Saturday, December 21, 2013

Colin Quirk- History of Uymayyad Mosque vs. Hagia Sophia

Through my research I have found that there is a great deal of similarity between the Islamic structure  the Uymayyad Mosque, and the Byzantine structure the Hagia Sophia. While there is a lot in common with these structures there are some differences. One difference is that the Uymayyad Mosque was built to be a mosque, and the Hagia Sophia was built to be a church.


 The Umayyad Mosque pictured above, is located in the center of Damascus. Originally the Muslims did not worship in this Mosque, instead they worshipped alongside the christians in a byzantine church. Between the years 708 C.E. and 715 a man destroyed the church. Where the church stood, he built the Umayyad Mosque, the building of the mosque abruptly ended the worship of christianity. The mosque was meant to represent the separation from the Byzantine empire, even though it included many materials used in the old church.
Hagia Sophia means Church of Holy Wisdom. It lays on top of a plateau that controls the waterways separating Europe and Asia. It can be found on one of the highest parts of the ancient city Byzantium. Anthemius and Isidore the Elder made the Hagia Sophia, and it opened on December 27, 537 AD, after 6 years of work. It has been a cathedral, mosque, monument, and a museum throughout its many years. Built in 532-537, it was built to be the Cathedral of Constantinople. The Hagia Sophia wasn't recognized as a great structure until the 19th century. The dome used a system of piers to control its weight, which caused the dome to collapse, but it was reconstructed immediately after the collapse on May 7, 558.







Works Cited:
"Hagia Sophia, 1850-1950." University of Chicago Press. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2013. <http://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/H/bo3622255.html>.

arkemberg, Jerome. N.p.. Web. 21 Dec 2013. <http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/medny/taylor2.asp>.


"The Umayyad Mosque of Damascus: A Glittering Crossroads." WSJ: The Umayyad Mosque of Damascus: A Glittering Crossroads. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2013. <https://www.academia.edu/916240/WSJ_The_Umayyad_Mosque_of_Damascus_A_Glittering_Crossroads>.



"Hagia Sophia: Facts, History & Architecture." LiveScience.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Dec. 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/27574-hagia-sophia.html>.



Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Kaisey- Architecture


The architectural structures of both the Islamic Civilization and Byzantine Empire were both found somewhat similar when compared through the Hagia Sophia (Byzantine) and the Dome of the Rock (Islam). These grand religious structures were amazing achievements for the communities of people who got to witness them and or utilize them. Both the Dome of the Rock and the Hagia Sophia buildings include a dome structure, had a religious value or use, and marked a turning point in architecture for their community. Still standing today, these monuments prove to us just how sturdy the architecture of this time period was and is.


The Dome of the Rock, as talked about on this blog, is a large temple and shrine that is used for worshiping. The shrine was designed in an octagon shape, with a grand golden dome on the top. The whole thing is built on a rock that has religious meaning to both Jews and Muslims. This special rock is centered in the middle of the shrine. In front of the shrine is an entrance way made out of arches and held up by columns. It is one of the most glorious and longest standing shrines in the world today.

Hagia Sophia, greatly improved under Emperor Justinian of the Byzantine Empire's rule,is now a grand church structure. The building has a giant dome on top, constructed completely out hollow bricks  from lightweight clay. The dome rests on top of layers of windows that let light stream into the church.  The inside of the building was covered in mosaic tiles portraying Christian scenes engraved in gold. It was considered the largest Cathedral for over 1,000 years.




The architectural structures of both Hagia Sophia and The Dome of the Rock both include a dome shape as a crown on top of the the structure
  • Hagia Sophia:
    • made from hollow bricks that were laid horizontally,
    • on top of a square building so had to be held up by columns and arches,
    • advanced architecture, should not be able to stand since the support is not made out of steel, but somehow it did
  • Dome of the Rock
    • intricate form, most complex thing the Islam had ever created up to this point
    • both made out of gold,
    • The building is called “islamic” because it has the looks of the distinct styles of Islamic techniques, but had byzantine structural influences

Each of the these religious buildings marked an importance to the religions of that time, and were used as a place of worship, meditation, and spiritual significance.
Dome of the Rock-
    • spot where Prophet Muhammad rose up to heaven from (Muslim Tradition)
    • Rock where Abraham was suppose to sacrifice his son to God from (Jewish Tradition)
    • center of Gods dwelling and the creation of the world
  • Hagia Sophia
    • Means “ DIvine Wisdom), called “ church of Divine Wisdom)
    • Greatest church of the time
    • home of eastern orthodox religion

These two structures, Hagia Sophia and The Dome of the Rock, both marked significant turning points for the empires that built them, and lead to advancements in building techniques.
  • Dome of the Rock-
    • was used as a political leverage to show that Muslims were better than all other religions because they could build their shrine on a spot that was important to others
  • Hagia Sophia-
    • Byzantine empire was already one of the three main forces of architecture in the continent
    • has survived as a cathedral, mosque, and museum
    • built on site of the old Hagia Sophia that had been burned down
      1. new one marked triumph for Christians and Justinian

Overall, these two building, the Hagia Sophia and the Dome of the Rock, were important to the advancement of architecture in this time period as well as the factor of religion, both of which were important to the Byzantine and Islamic Communities.

