Structure Of Hagia Sophia Essay, Research Paper

Constantinople is a triangular peninsula surrounded by water except on the west and has a mildly temperate climate (Kostof, 265). No sources indicate that Anthemius and Isidore considered the climate or land conditions as considerations in design, but Hagia Sophia s base is longer on the north and south base and shorter on the east and west base as in many buildings that consider the path of the sun in design, indicating that some climate considerations were taken into account. Hagia Sophia was built on the site of the previous church of Constantinople so the site was not chosen, but the original church was put there to be the crown of the great palace of Byzantium emperors (Kostof, 265). On three sides of Hagia Sophia s site, the land gradually slopes away to the shore creating a highpoint where the crown sits (MacDonald, 34). The lack of consideration of these two factors may be because of the importance of the dome on a rectangular base. Other considerations may have been ignored to meet Justinian s demands.