HIST 100: Engineering The Past

Hagia Sopia

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Religious Sanctuary

 

Religious sanctuary or right of asylum has been around in some shape or another for thousands of years.  Around 600 AD king Æthelberht of Kent made the first laws regarding sanctuary. The person seeking asylum had to confess their crimes, surrender any weapons and be placed under the supervision of the head of the church or abbey. They were then given 40 days to make a choice: surrender to the authorities and stand trial; or confess there guilt and be exiled from the land. There were also two levels of sanctuary the lower level type, which all churches received, the individual was restricted to the confines of the church. And then the churches that got licensed by the king could offer much larger areas, in some cases up to 1 mile around the church. This boundary was set up with 4 markers, usually made of stone creating a square area around the church. Because the Hagia Sophia was commissioned by Justinian I as a place of worship for Christianity, it fell under these laws. I am unsure of what parts of the Hagia Sophia were considered “safe zones”, but if the whole building was one, then the criminal would have a lot of space to roam around. These laws are not in effect anymore. The churches still offer sanctuary but it carries no legal recourse and is only respected if the officers want to.  In the modern age you hear very little of religious sanctuary anymore, but you do hear about political refugees. This term is just a new spin on an old tradition. Instead of churches, it is countries giving the sanctuary.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_asylum

Hagia Sophia

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Islamic architecture plays a large part in a lot of our history that we do not realize. Using this type of architecture some of our first ever buildings were made, and still to this day are some of the strongest most well build pieces that we have had. Islamic architecture took a lot of hard work and time. Hagia Sophia influenced Islamic architecture because this basilica was made with tombs, arches, fountains which were elements in Islamic architecture. The Hagia Sophia was a model for this type of work. Although the Hagia Sophia is known for its divine Byzantine architecture, they all are very similar. From the domes in Hagia Sophia to the arches and fountains of Islamic architecture they all remember bits and pieces of one another and were often made of the same material because there were not a lot of different types of materials back in this day. Each type of architecture holds its own values and details. In Islamic architecture there is a very famous piece know as Dome of The Rocks located in Jerusalem. These Mosques had a large open court room, prayer wall, and many small open arches out from of them. Soon these mosques were built in many different styles and became the main structure of architecture style during this time. They took many years to build and once a few mosques were built everyone started doing it. Some incorporated the Islamic styles, and some Incorporated Sassanian architecture. Islamic architecture is also very well known for its use of gardens, and water. Paradise Garden is a very beautiful piece of Islamic architecture that shows the beauty of solid structure being fulfilled by water, which actually had many different religious meanings behind it.

Wikipedia. “Islamic Architecture.” Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2016.
Quatr. “History of Islamic Architecture.” N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2016.

1.2 Bridges

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The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable stayed/ suspension bridge, it is about 1.13 miles in length, it has a neo-Gothic design, the arches are pointed, it has open trusses, the cables have a diagonal design, it is tan and silver in color (originally it is said the color was red) and the towers are made of stone. Most of the pictures depict the bridge as part of the city skyline, rarely is it pictured by itself.

The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge, it is about 1.7 miles in length, it has a modernist design, the arches are square, the cables are straight up and down and it is International orange in color. Most of the pictures only show the bridge itself. There are a couple of pictures that show the city in the far background.

To me the differences in the way the bridges were built has to do with the change in time, they were built 50 years apart. When the Brooklyn Bridge was being built we had more of a European architectural style and bridges of the length and design was still fairly new. The materials that would have been available during this time would have been in line with the times. When the Golden Gate Bridge was built the architectural style was more modernist and bridge design had become much more advanced due to rapidly changing technology. Due to this the materials that would have been available would have been stronger and more advanced.

I think the fact that these bridges are still standing and have only needed renovated and reinforced shows the type of quality that was expected and the thought of the future that was seen. If you look at both New York City and San Francisco you can see that many of the designs of their cities have stood the test of time. They seemed to value quality work and planning and value the image the city holds for the rest of the world.