Works Cited:


  1.  Brooks, Sarah. "Byzantium (ca. 330–1453)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/byza/hd_byza.htm (originally published October 2001, last revised October 2009)


  1. Dome of the Rock Shrine, Jerusalem. Digital image. Dome of the Rock Shrine, Jerusalem. Bible Walks, 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Dec. 2013. <http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/DomeRock.html>.

    3.  Luxmore, Johnathon. "Hagia Sophia." CyberBrethren. NeoEase, n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. <http://cyberbrethren.com/2010/10/22/hagia-sophia-to-be-used-for-christian-worship-again/>.

    4. "Dome of the Rocka." Britannica School. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.   <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/30854>.
 
   5. Mango, Cyril A. Byzantine Architecture. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1976. Print.

   6.Stewart, Desmond. Early Islam. New York: Time, 1967. Print

   7."Byzantine Architecture." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://library.thinkquest.org/C005594/Medieval/byzantine.htm>

   8. "Architecture of Hagia Sophia." Turkey For You - Turkey Travel Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://www.turkeyforyou.com/turkey_hagia_sophia_architecture>

  9. Jarus, Owen. "Hagia Sophia: Facts, History & Architecture." LiveScience.com. Live Science, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/27574-hagia-sophia.html>.
  

Nina Grigorian - Islamic and Byzantine Art


Just like many styles of visual art are, the artwork from the Islamic Civilization and the Byzantine Empire are based off of culture and religion. The Islamic Civilization had a culture with strong leaders but everything was based off of Allah, their God, and Muhammad, their last prophet. Religion impacted their life daily with a strict praying schedule and other things Muslims agreed to do under when they accepted the 5 Pillars to become a Muslim. Also being Muslim, it was considered disrespectful to portray life in artwork because it was said that only Allah could create life, therefore creating it meant you did not believe in him. The Byzantine Empire was traditionally calmer. They had strict rulers that wanted a lot from them, but let them have their own religious choices. Although their life was still very religious, they were able to live a life of without constant daily rituals. The biggest difference between how the artwork was sculpted was the role of religion and the culture in the lives of the people.

In the Islamic Civilization, art was incorporated into the people lifestyle for a more practical use, like this writing box. The outside of this writing box is covered in geometric patterns. Around the sides are rectangular boxes with a sideways diamond figure and circles surrounding them followed by a square with designs that looks like one large flower figure and smaller flowers around it. The top has one large circle with a covered up star and on either side is the same rectangular design that was on the sides of the box. Surrounding those are curvy lines all around to the edge of the top. This writing box is made out of many layers of different materials (such as bone) and put on a wood. The design itself is a popular design from the Islamic Civilization that started in the Ottoman Empire - geometric patterns. Patterns started being used on everything including furniture and ceilings. Away from geometric patterns, the top around the edges is curling vines representing motifs and a free writing style.

This ivory artwork with a design based on religion was very common in the Byzantine Empire, and even has a title for the style - the Dormition. The Virgin Mary is lying down while her soul is being given to heaven. The angels in heaven accept the baby, her soul, being presented to them by Jesus himself. There on the Virgin Mary’s sides are Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and the apostles. According to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, there are a few key differences between the different versions of the Dormition. While Christ is standing and holding the baby in this version, in others he is in a mandorla. There is also a varying number of apostles. Some have all twelve apostles, like this one, while they are also made with only eleven apostles - the other one said to be arriving until later.



Islamic Writing Box

The Dormition


















A. How does religion and art blend to impact artwork in both the Islamic Civilization and the Byzantine Empire? (introduction)
        1. Engraved Doors
a. Paraphrase
        2. The Dormition
a. Paraphrase
B. The culture in the Islamic Civilization relies on the Religion.
        1. Culture in the Islamic Civilization
        2. Religion in the Islamic Civilization
C. In the Byzantine Empire, the harsh rulers formed the culture although the freedom and importance of religion never changed.
        1. Culture in the Byzantine Empire
        2. Religion in the Byzantine Empire
D. The styles of art were directly impacted by the religions and culture of each empire.
        1. Styles of art made
        2. How religion and culture affects art
E. Overall, religion and culture have the greatest impact on art styles and patterns in the Islamic and Byzantine empires.




Works Cited:

Stewart, Desmond. Early Islam. New York: Time, 1967. Print.


