56_PRATHAM PATEL

46_BHAVYA PATEL
77_MANAV SUMRA
49_HIMADRI PATEL
80_AKSHAY TANK
36_IRA LSKHANI
31_JANVI KANTHARIYA

HISTORY OF ARCHITECTURE
TIMELINE/HISTORY
 Lit domes with Curve distortion Lit dome with
ellipsoidal mirror applied to lit domes pendentives.
with ellipsoidal
mirror

Designed by a physicist and a mathematician, the Hagia Sophia church in

Istanbul, Turkey acted as an experimental test case in which advanced
knowledge of geometrical constructs, sophisticated understanding of light
behavior, and religious and cosmological beliefs combined to create a
magnificent structure.

Screen capture of the

parametric model analyzing the
behavior of light rays entering a
dome.
 The vast interior created due to the
structure used and it's decorated to
be ethereal, heavenly.
Hagia sophia is a large scale
centralized and axial cathedral.
All seems in motion, surface
curving and intersecting rather
than linear basilica.

GOD

Hagia Sophia, ivon of byzantine

architecture, uses the concept MAN
of heaven (dome) on earth
(cube) heavily. She is the
physical representation of the
union of empire & church.

HAGIA SOPHIA'S LITERAL

MEANING IS
“HOLY WISDOM”

IT IS A STANDING AND
ONE OF THE OPTIMUM
EXAMPLES OF BYZANTINE
ARCHITECTURE.
 CIRCULATION
ENTRANCE

AISLE

NARTHEW

EXEDRAE EXEDRAE
NAOS

AISLE
The plan of Hagia Sophia is a combination of a A I S LE AI S LE

traditional basilica and a centralized structure.

It has a rectangular shape with a large central
dome and four smaller semi-domes.
The main entrance is located on the west façade,
leading into a large narthex or vestibule. From there, NAOS
one enters the main space, the naos, where the
central dome is located.
The naos is surrounded by two levels of galleries,
the lower one for the Emperor and the higher for the
general public.
The eastern end of Hagia Sophia has an apse that
contains the altar and the bema, which is a raised
platform where the clergy would stand during
services.
The apse is surrounded by a series of chapels and
smaller rooms, which were used for various
purposes such as storage and as a sacristy.
 I
K

The section of Hagia Sophia, or the way the building is

divided vertically, showcases several important
architectural features that contribute to the structure's
overall design and function. These include:
A. MAIN DOME
B.MAIN PIERS
C.MAIN ARCHES I
J
D.PENDENTIVE
E.BASE
F.SEMI DOME
G.SECONDARY PIERS
H.BUTTRESS PIERS
I.BARREL VAULT
J.EXEDRA
K.TYMPANUM
 DOME

GALLERIES

The dome: The central dome is the most striking

feature of Hagia Sophia's section. It sits on four piers SEMI-DOME
and measures over 100 feet in diameter, making it one
of the largest domes in the world at the time of its
construction. The dome is also supported by four
smaller semi-domes, which help to distribute the
weight of the dome and create a sense of balance
within the structure.
The galleries: The naos, or main space of Hagia Sophia,
is surrounded by two levels of galleries. The lower
gallery was reserved for the Emperor and his
entourage, and the upper gallery was for the general
public. These galleries helped to increase the capacity
of the building and also provided additional space for
the display of religious artifacts and works of art.
.
 PENDENTIVES
The pendentives: Hagia Sophia's central dome is
supported by a complex system of pendentives, which
are triangular sections of the ceiling that curve inward
to support the dome. This innovative architectural
feature allowed the builders to create a large central
space with a high dome, without the need for thick
walls or multiple levels.
The apse: The eastern end of Hagia Sophia features an
apse, which is a semicircular extension of the building
that contains the altar and the bema. This architectural The arches and vaults
feature is a characteristic of early Christian and
Byzantine churches and it symbolizes the idea of the
building as an extension of the universe.
The arches and vaults: Hagia Sophia's interior is filled
with a complex system of arches and vaults, which are
used to support the structure, and also to divide the
space into smaller compartments. The arches and
vaults are decorated with intricate mosaics and
frescoes, adding to the overall aesthetic appeal of the
building
 dome

semi-dome exedra gallery

arcade

apse

naos
PLAN & SECTION
NAOS/DOME/SE,I DOME
PLAN & SECTION
OUTERNARTHEX
PLAN & SECTION
INNER NARTHEX
 PENDENTIVES ARE
BASICALLY A
CONSTRUCTION
DEVICE THAT WILL
ALLOW YOU TO
PLACE A ROUND
DOME ON TOP OF
A SQUARE ROOM
OR A DOME THAT
IS ELLIPTICAL
SHAPED ON TOP
OF A
RECTANGULAR
ROOM. THE
PENDENTIVES ARE
BASICALLY
TRIANGULAR
SEGMENTS AND
THEY TAPER DOWN
TO A POINT AT
THE VERY
BOTTOM.

