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Hagia Sophia - Quiz
Contributed by: Robertson
  • 1. When was Hagia Sophia built?
A) 537 AD
B) 732 AD
C) 654 AD
D) 476 AD
  • 2. Which empire built Hagia Sophia?
A) Roman Empire
B) Persian Empire
C) Ottoman Empire
D) Byzantine Empire
  • 3. What is the architectural style of Hagia Sophia?
A) Baroque
B) Byzantine
C) Renaissance
D) Gothic
  • 4. Hagia Sophia became a museum in which year?
A) 1935
B) 1957
C) 1984
D) 1862
  • 5. What was Hagia Sophia converted into after the Ottoman conquest?
A) Theatre
B) Mosque
C) Marketplace
D) Library
  • 6. Who was the architect of Hagia Sophia?
A) Michelangelo
B) Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
C) Iktinos and Kallikrates
D) Leonardo da Vinci
  • 7. Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral for how long?
A) 916 years
B) 1053 years
C) 739 years
D) 482 years
  • 8. What does 'Hagia Sophia' mean in Greek?
A) Sacred Monument
B) Heavenly Palace
C) Holy Wisdom
D) Great Cathedral
  • 9. Which city is Hagia Sophia located in?
A) Rome
B) Athens
C) Istanbul
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) Emperor Theophilus installed two-winged bronze doors.
C) The Byzantine–Sasanian War began.
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) Constantine the Great
B) Mehmed the Conqueror
C) Justinian I
D) Theodosius II
  • 12. What architectural innovation is Hagia Sophia known for employing?
A) A fully pendentive dome.
B) Flying buttresses.
C) Baroque facades.
D) Gothic arches.
  • 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) It became a mosque immediately after the revolt.
B) Emperor Justinian I ordered its immediate reconstruction.
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) Gothic arches.
B) Baroque facades.
C) A ribbed dome with pendentives.
D) Flying buttresses.
  • 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) Davud Ağa
B) Gaspare Fossati
C) Giuseppe Fossati
D) Mimar Sinan
  • 18. Which Sultan imported two large alabaster Hellenistic urns from Pergamon and placed them in Hagia Sophia?
A) Selim II
B) Ahmed I
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) 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) İsmet İnönü
B) Abdulmejid I
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) 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) Mefail Hızlı
C) Önder Soy
D) Bülent Arınç
  • 23. Which president of Turkey signed the decree annulling Hagia Sophia's museum status in 2020?
A) Tayyip Erdoğan
B) Abdullah Gül
C) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
D) Ahmet Necdet Sezer
  • 24. Which Greek political figure called Hagia Sophia's conversion a 'breach of UNESCO World Heritage titling'?
A) Dora Bakoyannis
B) Kyriakos Mitsotakis
C) Lina Mendoni
D) Alexis Tsipras
  • 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) Bernardo Bonsignori
B) Pero Tafur
C) Gaspare Fossati
D) Cristoforo Buondelmonti
  • 27. In what year did the first Friday prayer in Hagia Sophia as a mosque take place?
A) 1576
B) 1498
C) 1 June 1453
D) 29 May 1453
  • 28. Which organization's World Heritage Committee was mentioned in relation to Hagia Sophia's status change?
A) International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
B) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
C) UNESCO
D) Council of Europe
  • 29. How high is the central dome of Hagia Sophia from floor level at its maximum?
A) 65.6 m
B) 55.6 m (182 ft 5 in)
C) 45.6 m
D) 75.6 m
  • 30. How many arched windows support the central dome?
A) 50
B) 60
C) 30
D) 40
  • 31. What is the length of each side of the great square Hagia Sophia?
A) 40 m
B) Approximately 31 m
C) 25 m
D) 35 m
  • 32. According to Svenshon, what is the size of the side of the central square in Byzantine feet?
A) 98 feet
B) 100 feet
C) 101 feet
D) 99 feet
  • 33. What progression is used for calculating the square measurements in Hagia Sophia's design?
A) Arithmetic progression
B) Side-and-diagonal number progression
C) Geometric progression
D) Fibonacci sequence
  • 34. What is the diagonal measurement derived from the side-and-diagonal number progression in Hagia Sophia?
A) 130
B) 160
C) 140
D) 150
  • 35. When did the stone floor of Hagia Sophia originally date from?
A) The 4th century
B) The 8th century
C) The 12th century
D) The 6th century
  • 36. What material is predominantly used in the Hagia Sophia's floor?