Khalili, Nasser D. Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History. Woodstock: Overlook, 2006. Print.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Sumter Park
History Block F
12/13/2013
Argument/Paraphrasing

The Byzantium Empire and The Islamic Civilization known as Israel are both great cultures with a rich history, and deep religious beliefs. Architecture within these cities is second to none with the Dome of The Rock as the crown jewel of Israel and The Hagia Sofia being creme dela creme of Constantinople, these buildings are both beautiful representations of the architecture and craftsmanship of the old world, but were they really built to fulfill there intended purpose? The Hagia Sofia was built not strictly for religious purposes and is seen as somewhat of a visual of wealth and recreation whereas The Dome of The Rock is without a doubt for nothing more than its intended religious purpose to mark the spot of a very important time in Muslim and Jewish history.

From the texts of present day Muslim demonstrators based on the explanation of their sacred shrine of the rock "The Dome Of The Rock". The Dome of The Rock is located in The Old City of Jerusalem and it is an octagonal building with a massive 60 meter dome over top of it. On the outside colorful tile walls make up the eight sides of the building, and the dome itself is covered in 80 kilograms of gold. The interior is generously decorated with mosaics, marble, fine stones, and marble columns surrounding one of the most sacred artifacts in all of Jerusalem. The actual rock itself, this is where it is said that according to Jewish belief Abraham was supposed to sacrifice his son to God upon this rock, and according to Muslim belief this rock is the spot where Muhammad rose up to heaven to be with Allah.

Taken from a text that was Translated by W. Lethabv and H. Swainson, from Procopius, De Aedificiis, in The Church of St. Sophia ConstantinopleThe Hagia Sophia located in Istanbul Turkey which is formally known as part of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire it sits at the mouth of The Sea of Marmara. The Hagia Sophia translates into english as "The Church of Holy Wisdom" and was built by Antheruis of Tralles in 537 and finished in 531. The chuch is a massive structure with a center dome as its main focus and four pillars erected from each of the four corners of the building. Other smaller domes and branches of the Hagia Sophia are just as significant as well because nothing was overlooked when this beautiful building was built. Created using ashlar, a type of brick used in ancient times the inside of the Hagia Sophia is a masterpiece with an "abundance of light pouring through beautiful stained glass and open windows." From http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/procop-deaed1.asp Aqueducts and running water, gardens and arches the Hagia Sophia has it all. 

The Dome of The Rock- 
The proponents for why the The Dome of The Rock is strictly a religious monument are numerous and easily understood because the structure stands for one solid purpose, the purpose of preserving the place from where Muhammed ascended to Allah in Islamic belief, and where Abraham was going to sacrifice his son Isaac to God in the Jewish belief.

  • It is clearly stated that no one be allowed inside The Dome itself unless properly prepared by being cleansed and blessed time and time again.
  • Not just anyone is allowed to venture into The Dome, you must be a firm believer in islamic religion by being a Clerisy or Mosque before being allowed inside.
  • The Dome was constructed in 685 and was finished in 691, throughout those 6 years the utmost care was given to every piece of the Dome and its eight sides. 
  • The Dome of The Rock is one of the four holiest sites in all of Islam and is second to that of The West Wall which is the last standing remnant of a massive Jewish temple.
In the end it is easy to tell why this structure exists regardless of what you believe in, it is sacred to several cultures and an important history lesson for us all because its a prime example of a culture staying true to its past.

  • The Hagia Sophia is located at the mouth of The Sea of Marmara where it can be seen offshore for miles, clearly trying to boast it's shear size and beauty to all newcomers. 
  • The emperor at the time Justinian felt as if he needed to leave his mark on the world, and he did this by creating one of the seven wonders of the world.
  •  Was it for religious purposes or was it simply for him to be remembered as the mastermind behind Hagia Sophia, imagine what you would do with endless wealth, Justinian sure did.
  • Form follows function is basically the gist of it, because this ancient marvels purpose is to entertain oneself. Now that is not all, not even half of it but it was harped upon so greatly by the Catholic religion that it cant be overlooked. 
In conclusion is the church all that it lives up to be? Yes I would more than say so but just like anything else the bad will outweigh the good and that in the end is a fine representation of that instance. 
The Hagia Sophia- 
Being considered The Church of Holy Wisdom may not be all that its name holds up to be, although the Hagia Sophia is in fact a church more than a few resources suggest that its intended purpose was more recreational and laid back than it should have been.

Citations: 


1. N/A, . N.p.. Web. 14 Dec 2013. <http://www.bu.edu/mzank/Michael_Zank/Jerusalem/domeoftherock.html>.
2. Wigoder, G.. N.p.. Web. 15 Dec 2013. <http://sacredsites.com/middle_east/israel/jerusalem.html>.
3. Lethabv, W, and H Swainson. N.p.. Web. 16 Dec 2013. <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/procop-deaed1.asp>.
4. . N.p.. Web. 17 Dec 2013. <http://archnet.org/library/sites/one-site.jsp?site_id=41>.
5. Ousterhout , R. N.p.. Web. 17 Dec 2013. <http://www.learn.columbia.edu/ma/htm/or/ma_or_discuss_hs.htm>.