Q 01/05

Justinian's church was inaugurated with great pomp on 27 December of which year?

A) 537

B) 548

C) 562

D) 580

Answer · why

A) 537

Construction had taken five years and ten months; the second church on the site had burned in the Nika riots weeks before work began.

Q 02/05

Isidore of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles, designers of Justinian's church, were primarily what?

A) bishops

B) geometers

C) military engineers

D) sculptors

Answer · why

B) geometers

Both were associated with the school of the pagan philosopher Ammonius of Alexandria.

Q 03/05

What does the name 'Hagia Sophia' mean?

A) Holy Peace

B) Holy Saviour

C) Holy Wisdom

D) Holy Sophia the martyr

Answer · why

C) Holy Wisdom

The neighbouring, older Hagia Irene is 'Holy Peace'; neither is named after a saint.

Q 04/05

The second church on the site was burned to the ground in January 532 during which uprising?

A) the Iconoclast revolt

B) the Bread riots

C) the Green faction revolt

D) the Nika riots

Answer · why

D) the Nika riots

The riot began in the Hippodrome next door; Procopius wrote that the rioters 'had the hardihood to fire the Church of the Christians'.

Q 05/05

On seeing the finished church, Justinian is said to have declared he had surpassed which biblical king?

A) Solomon

B) David

C) Herod

D) Nebuchadnezzar

Answer · why

A) Solomon

The reference was to the Temple in Jerusalem; the new church took five years and ten months to build.