ART107 Foundations Core Concepts II
2014
Worksheet for Unit 7: Old Saint Peter’s and Hagia Sophia
As you watch the PowerPoint lecture on Old Saint Peter’s and the Youtube video on Hagia Sophia,
answer each of the following questions or define each vocabulary term:
Identify this building by name, location (modern city and country), circa date, and culture:
Christianity started as a branch of what other religion?
What is a messiah?
Who did some Jews think was the messiah at the end of the first century BCE?
Who was the most prolific early Christian writer?
What was the essence of Paul's message?
What is the primary ritual of Christianity?
How did Christianity spread so quickly?
What is baptism?
Why did Nero execute Christians, including Saints Peter and Paul around 64 CE?
What was the attitude of Roman Emperors Trajan Decius, Valerian and Diocletian toward Christians,
between 250 and 305 CE?
Which Roman Emperor returned property to Christians that had been confiscated by Diocletian,
commissioned a large number of copies of the Bible, and paid for the construction of Christian buildings in
Rome, Jerusalem, and other places?
What was the message of the Edict of Milan--and what era did it usher in?
How do the beliefs of "Trinitarian" Christians differ from "Arian" Christians?
What is the name of the council of Christian leaders that decided to adopt a solar calendar (instead of the
Jewish lunar calendar), placing Christmas on the winter solstice and Easter on the spring equinox?
What were the two purposes of the first public building for Christians in Rome?
What is the Christian Mass?
What is a martyr?
Why did Constantine decide to dedicate the first Christian building in Rome to Saint Peter?
Where did Constantine find Peter's grave?
Why is Constantine's basilica called "OLD Saint Peter's Basilica"?
What vocabulary terms does Old Saint Peter's share with the Basilica in Pompeii?
Which building was larger: Old Saint Peter's Basilica, or the Basilica in Pompeii?
In the section drawing of Old Saint Peter's, it is clear that this kind of a roof spanned the width of the
nave: ______________________________
What was below the ceiling of Old Saint Peter's to allow light into the nave?
What kind of roof covered the aisles of Old Saint Peter's?
What is an apse?
What is a Bishop?
What is a "cathedral"?
What is the name of the large space between the nave and the apse?
What is prepared on a Christian altar?
What stands under the baldachin?
According to legend, why did Constantine give corkscrew columns to Old Saint Peter's?
What is the "atrium"?
What was the purpose of the fountain in the center of the atrium?
Why does the gatehouse have three doors?
Watch this 47-minute video on Hagia Sophia and take notes using the rest of this worksheet:
http://youtu.be/rF9PCXs8foY
“Megastructures Ancient Megastructures Istanbul's Hagia Sophia”
Identify this building by name, location (modern city and country), circa date, and culture:
What is the Byzantine Empire?
What are the earlier names for the modern city of Istanbul, Turkey?
What does “Hagia Sophia” mean?
Why did Justinian build Hagia Sophia?
What were the “factions” of Constantinople?
What happened to Constantinople as a result of the Nika Riots of January 532?
What opportunities did the Nika riots afford Emperor Justinian I?
In what year did work begin on Hagia Sophia?
What were the backgrounds of Anthemius and Isadore the Elder before they became the architects of
Hagia Sophia?
How tall is the interior of the dome in Hagia Sophia?
Why did Anthemius and Isadore need to invent pendentives?
What are pendentives?
What is the problem with all arches that make them unstable?
How did Anthemius and Isadore create a church 140 meters long under a single dome?
What was Procopius’ contribution to Hagia Sophia?
According to Noratio and recent scientific studies, where did the lightweight dirt for Hagia Sophia’s bricks
come from?
Why did Anthemius and Isadore make the mortar so thick and from the same material as the bricks?
Why did Anthemius and Isadore pierce holes in the dome’s abutments?
According to Noratio, how many workers helped to build Hagia Sophia?
Fill in the blank: according to this video, Hagia Sophia was designed to be “big, strong, fireproof, and
___________________?
What evidence is there inside Hagia Sophia that Anthemius and Isadore cut corners?
What does Procopius say that Anthemius and Isadore did in response to the architectural pressures that
developed as the superstructure went up?
What was added to Hagia Sophia in the 9th, 13th and possibly the 15th centuries to counteract these
architectural forces?
Is the dome of Hagia Sophia circular or elliptical?
What two reasons are offered to explain the reasons why the original mosaics in Hagia Sophia were
simple crosses on gold fields?
What did Justinian say when entering Hagia Sophia, comparing his new church to the fabled First Temple
of Jerusalem?
In what year did the dome of Hagia Sophia first crack and then collapse?
What was the problem that caused the dome to collapse?
Who designed the new, replacement dome?
How did he stabilize the dome?
According to Procopius, how ling did the centering stay in place while the mortar cured?
Why did Anthemius and Isadore add so many windows?
Why did they put lead under the column bases?
When was Hagia Sophia converted to a mosque?
You can find flashcards for this set of questions at:
http://www.gflashcards.com/flashcards/55881, and
http://www.gflashcards.com/flashcards/56043