Material and Meta-Critical Interpretations of the Hagia Sophia
This paper compares two schools of thought in modern architectural history: that based in ancient literature and criticism, and that based on empirical data from the buildings concerned. It uses two essays from "Hagia Sophia from the Age of Justinian to the Present," by Robert Mark and Ahmed Cakmak. The contrast between thw two styles of architectural history is evident in how useful the respective historians' products (data, questions) are to contemporary users of the structures in question. In this case, structural architectural historians are concerned with earthquake activity and its effect on the cathedral/mosque.