A) Proconnesian marble
B) Limestone
C) Thessalian verd antique
D) Granite
  • 37. What did the Thessalian verd antique bands across the nave floor resemble?
A) Deserts.
B) Forests.
C) Mountains.
D) Rivers.
  • 38. Which poet likened the ambo and solea to an island in a sea?
A) Michael the Deacon
B) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
C) Tursun Beg
D) Paul the Silentiary
  • 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 Northern Entrance
B) The Royal Door
C) The Imperial Gate
D) The Emperor's Arch
  • 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) Narthex
C) Matroneum
D) Pendentive
  • 43. What did members of the Varangian Guard leave in the first floor gallery?
A) Runic graffiti
B) Symbols of their allegiance
C) Inscriptions in Latin
D) Mosaics
  • 44. What was a significant issue with the construction of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) The walls were constructed with metal reinforcements
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 built without any mortar
  • 45. Who built the wooden minaret over one of Hagia Sophia's half domes?
A) Justinian.
B) Mehmed.
C) Sinan.
D) Beyazıd II.
  • 46. What happened to the figurative mosaics during the iconoclastic controversy?
A) They were destroyed.
B) They were covered with gold leaf.
C) They were replaced by abstract designs.
D) They were moved to another location.
  • 47. What did the Ottomans cover on the seraphs' faces?
A) Figurative mosaics.
B) Ceramic tiles.
C) Paintings of prophets.
D) Golden stars.
  • 48. What material is used for the disc marking the spot of the empress's throne?
A) Marble from Pergamon.
B) Green stone verd antique.
C) Single blocks of marble.
D) Reliefs of geometric shapes and plants.
  • 49. What period do the lustration urns date back to?
A) Byzantine period.
B) Renaissance period.
C) Romanesque period.
D) Hellenistic period.
  • 50. In what year did vandalism occur at the Imperial Gate?
A) April 2022
B) 1987
C) 2019
D) 2005
  • 51. What is another name for the 'wishing column' in Hagia Sophia?
A) The 'healing pillar'.
B) The 'emperor's column'.
C) The 'golden column'.
D) The 'perspiring' or 'sweating column'.
  • 52. What does touching the moisture on the wishing column reportedly cure?
A) Bad luck.
B) Many illnesses.
C) Financial troubles.
D) Broken bones.
  • 53. Where did many items from Hagia Sophia end up after the Sack of Constantinople?
A) Venice, organized by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
B) Rome, to be displayed in the Vatican.
C) Constantinople, stored in hidden vaults.
D) Athens, as part of a cultural exchange.
  • 54. What type of angels are depicted in the mosaics on the east pendentives?
A) Six-winged angels, possibly seraphim or cherubim.
B) Four-winged angels representing the cardinal directions.
C) Two-winged angels symbolizing peace and war.
D) Eight-winged angels of justice and mercy.
  • 55. Who led the team from the Byzantine Institute of America that uncovered many mosaics in the 1930s?
A) Thomas Whittemore
B) Cyril Mango
C) John Smith
D) Michael Fossati
  • 56. What is the main solution to prevent deterioration of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) Applying new plaster.
B) Sealing all openings.
C) Diverting excess rainwater.
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) Laser scanning devices
D) Ground-penetrating radar
  • 58. Who rediscovered the southwestern entrance mosaic during restorations in 1849?
A) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
B) Thomas Whittemore
C) Cornelius Loos
D) The Fossatis
  • 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 hexaptych menologion icon panel from Saint Catherine's Monastery.
B) A drawing by Cornelius Loos.
C) A fresco in the apse.
D) An engraving by Guillaume-Joseph Grelot.
  • 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 scroll
B) A globus cruciger
C) A purse
D) The Bible
  • 63. When was the Deësis mosaic likely commissioned?
A) 1849
B) 1958
C) 1122
D) 1261
  • 64. Which Byzantine church was remodeled to have a dome similar to Hagia Sophia's during Justinian's reign?
A) Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa
B) Hagia Irene
C) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
D) Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
  • 65. Which Neo-Byzantine church closely replicates the internal geometry of Hagia Sophia?
A) Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
B) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
C) Église du Saint-Esprit (Paris)
D) Saint Clement Catholic Church
  • 66. Which synagogue is modeled after the Hagia Sophia?
A) Saint Louis Cathedral
B) Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco)
C) Süleymaniye Mosque
D) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
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