Andrew Johnson Architecture

Andrew Johnson

F Block History

The Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem was build in 691 C.E, and is one of the earliest Islamic buildings. It is consisted of a golden dome at the top, an octagonal shape at the base covered in beautiful tile and  In the first century C.E, Buildings wit domes were considered the modern buildings of that time. The dome of the Rock has been renovated several times, but still keeps its distinct and original design. The Hagia Sophia is a large building with pillars and a large dome. It was originally constructed as a cathedral in Constantinople (Modern Istanbul, Turkey). The Hagia Sophia was destroyed by riots, burnt down in revolts, and built again.

The Hagia Sophia, also known as Saint Sophia, Is one of the seven wonders of the middvil world, and one of the greatest surviving examples of Byzantine architecture and art. It was built by emperor Justinian I several times because of disasters that occurred directed towards the Hagia Sophia. Since the building is consisted of a dome, it is built from inside out. The Hagia Sophia sophia Constructed of bricks painted different colors to show complex designs on the outside.

The Dome of the Rock has many portions that are still standing today, and it has kept its original shape. Detailed decoration from a variety of periods, including mosaics, painted wood, marble, many different colored tiles, carpets, and carved stone, covers most of the exterior and interior of the building. The base is an octagonal shape. This building was built from the inside out as well, since it has a large dome.

Comparison:

    Dome shaped

    Colorful

    Built from inside out

    Serve as religious purposes

    Pillars

Contrasting:

    Dome of the Rock is smaller

    Hagia Sophia is larger

    Dome of the rock octagonal shape

    Hagia Sophia Square shape

    Dome structure different

    Islamic and Byzantine architecture

    Constructed the same way

    Similar artistry on the exterior

    Pillars/Arches

Bibliography;

University of Wisconson, . N.p.. Web. 18 Dec 2013. <http://insideislam.wisc.edu/2012/02/important-sites-the-dome-of-the-rock/>.

Jarus, O.. N.p.. Web. 18 Dec 2013. <http://www.livescience.com/27574-hagia-sophia.html>.

. N.p.. Web. 18 Dec 2013. <http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/haso/hd_haso.htm

. N.p.. Web. 18 Dec 2013. <http://www.hagiasophia.co/architecture.html>.

Krystek, Lee. n. page. <http://www.unmuseum.org/7wonders/hagia_sophia.htm>.

N.d. 0. n.p.. Web. 18 Dec 2013 <http://www.domeoftherock.net/Dome-of-the-Rock-Architecture.html>.

Kevin Pirouzbakht 
F block History


     The Byzantine empire and the Islamic Empire had many difference and similarities. Between the empires there is a difference in architecture. The landmark called the Dome of the Rock from the Islamic Empire and the the Hagia Sophia from the Byzantine Empire are just two of many buildings that show the difference in architecture between the two empires. The Hagia Sophia has a dome with a 102 feet diameter, and the Dome of the Rock with only 60 feet diameter. Both made for religious purposes, but the material they were built with and the different architecture used on the two building really how the difference between the empires. The Dome of the Rock and the Hagia Sophia are going to show the differences between the two empires in architecture.

     The Dome of the Rock was a significant mosque built by the Islamic Empire in 691. It was built in the historic city of Jerusalem. It holds the rock from which Muhammad is said to have ascended to heaven. The Dome of the Rock is a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. The Dome of the Rock is located on a rocky field known as Mount Moriah, which is according to Jewish belief where Abraham offered his son Isaac as a sacrifice. The inscriptions inside the dome glorify Islam as the final true revelation and culmination of  Judaism and Christianity. The dome is actually not a mosque but a ciborium. The Dome of the Rock was built by Caliph Abd al-Malik between 687 and 691. A traditions says that Abd al-Malik was attempting to transfer the Islamic hajj to jerusalem from Mecca. The dome is a 60 foot timber framed double dome that was initially covered with colored and gilded stucco and it was originally roofed with lead covered in gold. The shrine was originally covered by a lead dome from 691 until it was replaced with a gold-colored covering in the early 1960s. Many forms of decoration are used including mosaics, marble, repousse metalwork and coloured glass in the dome. The Dome of the Rock consists of a domed octagonal structure placed in the middle of a raised plaza or enclosure known as the Haram al-Sharif or holy place.

