HAA01 Comparative Essay 1

Temple of Apollo at Didyma Location + Date

Asia Minor (western Turkey), begun 313 BCE

Pantheon Location + Date

Rome, 118-125 CE

Church of Santa Costanza Location and Date

Rome, c. 350 BCE

Hagia Sophia Location and Date

Constantinople/Istanbul, c. 532-537 CE

Dome of the Rock Location and Date

Jerusalem, completed c. 691 CE

Oto of Metz Palatine Chapel Location and Date

Aachen, Germany, 792-805 CE

Temple of Apollo Architects

Architects: Paionios of Ephesos and Daphnis of Miletos

Temple of Apollo at Didyma

Temple of Apollo at Didyma

Pantheon

Pantheon

Church of Santa Costanza

Church of Santa Costanza

Church of Santa Costanza

Hagia Sophia Achitects

Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia

The Dome of the Rock

The Dome of the Rock

Oto of Metz Palatine Chapel

Oto of Metz Palantine Chapel

Westwork

Carolingian front entrance structure

Charlemagne

Leader during the Carolingian period, united most of Western and Central Europe and was the first recognized emperor to rule from the west after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

Pendentives

Triangular architectural element that allows builders to place a circular or elliptical dome over a square or rectangular room

Rock in Dome of the Rock

location where Mohammed is thought to have ascended into the heavens during his night journey.

Layout of dome of the rock

Octagonal, has an inner and outer ambulatory which surround the central rock under the dome. 4 entrances in the cardinal directions

Central colonnade layout in Dome of the Rock

4 piers and 12 columns which are spolia made of marble and corinthian style.

Dome of the rock murals

floral, some verses from the qu’ran, no people or animals. Originally dome was covered in mosaic too but now it’s gold tile

Hagia Sophia Versions

Version one destroyed by fire. Version two destroyed in Nika riots. Version three dome collapsed soon after it was finished in an earthquake.

Hagia Sophia plan

Mix of central plan and basilican plan. Naos, which two conches on either side. Four exedrae extend from the corners of the conches. Aisles separated behind. Sanctuary apse located at far end from the inner and outer narthex.

Colorful tiling style

Opus sectile: a technique where pieces of marble of different colors are cut and assembled to create geometric patterns or figure

Opus sectile in Hagia Sophia floor

The Omphalion. Located under the dome, it was used to crown the Byzantine Emperors.

Famous mosaics in hagia sophia

Virgin Mary and Christ Child / Apse Mosaic (c. 867, Main Apse): The first major figural mosaic created after the end of Byzantine Iconoclasm, showing the Virgin Mary enthroned with the Christ Child.

Imperial Door Mosaic (Late 9th – Early 10th Century, Narthex): Shows Emperor Leo VI kneeling in reverence before Christ Enthroned

Vestibule Mosaic: Shows Mary, Constantine I and Justinian

Minaret addition to Hagia Sophia

Four minarets were added after the Ottoman empire took over Constantinople in 1453.

Umayyad Caliphate

Created the dome of the rock, second major Islamic caliphate and the first hereditary Islamic dynasty.

Three functions of centrally planned buildings

Mausolea, Martyria, baptisteries

Santa Costanza plan

centrally-planned circular building with a small narthex. Rotunda encircled by an ambulatory which is separated by a colonnade of 12 pairs of granite corinthian columns. The ambulatory is lower in height than the rotunda. Walls punctuated by alternating semi-circular and rectangular exedrae.

Santa Costanza mosaics

Mainly in the curved areas of the ambulatory, they depict vegetation and animal scenes as opposed to clear christian imagery. This is interesting because it is early christian art, therefore the symbols of christianity had not yet been created. Constantina’s face is in a mural surrounded by grapevine.

Pantheon dome info

Largest unsupported concrete dome, which is punctuated by an oculus. Rectangular coffers decorate the surface of the dome, making it lighter for weight-bearing purposes and for aesthetics. The weight is brought down into 8 piers, each pair has an exedra between them.

Pantheon decorative elements

Originally, there were statues of deities in each exedra. Additionally, the floors and walls are covered in multicolor marble panels which provide a sense of life. There used to be bronze rosettes in the coffers.

Oto of Metz Palatine Chapel Architect

Odo of Metz

Area inside the westwork

the tribune, where the throne room is in Palatine Chapel