ThatQuiz Test Library Take this test now
Hagia Sophia - Quiz
Contributed by: Robertson
  • 1. When was Hagia Sophia built?
A) 654 AD
B) 732 AD
C) 476 AD
D) 537 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) Byzantine
B) Renaissance
C) Baroque
D) Gothic
  • 4. Hagia Sophia became a museum in which year?
A) 1935
B) 1984
C) 1957
D) 1862
  • 5. What was Hagia Sophia converted into after the Ottoman conquest?
A) Theatre
B) Marketplace
C) Mosque
D) Library
  • 6. Who was the architect of Hagia Sophia?
A) Leonardo da Vinci
B) Iktinos and Kallikrates
C) Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
D) Michelangelo
  • 7. Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral for how long?
A) 916 years
B) 739 years
C) 482 years
D) 1053 years
  • 8. What does 'Hagia Sophia' mean in Greek?
A) Heavenly Palace
B) Holy Wisdom
C) Great Cathedral
D) Sacred Monument
  • 9. Which city is Hagia Sophia located in?
A) Istanbul
B) Cairo
C) Athens
D) Rome
  • 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) 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) Baroque facades.
C) Flying buttresses.
D) Gothic arches.
  • 13. What was the original purpose of Hagia Sophia when it was first constructed?
A) It served as a Christian basilica.
B) It was used as an imperial library.
C) It functioned as a Roman bathhouse.
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) 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) Baroque facades.
B) Flying buttresses.
C) Gothic arches.
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) 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) Mimar Sinan
D) Giuseppe Fossati
  • 18. Which Sultan imported two large alabaster Hellenistic urns from Pergamon and placed them in Hagia Sophia?
A) Murad III
B) Ahmed I
C) Suleiman the Magnificent
D) Selim II
  • 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) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
B) İsmet İnönü
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) 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) 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) Alexis Tsipras
B) Lina Mendoni
C) Dora Bakoyannis
D) Kyriakos Mitsotakis
  • 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) Cristoforo Buondelmonti
C) Gaspare Fossati
D) Bernardo Bonsignori
  • 27. According to Svenshon, what is the size of the side of the central square in Byzantine feet?
A) 100 feet
B) 99 feet
C) 98 feet
D) 101 feet
  • 28. When was the Deësis mosaic likely commissioned?
A) 1122
B) 1261
C) 1958
D) 1849
  • 29. Who engraved an image of Hagia Sophia's interior in 1672?
A) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
B) The Fossatis
C) Thomas Whittemore
D) Cornelius Loos
  • 30. Who built the wooden minaret over one of Hagia Sophia's half domes?
A) Sinan.
B) Justinian.
C) Beyazıd II.
D) Mehmed.
  • 31. When was the Emperor Alexander mosaic discovered?
A) 1894
B) 1849
C) 1958
D) 1122
  • 32. How many arched windows support the central dome?
A) 30
B) 50
C) 40
D) 60
  • 33. Which Byzantine church was remodeled to have a dome similar to Hagia Sophia's during Justinian's reign?
A) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
B) Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
C) Hagia Irene
D) Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa
  • 34. What was the main entrance between the exo- and esonarthex called?
A) The Emperor's Arch
B) The Northern Entrance
C) The Royal Door
D) The Imperial Gate
  • 35. What does touching the moisture on the wishing column reportedly cure?
A) Bad luck.
B) Financial troubles.
C) Broken bones.
D) Many illnesses.
  • 36. What is the main solution to prevent deterioration of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) Applying new plaster.
B) Diverting excess rainwater.
C) Using modern construction materials.
D) Sealing all openings.
  • 37. 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
  • 38. What type of angels are depicted in the mosaics on the east pendentives?
A) Four-winged angels representing the cardinal directions.
B) Two-winged angels symbolizing peace and war.
C) Eight-winged angels of justice and mercy.
D) Six-winged angels, possibly seraphim or cherubim.
  • 39. 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
  • 40. What is another name for the 'wishing column' in Hagia Sophia?
A) The 'emperor's column'.
B) The 'perspiring' or 'sweating column'.
C) The 'golden column'.
D) The 'healing pillar'.
  • 41. In what year did vandalism occur at the Imperial Gate?