     The Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 for religous purposes. It is located in Constantinople which is present day Istanbul, Turkey. Hagia Sophia is considered one of the finest example of Byzantine architecture in the world. The church of Hagia Sophia was constructed on a scale that is unprecedented in human history. Under the rule of Justinian the Emperor, and with a force of 10,000 workers, the dome above the church of Hagia Sophia was built in a record time that was just five years, ten months, and four days to complete. When construction began, the engineer of Hagia Sophia Anthemius found himself in a geometric fix. How would he build a circular dome above a square base, so Anthemius arrived at a critical solution by building four massive columns at the corner of each square. On top of the columns, Anthemius built four arches. He then filled the spaces between the arches with masonry to create curved triangular shapes called pendentives. The pendentives and tops of the arches combined to form a strong base for the dome. The shallow dome of the Hagia Sophia was made from 40 equally spaced ribs. Forty windows were then set at the dome's base, creating the imagination that the dome actually floated over the church.

Dome of the Rock

• was it built for religious purposes
• what is the religious significance 
• who built it
• when did it finish getting built

What does the building consist of 

• how big is the dome
• what decorations does it have
• what material was used 
• what was the building design

Hagia Sophia

• was it made for religious purposes 
• what year did it finish
• who was the engineer of the project
• did they face challenges building it
• who was the ruler and how many workers did it take to finish the building
• how long did it take

What does the building consist of 

• how big is the dome
• what did they use to hold the dome
• what did they do so the dome looks like it is floating 
• does it have arches and how many
• what was the design of the building

Comparison of the Two

• The different away the buildings were built and constructed show the difference in architecture between the two empires
• Different religion inspired the building of these architecture buildings
• can these two buildings prove how the empires were similar

Bibliography:

"ABOUT DOME OF THE ROCK." Dome of the Rock. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. <http://www.domeoftherock.net/>.

"Dome of the Rock." (BiblePlaces.com). N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2013. <http://www.bibleplaces.com/domeofrock.htm>.

PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2013. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/wonder/structure/hagia_sophia.html>.

"Dome of the Rock." Dome of the Rock. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2013. <http://archnet.org/library/dictionary/entry.jsp?entry_id=DIA0097>.

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)

2. 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>.

  

The Islamic Empire was formed around 600 CE. The Byzantine Empire was formed around 300 CE. Both empires, like many other civilizations, had art that represented who and what they were and believed in. Taking a glance at both cultures, the Islamic and Byzantine Empires had some obvious differences in their art styles. The Islamic art below does not have accurate human representation- instead, the figures are fairy-like, and the art is geometrical and symmetrical. The Byzantine artwork below has people drawn in the right proportions and are put in a curvy, landscape-like setting. But, Byzantine and Islamic art were affected by many similar things, such as religion and travel.

According to the article written by Katharine Baetjer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, this wood piece was painted with the physical representation of Christ inside the Temple. These icons served as religious symbols. In particular, this wood piece was identified with an inscription: “the Purification.” In the artwork, the Virgin Mary is shown presenting the child Jesus to the prophet Simon for the “customary rite of purification” . Behind the Virgin, there is the prophet Anna, who is holding a Greek scroll saying that the child is the one who created heaven and earth. To the far left is Joseph. There are many bright colors in the painting and much of the gold color in between Mary and Simon. The border is painted blue with connected red squares. There is much Greek used in the design, and the wood used to create the icon is chipped and damaged. The painting is very bright and has an overall appearance of being very saturated with color.

This artwork is an illustration for the Arabic text shown underneath. Once again, there is a large use of the color gold in the tapestry and such. The man is boiling something in the pot, while there are more supplies above him. A Heilbrunn timeline of art history written by the Metropolitan Museum of Art states that this page is from the Baghdad School of the 1200’s. The use of bright colors is topical to the School, for most reference books found there had brightly colored illustrations. Also pertaining to the School was the use of geometrical symmetry and figures in normal, everyday clothing. This page came from a reference book on medicines.

