Different cultures used art and architecture
to design sacred spaces. Two different cultures who
exhibited the diversity were the Byzantines and
Muslims.The variations of architecture is evident in
the structures of the Hagia Sophia Church built in ca.
532-537 in Constantinople by Anthemius of Tralles and
Isidorus of Miletu. The Great Mosque at Qayrawan was
constructed 9 C under the command of Caliph Umar.
The Hagia Sophia was built with a
combination of a central and longitudinal plan. These
plans were common of christian churches after
Justinian oredered them. The forty
windows at the base of the dome were designed to
give off a halo illusion. These correlated with their
belief in angels and heaven. The interior gold wall
mosaics resemble halos in color. Aspects of the
religion were thought out to be included and represented
somewhere in the architecture.
The Great Mosque was built with key aspects of
muslim architecture such as pointed arches. The arches
were a repeated pattern throughout the mosque and was
seen in many other Islamic houses of worship. The
minaret was one aspect key to muslim architecture. The
minaret was built 3 stories high to call for prayer.
The plan was similar in that of a Roman forum temple to
have a sufficient and organized way to worship.
Leave feedback in comments below!
It seems that the Hagia Sophia was a popular topic for discussion. I always seem to come back to it as well. You included the architect of the Hagia Sophia, which completely slipped my mind...*slaps forehead*...However, you could have included key attributes to your essay, such as; three for the trinity; five for the wounds of Christ; and 12 for the twelve apostles. Architects often use symbolism to convey the sacred meaning of a building.
ReplyDeleteThe Hagia Sophia would be an obvious choice for a sacred space being one of the most fantastic pieces of architecture representing religion. I think the Great Mosque and the Hagia Sophia were good choices in contrasting the immensely different cultures.
ReplyDeleteDoing the Hagia Sophia as well as the Great Mosque were great religious and sacred spaces to compare. Like you i did Hagia Sophia as well, popular topic for this assignment i see. The three holy trinities were great additions into your essay! great job!
ReplyDelete