Imani

 **Imani Byzantine Art Project __ Hagia Sophia __**

**I chose the Hagia Sophia because it really catches the eye in a different way than other ancient church domes. The Hagia Sophia has been built three different times because of mass desturction. It is one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture. The Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral then soon was converted to an Islamic Mosque in 1453, until the fall of the Ottoman Empire. It was and still is thoroughly filled with mosaics and marble pillars that stand tall. Some of the marble pillars used in the Hagia Sphia wwere used from other buildings.**  **The interior of Hagia Sophia was paneled with expensive colored marbles and ornamental stone inlays. The Hagia Sohia was constructed by Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles who both were geometry professors. The upper part of the dome was divinely decorated in gold with a huge cross in a medallion. Some of the mosaics from this gorgeous building still have survived today.**

**__Works Cited__** **__Columbia University in the City of New York. 04 Feb. 2009 .__** **__"Hagia Sophia, 532&#8211;37 | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: metmuseum.org. 04 Feb. 2009 .__** **__"Hagia Sophia, Istanbul." Sacred Sites at Sacred Destinations - Explore sacred sites, religious sites, sacred places. 04 Feb. 2009 .__**