I.                    Religion is a key factor in both Islamic and Byzantine art.

A.                  Byzantine

1.                   Christianity

a)                  Divinity is Infinity

(1)                Used gold

B.                  Islamic Empire

1.                   Muslim

a)                  Divinity is Infinity

(1)                Used calligraphy

C.                  Religion to Art

1.                   Most art in both empires influenced by religion

a)                  Islam

(1)                Presence of God

(a)                Some paintings with the representation of Mohammad

(2)                Presence of people

(a)                Use of figures

(b)               Deemed acceptable after much conflict

(3)                Animals and Islam

(a)                Stated in Hadith only god allowed to breathe lifeinto creatures

(b)               Still have some animal representations

(4)                Also used Christian icons as examples for iconography 

b)                  Byzantine

(1)                Presence of God

(a)                Jesus

(b)               Virgin Mary

(c)                Prophets

(2)                Presence of people

(a)                Bible influenced artists to paint historical figures in Christianity

(3)                Animals in paintings and Christianity

(a)                Artists painted interaction between holy animals and humans

(i)                  Lamb represented purity, sacrifice and Christ

(ii)                Griffin represented Apollo

(iii)               Jonah and the Big Fish (Whale)

D.                  Religion affected art. But religion also traveled in the form of monks and other people, and travel and trade affected art as well.

II.                  Travel also affected the development and the similarity of each empire’s artwork.

A.                  Empires geographically close

1.                   Byzantine to the north of Islamic Empire

B.                  Traveling

1.                   Islam

a)                  Missionaries spreading Islam

(1)                Converted countries would be influenced by Islamic art and vice versa

(2)                Began to influence Islamic artists to use figures

b)                  Political travels

(1)                Diplomats

(2)                Impressed by Mosaics in Byzantine

(3)                Asked Byzantine artists to work on the Dome of the Rock

2.                   Byzantine

a)                  Liked the calligraphy and arabesques of the Islamic empire

b)                  Used it on the First Church of the Monastery

(1)                Greece

C.                  Both the Byzantine and Islamic empires were influenced by many of the same things, such as religion and traveling.

For thousands of years, the people of the earth have used art, in different forms, to express themselves and their cultures. The Byzantine empire and the Islamic Civilization both had very different artistic beliefs and ideas. Since the Islamic Civilization is comprised of Muslims, their artistic forms can not contain the face of Mohammad. They did not just have paintings. They had arts that include but are not limited to: Pottery, Calligraphy, and Iconography. The Byzantine Empire were comprised of Christians, after Constantine forced the people of the Byzantine Empire to convert to Christianity.  The Byzantine Empire and Islamic Civilization differentiated in many ways.

From the information that was depicted from Processional Cross, it is a elaborately decorated cross that was widely used in religious, military, and imperial processions during the Middle Byzantine era. The Cross (23 5/8 x 17 3/4 in.) itself was silver with gilding and gilded silver medallions.Usually, the inscriptions in Greek shows the important (holy) figures in archangles Michael and Gabriel, the guardians of heavens. The Photo shows the traditional figures on behaf of the entire world itself. The photo shows the Virgin Mary, Mother of Christ, and John the Forerunner (Saint John the Baptist). The back of the cross shows it as a gift of a Bishop. It was most likely given for the honor of Saint Thalelaios, a physician, who is shown in the back central medallion. On the left and right sides are the 2 saints (Nicholas and John Chrysostom, which were two of the most important early church fathers). This cross signifies the entire religious beliefs of the Byzantine empire.

                       
     (Front)                                                                                          (Back)

The development of sophisticated calligraphy as an art form is not unique to Islamic culture. Other examples include Chinese and Japanese calligraphy and illuminated bibles from north-west Europe including the famous Book of Kells. In the Islamic world, however, calligraphy has been used to a much greater extent and in astonishingly varied and imaginative ways, which have taken the written word far beyond pen and paper into all art forms and materials. For these reasons, calligraphy may be counted as a uniquely original feature of Islamic art. The genius of Islamic calligraphy lies not only in the endless creativity and versatility, but also in the balance struck by calligraphers between transmitting a text and expressing its meaning through a formal aesthetic code.

