Essays --

The Hagia Sophia was a former Greek Orthodox basilica church, and later became a mosque, and now is a museum in Istanbul, Turkey. It is definitely a architectural beauty. The name means "holy wisdom". It contains two floors centered on a giant nave and has a dome ceiling, with smaller domes that tower above. From 537-1453 it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral, except between the dates 1204-1261, where it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. The building was a mosque from 1453-1931. It was then opened as a museum in 1935. There are many original parts of this structure, although it has gone through two fires. The first fire occurred in year 404, when rioters burned the church down in protest. The church took 10 years to be re-built. It was burned down again about 100 years later by the Nica Riots. The church was again rebuilt, but then in 1346 the church faced some damage due to an earthquake (Hagia Sophia: Facts, History & Architecture). The Dome of the Rock is a edifice that is located on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. According to Jewish belief, Abraham offered his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice. It has also survived earthquakes. The inscriptions on the inside of the dome glorify and praise Islam as the true revelation of the faiths of Judaism and Christianity. The building is not considered a mosque, but a "scared site". It "enshrines" the rock from which Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven. The Dome of the Rock was the first domed shrine to be built, and is considered a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. It's significance stems from religious traditions regarding the rock, also known as the Foundation Stone, which is considered the "heart" of the structure (About Dome of ... ...as crossed boundaries and tested the limits of arts, and has inspired art to tell stories. Technology has definitely changed the way we view art from prehistoric times to now. For example digital art. Modern technology has transformed from more traditional art such as paintings, sculpting, or drawing, and allows artists to use digital technologies in the production of their pieces. Graphic designers are now able to create images through programs through the computer that can't be done by a simple piece of paper. 3D art looks more detailed, and art can often be flawless with the use of technology and computers. So to summarize what I just said, there are many different factors in the evolution of art throughout the years. Cultural change, new materials being used, values, technology, religion, belief systems, increased freedom have contributed to the change of art.