Hagia Sophia: Architecture,Structure and Liturgy of Justinian's Great Church by Rowland J. Mainstone

From the Publisher

Hagia Sophia in Constantinople was the culminating architectural achievement oflate antiquity and the first great masterpiece of the Byzantine world. For over nine hundred years it was Christendom's grandest place of worship and, for most of this time, the seat of the Orthodox patriarch and a setting for imperial ceremonies. After the fall of Constantinople to the Ottomans, it became one of the principal mosques of Istanbul. Its influence was widespread and lasting, both architecturally and liturgically. Rowland Mainstone draws on some thirty years of detailed observations and critical reading of the historical source material to present here the first authoritative account of the genesis of the design, of the church's building, and of the subsequent changes. Dr. Mainstone's specially prepared plans and drawings and his superb photographs perfectly complement the text as well as providing, in themselves, a unique record.

Choice

The fullest account yet of the great church's structure.

Art Documentation

Mainstone has succeeded in bringing together a book that will appeal to both the specialist and the generalist.

RSA Journal

Certainly no serious student of architectural history can afford to ignore this book.

Publishers Weekly

An account of the Byzantine church's genesis and development, with 305 illustrations. (Sept.)

Product Details

• Table of Contents

Table of Contents