Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles (architects), Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, 532-37
This video focuses on Hagia Sophia after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453.
Additional resource:
Smarthistory’s free Guide to Byzantine Art e-book
For the classroom
Questions for study or discussion
Thinking about context
- What circumstances prompted the conversion of Hagia Sophia to a mosque?
- Why might the Ottomans have converted Hagia Sophia into a mosque?
Thinking about this monument
- What concrete steps were taken to convert Hagia Sophia to a mosque?
- How did the functions of Hagia Sophia change or stay the same when it was converted to a mosque?
Thinking about images and text
- Why did the Ottomans cover the Byzantine mosaics inside Hagia Sophia?
- What new roles did text play in the Ottoman redecoration of Hagia Sophia?
Thinking about art history
- What do art historians mean when they speak about the “afterlife” of an artwork or monument?
- How does Hagia Sophia illustrate the exchange of artistic traditions across cultures?
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