A) 2019
B) 2005
C) April 2022
D) 1987
  • 42. What period do the lustration urns date back to?
A) Romanesque period.
B) Byzantine period.
C) Renaissance period.
D) Hellenistic period.
  • 43. When did the stone floor of Hagia Sophia originally date from?
A) The 8th century
B) The 6th century
C) The 4th century
D) The 12th century
  • 44. What material is predominantly used in the Hagia Sophia's floor?
A) Limestone
B) Proconnesian marble
C) Thessalian verd antique
D) Granite
  • 45. What is the diagonal measurement derived from the side-and-diagonal number progression in Hagia Sophia?
A) 150
B) 130
C) 140
D) 160
  • 46. Who was traditionally allowed to use the Imperial Gate exclusively?
A) The Empress
B) The emperor
C) The Patriarch
D) The clergy
  • 47. What did members of the Varangian Guard leave in the first floor gallery?
A) Symbols of their allegiance
B) Mosaics
C) Runic graffiti
D) Inscriptions in Latin
  • 48. What instrument was used to investigate the subsurface structure under Hagia Sophia?
A) Laser scanning devices
B) Ground-penetrating radar
C) Seismic reflection tools
D) LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters
  • 49. What progression is used for calculating the square measurements in Hagia Sophia's design?
A) Side-and-diagonal number progression
B) Arithmetic progression
C) Fibonacci sequence
D) Geometric progression
  • 50. What did the Ottomans cover on the seraphs' faces?
A) Ceramic tiles.
B) Figurative mosaics.
C) Paintings of prophets.
D) Golden stars.
  • 51. 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) Council of Europe
C) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
D) UNESCO
  • 52. Who rediscovered the southwestern entrance mosaic during restorations in 1849?
A) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
B) The Fossatis
C) Thomas Whittemore
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) 25 m
D) 40 m
  • 54. What did the Thessalian verd antique bands across the nave floor resemble?
A) Rivers.
B) Mountains.
C) Deserts.
D) Forests.
  • 55. Which poet likened the ambo and solea to an island in a sea?
A) Michael the Deacon
B) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
C) Paul the Silentiary
D) Tursun Beg
  • 56. Which synagogue is modeled after the Hagia Sophia?
A) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
B) Saint Louis Cathedral
C) Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco)
D) Süleymaniye Mosque
  • 57. What happened to the figurative mosaics during the iconoclastic controversy?
A) They were replaced by abstract designs.
B) They were covered with gold leaf.
C) They were destroyed.
D) They were moved to another location.
  • 58. What is the oldest depiction of the apse mosaic known?
A) A drawing by Cornelius Loos.
B) An engraving by Guillaume-Joseph Grelot.
C) A hexaptych menologion icon panel from Saint Catherine's Monastery.
D) A fresco in the apse.
  • 59. Who compared the floor to waves of marble?
A) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
B) Michael the Deacon
C) Tursun Beg
D) Paul the Silentiary
  • 60. Which Neo-Byzantine church closely replicates the internal geometry of Hagia Sophia?
A) Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
B) Saint Clement Catholic Church
C) Église du Saint-Esprit (Paris)
D) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
  • 61. 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
  • 62. What was a significant issue with the construction of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) The walls were built without any mortar
B) The walls were constructed with metal reinforcements
C) The builders used more mortar than brick, weakening the structure
D) They used too much stone and not enough mortar
  • 63. What is another name for the upper gallery in Hagia Sophia?
A) Pendentive
B) Matroneum
C) Apse
D) Narthex
  • 64. How high is the central dome of Hagia Sophia from floor level at its maximum?
A) 45.6 m
B) 75.6 m
C) 65.6 m
D) 55.6 m (182 ft 5 in)
  • 65. What material is used for the disc marking the spot of the empress's throne?
A) Reliefs of geometric shapes and plants.
B) Marble from Pergamon.
C) Green stone verd antique.
D) Single blocks of marble.
  • 66. Where did many items from Hagia Sophia end up after the Sack of Constantinople?
A) Venice, organized by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
B) Athens, as part of a cultural exchange.
C) Constantinople, stored in hidden vaults.
D) Rome, to be displayed in the Vatican.
Created with That Quiz — the math test generation site with resources for other subject areas.