Ayasofya was unquestionably one of the most extraordinary settings on earth for religious rite and ceremony. In this fascinating film, the documentary film-maker Duygu Eruçman and Stanford University’s Bissera Petcheva, whose groundbreaking work on acoustics, art and music has brought a whole new dimension to Byzantine art studies, set out to rediscover the historical impact of Ayasofya on the senses. Through film and digital sound, they reconstruct the carefully contrived impact of sound, acoustics, light and shadow on worshipers in the great sixth-century basilica. The screening of The Voice of Haghia Sophia is followed by a Skype conversation with Eruçman and Petcheva.
Shared Sacred Spaces
Issue 66, December 2023
Turkey’s Centenary Issue
