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Hagia
Sophia | Innovative Trends
Professor Ousterhout
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Innovative
Trends The Hagia Sophia represents the innovative tendency of
early Byzantine architecture moving from dependence on wall
support to point support—loads concentrated on 12 major
piers
or pier clusters (rather than thick masonry walls) distributed
around the building. As a result, thin curtain walls fill the
space between the supporting piers resulting in a remarkable
openness and lightness in the interior.
Istanbul,
Hagia Sophia, Interior view of the nave
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Istanbul,
Hagia Sophia, Groudplan of the building during Justinian's
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Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, Cross-section of the building
on the east-west axis |
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Istanbul, Hagia Sophia, Isometric diagram |
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