) 98 feet
  • 28. When was the Deësis mosaic likely commissioned?
A) 1122
B) 1261
C) 1849
D) 1958
  • 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) Sinan.
B) Mehmed.
C) Justinian.
D) Beyazıd II.
  • 31. When was the Emperor Alexander mosaic discovered?
A) 1894
B) 1122
C) 1958
D) 1849
  • 32. How many arched windows support the central dome?
A) 30
B) 60
C) 40
D) 50
  • 33. 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 Irene
D) Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
  • 34. What was the main entrance between the exo- and esonarthex called?
A) The Northern Entrance
B) The Emperor's Arch
C) The Imperial Gate
D) The Royal Door
  • 35. What does touching the moisture on the wishing column reportedly cure?
A) Bad luck.
B) Broken bones.
C) Many illnesses.
D) Financial troubles.
  • 36. What is the main solution to prevent deterioration of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) Applying new plaster.
B) Using modern construction materials.
C) Diverting excess rainwater.
D) Sealing all openings.
  • 37. Who led the team from the Byzantine Institute of America that uncovered many mosaics in the 1930s?
A) Michael Fossati
B) Cyril Mango
C) Thomas Whittemore
D) John Smith
  • 38. What type of angels are depicted in the mosaics on the east pendentives?
A) Four-winged angels representing the cardinal directions.
B) Six-winged angels, possibly seraphim or cherubim.
C) Eight-winged angels of justice and mercy.
D) Two-winged angels symbolizing peace and war.
  • 39. What did Christ Pantocrator hold in his left hand in the Empress Zoe mosaic?
A) A scroll
B) A globus cruciger
C) The Bible
D) A purse
  • 40. What is another name for the 'wishing column' in Hagia Sophia?
A) The 'perspiring' or 'sweating column'.
B) The 'emperor's column'.
C) The 'healing pillar'.
D) The 'golden column'.
  • 41. In what year did vandalism occur at the Imperial Gate?
A) 2019
B) 2005
C) 1987
D) April 2022
  • 42. What period do the lustration urns date back to?
A) Byzantine period.
B) Romanesque period.
C) Hellenistic period.
D) Renaissance period.
  • 43. When did the stone floor of Hagia Sophia originally date from?
A) The 4th century
B) The 6th century
C) The 12th century
D) The 8th century
  • 44. What material is predominantly used in the Hagia Sophia's floor?
A) Limestone
B) Granite
C) Proconnesian marble
D) Thessalian verd antique
  • 45. What is the diagonal measurement derived from the side-and-diagonal number progression in Hagia Sophia?
A) 150
B) 140
C) 130
D) 160
  • 46. Who was traditionally allowed to use the Imperial Gate exclusively?
A) The Patriarch
B) The Empress
C) The clergy
D) The emperor
  • 47. What did members of the Varangian Guard leave in the first floor gallery?
A) Mosaics
B) Inscriptions in Latin
C) Symbols of their allegiance
D) Runic graffiti
  • 48. What instrument was used to investigate the subsurface structure under Hagia Sophia?
A) Ground-penetrating radar
B) LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters
C) Laser scanning devices
D) Seismic reflection tools
  • 49. What progression is used for calculating the square measurements in Hagia Sophia's design?
A) Arithmetic progression
B) Geometric progression
C) Side-and-diagonal number progression
D) Fibonacci sequence
  • 50. What did the Ottomans cover on the seraphs' faces?
A) Golden stars.
B) Figurative mosaics.
C) Paintings of prophets.
D) Ceramic tiles.
  • 51. Which organization's World Heritage Committee was mentioned in relation to Hagia Sophia's status change?
A) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
B) UNESCO
C) Council of Europe
D) International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
  • 52. Who rediscovered the southwestern entrance mosaic during restorations in 1849?
A) The Fossatis
B) Thomas Whittemore
C) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
D) Cornelius Loos
  • 53. What is the length of each side of the great square Hagia Sophia?
A) 35 m
B) Approximately 31 m
C) 40 m
D) 25 m
  • 54. What did the Thessalian verd antique bands across the nave floor resemble?
A) Mountains.
B) Deserts.
C) Rivers.
D) Forests.
  • 55. Which poet likened the ambo and solea to an island in a sea?
A) Tursun Beg
B) Paul the Silentiary
C) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
D) Michael the Deacon
  • 56. Which synagogue is modeled after the Hagia Sophia?
A) Süleymaniye Mosque
B) Saint Louis Cathedral
C) Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco)
D) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
  • 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) A drawing by Cornelius Loos.
D) An engraving by Guillaume-Joseph Grelot.
  • 59. Who compared the floor to waves of marble?
A) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
B) Tursun Beg
C) Paul the Silentiary
D) Michael the Deacon
  • 60. Which Neo-Byzantine church closely replicates the internal geometry of Hagia Sophia?
A) Église du Saint-Esprit (Paris)
B) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
C) Saint Clement Catholic Church
D) Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
  • 61. 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) 1576
D) 1498
  • 62. 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 builders used more mortar than brick, weakening the structure
D) The walls were built without any mortar
  • 63. What is another name for the upper gallery in Hagia Sophia?
A) Apse
B) Matroneum
C) Pendentive
D) Narthex
  • 64. How high is the central dome of Hagia Sophia from floor level at its maximum?
A) 45.6 m
B) 55.6 m (182 ft 5 in)
C) 65.6 m
D) 75.6 m
  • 65. 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) Single blocks of marble.
D) Marble from Pergamon.
  • 66. Where did many items from Hagia Sophia end up after the Sack of Constantinople?
A) Constantinople, stored in hidden vaults.
B) Athens, as part of a cultural exchange.
C) Rome, to be displayed in the Vatican.
D) Venice, organized by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
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