Hagia Sophia

The Safavid dynasty started under Shah Ismail. Under his power the Safavid’s took over the majority of Iraq and Iran making it a new Persian state. The Safavid’s reached their highest point of achievement under ruler Shah Abba who was the son of the previous ruler Shah Ismail. Under Shah Abba the Safavid’s went after the Ottomans to get back lost land. the ottomans were a threat to the Safavid’s. When ruler Abba died, traditional religious belief’s increased woman had to give up their freedom…

Christianity plays an important role in everyone’s life in Constantinople. Religion makes up the center of the empire, which means that church is very important to everyone. The Byzantine church is known as the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church is based on beliefs that traced back to Jesus Christ. Jesus is known to be part of everyone’s life. People attended church regularly. The church supports many poor and sick people through the monasteries and convents. There will always…

and creates the impression of endlessness. The horseshoe arch originated in Rome and spread to North Africa from Morocco and then to Egypt. The dome in the Mosque of Cordoba is an important focal point in this piece of architecture. Like the Hagia Sophia, the Mosque of Cordoba was a bold architectural move. The dome has crisscrossing ribbed pieces that make pointed arches that are all covered in a mosaic. This gave it a pattern, but also gave the dome strength. In this, there are inscriptions…

was from 203 AD until 330 AD. The Hippodrome was completed by Constantinople. Justinian improved on Roman architecture when building many of the buildings in Constantinople. He created the Hagia Sophia, a massive and well-decorated Cathedral that served as the premier church in Constantinople. The Hagia Sophia translated to the “Church of the Holy Wisdom.” It was completed in 537 AD and took 6 years to…

During Mehmed II’s rule he did so many great things while he was ruling the Empire. He has had a bunch of accomplishments. Mehmed II was 12 years old and was sent as tradition required, to Manisa with his two tutors. Mehmed captured Breach, the old king got arrested and a little while after he was executed. He made financial issues with villages and farms. Mehmed II was the 4 son of Mehmed II, his mom was a slave. When he…

cornerstone of the Orthodox world. While many churches were built during the empire’s 1120-year life, but most of them vanished over time either getting destroyed or being converted. However, one of them, an old tiny church overshadowed by the mighty Hagia Sophia, stayed where it was despite the powers against it. Church of the Saint Mary of the Mongols was found as a nunnery in the beginning in the 7th century by the emperor’s daughter Sopatra and her friend Eustolia. In 1281, Maria…

The traditions, both societally and politically, of the Roman empire were carried on more by the Byzantines empire than the rest of Medieval Europe. Of these two “Children of Rome” only the Byzantine Empire was the one to carry on its mantle. As such the Byzantine empire was more of a transformation of the Roman empire which it had proceeded it in a number of different ways. One of the key features that defined the Roman empire was a strong central government. Of the two “Children of Rome,”…

Rome was a classical empire, which believed justice and human rights. This explained why the Roman Republic was centered on the Twelve Tables and why today the Ten Commandments, formulated by Judean, Roman’s, are still the go to moral imperatives. The Romans are often times accused of stealing the Greek’s religion they also copied many artistic skills from the Greeks. Although similar Rome made great bounds creating roads, baths, and amphitheaters. During the renaissance artists imposed Roman…

The Islamic Caliphates spread Islam to parts of the Byzantine Empire, giving people a new source of hope. The Arabs also influenced architecture of the Byzantine Empire, which is where Justinian had gotten the designs for the Hagia Sophia, through cultural diffusion of Arabic culture into their society (“Byzantine,” History.com). THe neighboring city-states of Greece also impacted Byzantium culture. Greek knowledge and traditions such as philosophy were then incorporated into the…

The piece that I am going to be talking about is the Athena and Erechtheus mosaic. These too we studied in the high classical period about 430bce - 406 BCE. Athena was selected to be the god of Athens after she won a match by planting an olive tree. Erechtheus was a god from the Iliad that gave up his daughter to win a war for Athens. In the background we see the acropolis with the temple of Athena Nike in the front then to the left of that we see the propylaia, the picture gallery, then behind…