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Hagia Sophia - Quiz
Contributed by: Robertson
  • 1. When was Hagia Sophia built?
A) 476 AD
B) 654 AD
C) 537 AD
D) 732 AD
  • 2. Which empire built Hagia Sophia?
A) Byzantine Empire
B) Roman Empire
C) Ottoman Empire
D) Persian Empire
  • 3. What is the architectural style of Hagia Sophia?
A) Byzantine
B) Gothic
C) Baroque
D) Renaissance
  • 4. Hagia Sophia became a museum in which year?
A) 1957
B) 1984
C) 1862
D) 1935
  • 5. What was Hagia Sophia converted into after the Ottoman conquest?
A) Mosque
B) Theatre
C) Library
D) Marketplace
  • 6. Who was the architect of Hagia Sophia?
A) Leonardo da Vinci
B) Michelangelo
C) Anthemius of Tralles and Isidore of Miletus
D) Iktinos and Kallikrates
  • 7. Hagia Sophia served as a cathedral for how long?
A) 916 years
B) 739 years
C) 482 years
D) 1053 years
  • 8. What does 'Hagia Sophia' mean in Greek?
A) Holy Wisdom
B) Sacred Monument
C) Heavenly Palace
D) Great Cathedral
  • 9. Which city is Hagia Sophia located in?
A) Istanbul
B) Rome
C) Cairo
D) Athens
  • 10. What significant event occurred at Hagia Sophia on 13–14 January 532?
A) Emperor Theophilus installed two-winged bronze doors.
B) The Byzantine–Sasanian War began.
C) It was burnt to the ground during the Nika Revolt.
D) It was inaugurated by Emperor Justinian I.
  • 11. Which emperor ordered the construction of a third Hagia Sophia after the second was destroyed?
A) Theodosius II
B) Mehmed the Conqueror
C) Constantine the Great
D) Justinian I
  • 12. What architectural innovation is Hagia Sophia known for employing?
A) Baroque facades.
B) A fully pendentive dome.
C) Gothic arches.
D) Flying buttresses.
  • 13. What was the original purpose of Hagia Sophia when it was first constructed?
A) It was used as an imperial library.
B) It operated as a marketplace.
C) It functioned as a Roman bathhouse.
D) It served as a Christian basilica.
  • 14. What was one major consequence of the Nika Revolt for Hagia Sophia?
A) The second church on the site was burnt to the ground.
B) The church was converted into a museum.
C) It became a mosque immediately after the revolt.
D) Emperor Justinian I ordered its immediate reconstruction.
  • 15. What was one significant architectural feature added to Hagia Sophia during Justinian's reign?
A) A ribbed dome with pendentives.
B) Baroque facades.
C) Flying buttresses.
D) Gothic arches.
  • 16. Which Byzantine emperor's reign saw Hagia Sophia being stripped of gold ornaments and silver oil-lamps?
A) Arcadius
B) Isaac II Angelus
C) Constantine the Great
D) Theodosius II
  • 17. Which Ottoman architect was responsible for strengthening Hagia Sophia in the 16th century?
A) Giuseppe Fossati
B) Mimar Sinan
C) Davud Ağa
D) Gaspare Fossati
  • 18. Which Sultan imported two large alabaster Hellenistic urns from Pergamon and placed them in Hagia Sophia?
A) Selim II
B) Murad III
C) Suleiman the Magnificent
D) Ahmed I
  • 19. Which organization included Hagia Sophia in their 1996 and 1998 Watch Lists due to its deteriorating condition?
A) UNESCO
B) Council of Europe
C) International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
D) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
  • 20. Who was the first Turkish President to transform Hagia Sophia into a museum?
A) Abdulmejid I
B) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
C) Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
D) İsmet İnönü
  • 21. In what year did the Turkish government announce the reversion of Hagia Sophia back to a mosque?
A) 1998
B) 2003
C) 2015
D) 2020
  • 22. Who was the first imam appointed by Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs at Hagia Sophia since 1935?
A) Bülent Arınç
B) Ali Erbaş
C) Mefail Hızlı
D) Önder Soy
  • 23. Which president of Turkey signed the decree annulling Hagia Sophia's museum status in 2020?
A) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
B) Abdullah Gül
C) Tayyip Erdoğan
D) Ahmet Necdet Sezer
  • 24. Which Greek political figure called Hagia Sophia's conversion a 'breach of UNESCO World Heritage titling'?
A) Lina Mendoni
B) Dora Bakoyannis
C) Kyriakos Mitsotakis
D) Alexis Tsipras
  • 25. Which Sultan's reign saw the renovation of Hagia Sophia's interior to preserve many mosaics?
A) Selim I
B) Abdulmejid I
C) Ahmed III
D) Mehmed II
  • 26. Who was the first Western visitor to report seeing the ancient Justinianic floor of Hagia Sophia before it was covered over?
A) Pero Tafur
B) Cristoforo Buondelmonti
C) Bernardo Bonsignori
D) Gaspare Fossati
  • 27. According to Svenshon, what is the size of the side of the central square in Byzantine feet?
A) 101 feet
B) 99 feet
C) 100 feet
D) 98 feet
  • 28. When was the Deësis mosaic likely commissioned?
A) 1122
B) 1261
C) 1849
D) 1958
  • 29. Who engraved an image of Hagia Sophia's interior in 1672?
A) Thomas Whittemore
B) Cornelius Loos
C) The Fossatis
D) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
  • 30. Who built the wooden minaret over one of Hagia Sophia's half domes?
A) Justinian.
B) Sinan.
C) Mehmed.
D) Beyazıd II.
  • 31. When was the Emperor Alexander mosaic discovered?
A) 1958
B) 1849
C) 1894
D) 1122
  • 32. How many arched windows support the central dome?
A) 50
B) 40
C) 30
D) 60
  • 33. Which Byzantine church was remodeled to have a dome similar to Hagia Sophia's during Justinian's reign?
A) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
B) Hagia Sophia in Thessaloniki
C) Hagia Irene
D) Catedral Metropolitana Ortodoxa
  • 34. What was the main entrance between the exo- and esonarthex called?
A) The Emperor's Arch
B) The Imperial Gate
C) The Royal Door
D) The Northern Entrance
  • 35. What does touching the moisture on the wishing column reportedly cure?
A) Bad luck.
B) Financial troubles.
C) Broken bones.
D) Many illnesses.
  • 36. What is the main solution to prevent deterioration of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) Using modern construction materials.
B) Diverting excess rainwater.
C) Applying new plaster.
D) Sealing all openings.
  • 37. Who led the team from the Byzantine Institute of America that uncovered many mosaics in the 1930s?
A) Thomas Whittemore
B) John Smith
C) Michael Fossati
D) Cyril Mango
  • 38. What type of angels are depicted in the mosaics on the east pendentives?
A) Six-winged angels, possibly seraphim or cherubim.
B) Two-winged angels symbolizing peace and war.
C) Four-winged angels representing the cardinal directions.
D) Eight-winged angels of justice and mercy.
  • 39. What did Christ Pantocrator hold in his left hand in the Empress Zoe mosaic?
A) A scroll
B) The Bible
C) A globus cruciger
D) A purse
  • 40. What is another name for the 'wishing column' in Hagia Sophia?
A) The 'emperor's column'.
B) The 'golden column'.
C) The 'perspiring' or 'sweating column'.
D) The 'healing pillar'.
  • 41. In what year did vandalism occur at the Imperial Gate?
A) 2019
B) 2005
C) April 2022
D) 1987
  • 42. What period do the lustration urns date back to?
A) Hellenistic period.
B) Byzantine period.
C) Romanesque period.
D) Renaissance period.
  • 43. When did the stone floor of Hagia Sophia originally date from?
A) The 4th century
B) The 8th century
C) The 6th century
D) The 12th century
  • 44. What material is predominantly used in the Hagia Sophia's floor?
A) Granite
B) Limestone
C) Thessalian verd antique
D) Proconnesian marble
  • 45. What is the diagonal measurement derived from the side-and-diagonal number progression in Hagia Sophia?
A) 160
B) 130
C) 150
D) 140
  • 46. Who was traditionally allowed to use the Imperial Gate exclusively?