HE BUILT FOUR MASSIVE

COLUMNS AT THE
CORNER OF EACH
SQUARE. ON TOP OF THE
COLUMNS, HE BUILT
FOUR ARCHES. HE THEN
FILLED THE SPACES
BETWEEN THE ARCHES
WITH MASONRY TO
CREATE CURVED
HAGIA SOPHIA GAINED THE “FASTEST-BUILT TRIANGULAR SHAPES
CHURCH” TITLE WITHIN FIVE YEARS AND 10 CALLED PENDENTIVES.
MONTHS. THE EMPEROR HAD TO USE READY THE PENDENTIVES AND
MATERIALS FOR FAST PROGRESS, SO HE HAD THE TOPS OF THE
MATERIAL BROUGHT TO ISTANBUL FROM ARCHES COMBINE TO
TEMPLES, MARBLE AND STONE QUARRIES FROM FORM A STRONG BASE
ALL ACROSS ANATOLIA. FOR THE DOME.
 The central dome is the most striking feature of Hagia Sophia, it is massive and measures
over 100 feet in diameter, and is supported by four piers and a series of smaller domes
and arches. The dome was designed to symbolize the heavens and to be a focal point of
the interior. The dome is lit by 40 windows, which creates a sense of brightness even on a
cloudy day. The dome's height and the use of light is intended to create a sense of awe
and to make visitors feel as if they were in the presence of the divine.
The use of pendentives, which are triangular sections of the ceiling that curve inward to
support the dome, was a revolutionary architectural feature that allowed the builders to
create a large central space with a high dome, without the need for thick walls or multiple
levels. This made the interior space appear more expansive and open, and was intended
to symbolize the idea of the building as an extension of the universe.

DOME
ELEMENTS
Skeuophylakion
A sacristy in the early church and in
the Eastern Orthodox church.

Apse
A semi-circular recess covered with
a semi-spherical vault or semi-
dome, known as exedra.

Minaret
Tall slender tower, with a balcony
from which Muslims are called
for their prayer

Baptistery
Separate centrally planned structure
surrounding baptismal font.
 A main dome
B main semidome
C main arches
D upper north and south arches
E exedra
F barrel vault
G main pier
H secondary pier
I buttress pier
J apse semidome
K pendentive
L tympanum
FLOORS
The stone floor of Hagia Sophia dates from the 6th century. After the
first collapse of the vault, the broken dome was left in situ on the
original Justinianic floor and a new floor was laid above the rubble
when the dome was rebuilt in 558.From the installation of this
second Justinianic floor, the floor became part of the liturgy, with
significant locations and spaces demarcated in various ways using
different-colored stones and marbles.

NARTHEX AND PORTALS

The Imperial Gate, or Imperial Door, was the main entrance
between the exo and exonarthex, and it was originally
exclusively used by the emperor. A long ramp from the northern
part of the outer narthex leads up to the upper gallery.
DOME
The great dome at the Hagia Sophia is 32.6 meter in diameter and is only 0.61 meters thick. The
main building materials for the original Hagia Sophia were brick and mortar. Brick aggregate was
used to make roofs easier to construct. The aggregate weighs 2402.77 kilograms per cubic
meter, an average weight of masonry construction at the time. Due to the materials plasticity, it
was chosen over cut stone due to the fact that aggregate can be used over a longer
distance. According to Rowland Main stone, "it is unlikely that the vaulting-shell is anywhere more
than one normal brick in thickness.”
BUTTRESSES
Numerous buttresses have been added throughout the centuries. The flying buttresses to the west of the building, although thought to have been constructed by the
Crusaders upon their visit to Constantinople, were actually built during the Byzantine era. This shows that the Romans had prior knowledge of flying buttresses, which
can also be seen at in Greece, at the Rotunda of Galerius in Thessaloniki, at the monastery of Hosios Loukas in Boeotia, and in Italy at the octagonal basilica of San
Vitale in Ravenna. Other buttresses were constructed during the Ottoman times under the guidance of the architect Sinan. A total of 24 buttresses were added.
 MINARETS
The minarets were an Ottoman addition and not part of the original church's
Byzantine design.

They were built for notification of invitations for prayers (adhan) and
announcements. Mehmed had built a wooden minaret over one of the half domes
soon after Hagia Sophia's conversion from a cathedral to a mosque. This minaret
does not exist today.

DOORS (EMPEROR DOOR)

In Hagia Sophia, three doors of outer narthex which symbolize the Holy
Trinity give way to the outer narthex with 5 doors. From there nine gates lead
to heart of the church.

The largest (7 meter heigh) door is made of oak and has a bronze frame. It is
the most magnificent door among the doors of Hagia Sophia, which were up
to 40 in Byzantine times. The Emperor Door is believed to have been made of
the woods from Noah’s Ark
MARBLE DOOR
It is located at the upper southern gallery. It is probably removed from another Hellenistic building and was brought to Hagia Sophia. The marble door was used by
synod members to enter and exit to the meeting chamber.

THE NICE DOOR

The Nice Door is the oldest architectural element found in the Hagia Sophia dating back to the 2nd century BC. The decorations are of reliefs of geometric shapes as
well as plants that are believed to have come from a pagan temple in Tarsus in Cilicia. It was incorporated into the building by Emperor Theophilus in 838 where it is
placed in the south exit in the inner narthex.
INTERIORS
The interior of Hagia Sophia was innovative in its decoration as well. The interior is lined with enormous marble slabs which may have been chosen and designed
to imitate moving water. The central dome is floated on a ring of windows and supported by two semi-domes and two arched openings. This creates an
enormous uninterrupted nave. The pendentives were covered with enormous mosaics of six-winged angels called hexapterygon. The two arched openings are
supported by massive porphyry columns which descend all the way to the floor.
 CROSS SECTION
Cross section of the building showing the interior and exterior of Hagia Sophia.
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