Art History: Iconoclasm

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4.23.12 Art History 1 Iconoclasm Paper Iconoclasm: Destruction or Just Change Iconoclasm; still is efficient in todays world as the definition of destruction. It is the removal of religious icons and other symbols or monuments that have impacted the world with its religious and political motives. Iconoclasm today has shifted gears to become non-existent to the people surrounding it, as it takes on no importance to human kind today. It is rarely seen on the streets of many cities, but when it is spotted, it holds much meaning to the past of when iconoclasm held a much more important value. The Hagia Sophia, a former basilica and later a mosque takes us back into the days where iconoclasm was at its best. The Hagia Sophia, now a museum, served as cathedral of Constantinople, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and a mosque as to where Byzantine mosaics were plastered over it when it became one, which was one of many actions that declared iconoclasm to exist in this building. Because of the iconoclastic period, all religious images were removed from the church during the Byzantine period. After being converted into a mosque, many Islamic elements such as the mihrab and the minber were added for the conversion. Some of the aspects that I saw that showed iconoclasm were the drawings of geometrical designs that were drawn all around the mosque in places where church symbols were vibrantly shown (Picture 1). These geometrical designs were placed on top of symbols (Christian Crosses) that exemplified Christianity. To spread the message of conversion, I also noticed the addition of many plaques around the inside of the main gallery that seems to show Islamic calligraphy. After reading about the plaques, it is said that each plate has the name of an Islamic god or a person of importance, which was Allah, Prophet Mohammed, the first four Caliphs Ebubekir, Omer, Osman and

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