1) What does this image mean historically?
Hagia Sophia is a cathedral that is in Istanbul, Turkey, and it was built in the year 360. It served as the cathedral of Constantinople, except between 1204 and 1261, when it was the cathedral of the Latin Empire. The cathedral's dome that is seen in this picture is a famous piece of Byzantine Architecture, and is said to "have changed the history of architecture." The Hagia Sophia has a classical basilica plan. The main dome is carried on pendentives: four concave triangular sections of masonry which solve the problem of setting the circular base of a dome on a rectangular base.
2) What does this image mean to you? Why did you choose it?
When I look at this image I see God. I immediately see the light pouring in through the windows as the Holy Spirit ascending on this cathedral. Because I often think of God as light, I see this light as a spirit that is pouring into the very depths of the shadows toward the floor. I next analyze the light entering through the dome and see that it seems to cover a lot of space for coming through those small windows, which brings me to my next point. I see this image as a comparison. When first observing this picture you may notice how massive the dome is on this cathedral, but then immediately, the light puts this massive building in perspective. Just as you may see the earth and your life as gigantic, when you then think about God the perspective changes. Just as God consumes our life and this earth, the light dominates this towering dome.
3) Is the image true? Why or why not?
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