The Arabic language, and subsequently the art of calligraphy, is held in great esteem by Muslims because Arabic was the language in which the Qu’ran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the 7th century. The Arabic text of the Qu’ran is sacred to Muslims, and its high status gave rise to an associated respect for books in general. However, it is important to remember that while the Qu’ran’s holy status provides an explanation for calligraphy's importance, by no means all Arabic calligraphy is religious in content. In general, calligraphic inscriptions on works of art comprise one or more of the following types of text

Katie Kessler Islamic and Byzantine Medicine Post

As far as medicine and medical advances goes, it seems that there are no two empires more different than the zealously religious Byzantine and the progressive and inquisitive Early Islamic Empire. For one, the Islamic empire, especially during its peak in the 10^th and 11^th centuries, was a pioneering force, while the remnants of the formerly progressive Roman Empire was not. The Muslims made progress by translating and questioning ancient writings, whereas the Byzantines did much less inquiring. Furthermore, the Muslim Empire, despite being Muslim, did not limit medicine and doctoral practices to only religion. This was something that occurred in the Byzantine Empire (the secular practice of medicine) which may have impaired their achievements. This can be found in the primary sources of the era, and the quantity of them; many more Islamic medical illustrations exist than Byzantine ones. Notable men from the Islamic and Byzantine Empires include Hunayn ibn Ishaq and Niketas, respectively, whose works are featured below.

The first primary source shown below, from the Byzantine Era, is a page from the medical encyclopedia Codex Niketas, circa the 9^th or 10^th century, and housed at the Biblioteca Medicea Laurentiana in Florence. It depicts, in color, three bare men under an arch or dome; one patient, an oral doctor, and an assistant. One man is looking at the seated man’s jaw, while another stands behind the man and holds his head. Research shows that the sitting man is a patient with a dislocated jaw, and the standing man is an assistant.

The second primary source is a hand-drawn, colored diagram of an eye, made by Hunayn ibn Ishaq in the 10^th century. It shows an almond-shaped frontal view of an eyeball encompassed by a circle. Stemming from each side (top, bottom, left, and right) are veins. All the veins are the same size except for the much longer bottom ones that are roughly three times as large and have two longer veins coming out from them. This anatomy was presumably used to assist ophthalmologists, possibly even in surgery.

1.         Byzantine Medical Practices made very few advances, especially compared to the Islamic Empire.

a.       Byzantine Hospitals

                                                              i.      Small, and plentiful

                                                            ii.      Close proximity to Christianity

                                                          iii.      Practitioners

1.      Clergy

2.      Priests

b.      Treatment

                                                              i.      More abstract forms of medicine

1.      Magic

2.      Demonology and Exorcism

3.      Folk Medicine

4.      Religious healing, especially of chronic illness

5.      Very humanitarian

c.       Believed Cause of Illness

                                                              i.      Four Humors

1.      Blood

2.      Phlegm

3.      Black Bile

4.      Yellow Bile

                                                            ii.      Demonic Possession

d.      Literature

                                                              i.      Translated Arabic works

                                                            ii.      Codex Niketas

                                                          iii.      Very few written works produced during this time

2.  The Islamic Empire made numerous important achievements in the field of medicine, especially during their 2 century peak in the 10^th and 11^th centuries.

a.       IslamicHospitals

                                                              i.      Large, and only appeared in important cities

                                                            ii.      Secular

                                                          iii.      Freedom for doctors to be Jewish or Christian

b.      Treatment

                                                              i.      Simple surgery

                                                            ii.      Plants and herbs from healers

                                                          iii.      Drugs

c.       Believed Causes of Illnesses

                                                              i.      “Jinn” spirits

                                                            ii.      Four Humors

1.      Blood

2.      Phlegm

3.      Black Bile

4.      Yellow Bile

d.      Literature

                                                 i.      Translated many Greek and Roman works into Arabic

                                                 ii.      Many famous writers with encyclopedias of medicine

1.      The Canon –al-Razi

2.      Hunayn ibn Isaq- translated works 

       I.            3. As far as medicine is concerned, the strictly Christian Byzantine and the progressive Islamic Empires had many noticeable differences in their practices, ranging from their hospitals to their literature.
 Works Cited:

Dawson, Ian. The History of Medicine: Medicine in the Middle Ages. 1st ed. New York: Enchanted Lion Books, 2005. p.16, 46-50. Print.