This event is made possible by the General Activities Fund (GAF)
Hagia Sophia—a building whose domes have defined Istanbul’s skyline for over 1500 years—has led many lives. Initially a Byzantine church, subsequently an Ottoman mosque, then a museum, the structure is today a monument of world heritage, even as its official status remains contested. Hagia Sophia’s global fame took shape during the long nineteenth century, when Europeans "discovered" its architectural significance. But what role did local actors play in the creation of Hagia Sophia as a modern monument?
Dr. Benjamin Anderson, Associate Professor of the History of Art and Classics, Cornell University, and Dr. Emily Neumeier, Assistant Professor of Art History, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, Temple University, will discuss their co-editing of the new book Hagia Sophia in the Long Nineteenth Century (2024, Edinburgh University Press).
The Jackson Lecture in Byzantine Art, dedicated to the memory of Robert G. Ousterhout, is generously sponsored by Lynn Jackson. Additional support comes from Temple University's General Activities Fund (GAF) and the Center for the Humanities at Temple (CHAT).
Image: Louis Haghe after Gaspard Fossati, Aya Sofia, Constantinople, as recently restored by order of H.M. the svltan Abdvl-Medjid, 1852 CE, lithograph with hand-coloring (British Museum, 1889,0603.120).