A) The Empress
B) The emperor
C) The Patriarch
D) The clergy
  • 47. What did members of the Varangian Guard leave in the first floor gallery?
A) Mosaics
B) Runic graffiti
C) Symbols of their allegiance
D) Inscriptions in Latin
  • 48. What instrument was used to investigate the subsurface structure under Hagia Sophia?
A) Seismic reflection tools
B) Ground-penetrating radar
C) Laser scanning devices
D) LaCoste-Romberg gravimeters
  • 49. What progression is used for calculating the square measurements in Hagia Sophia's design?
A) Arithmetic progression
B) Fibonacci sequence
C) Geometric progression
D) Side-and-diagonal number progression
  • 50. What did the Ottomans cover on the seraphs' faces?
A) Figurative mosaics.
B) Ceramic tiles.
C) Paintings of prophets.
D) Golden stars.
  • 51. Which organization's World Heritage Committee was mentioned in relation to Hagia Sophia's status change?
A) International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)
B) UNESCO
C) Council of Europe
D) World Monuments Fund (WMF)
  • 52. Who rediscovered the southwestern entrance mosaic during restorations in 1849?
A) The Fossatis
B) Guillaume-Joseph Grelot
C) Cornelius Loos
D) Thomas Whittemore
  • 53. What is the length of each side of the great square Hagia Sophia?
A) 25 m
B) 40 m
C) 35 m
D) Approximately 31 m
  • 54. What did the Thessalian verd antique bands across the nave floor resemble?
A) Forests.
B) Deserts.
C) Mountains.
D) Rivers.
  • 55. Which poet likened the ambo and solea to an island in a sea?
A) Michael the Deacon
B) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
C) Tursun Beg
D) Paul the Silentiary
  • 56. Which synagogue is modeled after the Hagia Sophia?
A) Congregation Emanu-El (San Francisco)
B) Saint Louis Cathedral
C) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
D) Süleymaniye Mosque
  • 57. What happened to the figurative mosaics during the iconoclastic controversy?
A) They were moved to another location.
B) They were destroyed.
C) They were covered with gold leaf.
D) They were replaced by abstract designs.
  • 58. What is the oldest depiction of the apse mosaic known?
A) An engraving by Guillaume-Joseph Grelot.
B) A drawing by Cornelius Loos.
C) A fresco in the apse.
D) A hexaptych menologion icon panel from Saint Catherine's Monastery.
  • 59. Who compared the floor to waves of marble?
A) Tâcîzâde Cafer Çelebi
B) Tursun Beg
C) Paul the Silentiary
D) Michael the Deacon
  • 60. Which Neo-Byzantine church closely replicates the internal geometry of Hagia Sophia?
A) Kronstadt Naval Cathedral
B) Église du Saint-Esprit (Paris)
C) Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis
D) Saint Clement Catholic Church
  • 61. In what year did the first Friday prayer in Hagia Sophia as a mosque take place?
A) 29 May 1453
B) 1498
C) 1576
D) 1 June 1453
  • 62. What was a significant issue with the construction of Hagia Sophia's walls?
A) The walls were built without any mortar
B) The builders used more mortar than brick, weakening the structure
C) The walls were constructed with metal reinforcements
D) They used too much stone and not enough mortar
  • 63. What is another name for the upper gallery in Hagia Sophia?
A) Pendentive
B) Narthex
C) Apse
D) Matroneum
  • 64. How high is the central dome of Hagia Sophia from floor level at its maximum?
A) 75.6 m
B) 45.6 m
C) 55.6 m (182 ft 5 in)
D) 65.6 m
  • 65. What material is used for the disc marking the spot of the empress's throne?
A) Green stone verd antique.
B) Single blocks of marble.
C) Reliefs of geometric shapes and plants.
D) Marble from Pergamon.
  • 66. Where did many items from Hagia Sophia end up after the Sack of Constantinople?
A) Venice, organized by Doge Enrico Dandolo.
B) Rome, to be displayed in the Vatican.
C) Constantinople, stored in hidden vaults.
D) Athens, as part of a cultural exchange.
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