StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Relationship between Religious Architecture and Religious Tradition - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary

This paper 'Relationship between Religious Architecture and Religious Tradition' tells us that today, and ever since time immemorial, religious architecture is established with aesthetical minds as much as functionality. Religious architectural pieces are usually lined with showcasing fine art paintings both in their interior.
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.4% of users find it useful
Relationship between Religious Architecture and Religious Tradition
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Relationship between Religious Architecture and Religious Tradition"

Relationship between Religious Architecture and Religious Tradition Today, and ever since time in memorial, religiousarchitecture is established with aesthetical minds as much as functionality. Religious architectural pieces are usually lined with showcasing of fine art painting both in their interior and exterior to represent beliefs. Just as religious beliefs have continued to be adopted and practiced throughout the ages, so have architectural designs for the various religious groupings. Hence, religious beliefs and religious architecture are at par, where the said architecture is designed to accommodate beliefs and practices of religious groups. This paper will provide more insight into this analogy through discussing four historical religious architectures: the Altar of Zeus, Egyptian pyramids, Suleymaniye Mosque and St. Peter’s Basilica. The Altar of Zeus was for ancient Greeks, Egyptian pyramids were created by ancient Egyptians, Suleymaniye Mosque was for Muslims and the Basilica was designed by Romans. The Altar of Zeus provides a good Hellenistic Greek sculpture example, which was built between 166 and 156 BCE. The altar is crafted with art and sculpture, which depicts narrations. The Gigantochamy frieze, which adorns the base of the altar, has at least 100 distinct panels that show combats between gods and giants. Here, one connects with the Greek legend where Zaas decided to abandon Gaia’s after the new gods (led by Zeus and in support by Zaas) defeated the old gods (led by Cronus). The East Frieze sculpture, on the other hand, constitutes significant Olympic gods such as Hecate, Artemis, Zeus, Athena and Ares. In the same way, the north, south and west frieze sculptures continue with sculptural and relief narrations of various Greek gods.1 The altar, also known as the Altar of Pergamon, stands at 115 feet in width and 110 feet in depth. The altar was accessible through a stairway, from the west, which led up to a roofed hall extending to the front and sides of the altar. This alter is very important to the people, who regard it highly and its highly respected. It has been in existence for quite a long time and many people have high regard for the alter. Due to this fact, the alter of Pergamon is well preserved or taken care of. Ancient Egyptian pyramids held similar themes in architectural designs. The pyramids were erected on the west bank of the Nile. This was in accordance with Egypt’s religious doctrine which stated that the dead should rest where the sun sets.2 In addition, most pyramids were covered with limestone, which was meant to give them a shiny appearance from a distance. Despite the fact that the pyramids were designed as tombstones for prominent persons such as kings and queens, they were embalmed with religious material. Outstandingly, the pyramids were meant to purify bodies in wait for the afterlife. Within the pyramids were sculptures, paintings and carvings, which portrayed spirituality. In addition were illustrations in the tomb walls, also known as the book of the dead, which were meant to guide the deceased in their atonement of sins in preparation for the afterlife. The pyramids also consisted of airways and tunnels, which served to prevent decomposition. The Suleymaniye Mosque was named after Sultan Suleyman who requested it to be built after the Sehzade Mosque was not deemed as satisfactory. Sinan had built the Sehzade Mosque to commemorate the death of Prince Mehmed who had died of smallpox. The Suleymaniye Mosque was completed in 1557 and was of remarkable interior space, height and intricate detail.3 The mosque consisted of four lengthy and thin minarets and a dome, which had a height of over 50 meters. Surrounding the mosque was a kulliye comprising of public baths, schools for teaching Quran, Hadith and primary school children, library, soup kitchen and a hospital. The public baths were situated near the entrance of the mosque since Muslims would take off their shoes before entering the mosque and would sometimes require cleaning their feet. The interior of the mosque consisted of spaced grounds, where worshippers would pray and the center was marked by a chandelier. In the mosque’s courtyard were Iznik tiles, which went around the mosque and displayed Quran verses such as Ayat al-Kursi. The spaced ground in the inner part of the mosque was designed that way so that it can accommodate as many worshipers as possible, and this ensured that new converts had enough space to make their prayers while in the mosque. The Quran verses displayed around the mosque reinforced the teachings being made by the Sheiks or Imams, and this helped a lot in strengthening the Islam religion among the believers, who easily read those verses displayed in the mosque walls. Christianity regards Saint Peter’s Basilica as the holiest site in the world. The church was established between 1506 and 1626 above St. Peter’s burial site. St. Peter was among the twelve disciples of Jesus and was a bishop in Rome. Saint Peter’s Basilica is built from travertine stone, standing at 452 feet in height, 730 feet in width and 500 feet in depth.4 The interior is a little over 693 feet. During the building age of the basilica, sculptors and painters would be given detailed information on features that would inspire the Christian congregation with inspirational messages. Within the basilica is a cruciform, which resembles a Latin cross. The cross is characterized by an elongated nave framed by wide aisles, thus giving room to a range of chapels. Some of these chapels include the Clementine Chapel, the Chapel of Presentation of the Virgin, the Chapel of Madonna of Colonna, the Gregorian Chapel and the Clementine Chapel. In addition, there is a high altar, and right beneath is the Chapel of Confession. Up to a hundred tombs are now found in Saint Peter’s, where a number of popes are buried. This place is very important to Christians because of the popes who are buried there, and many Christians view the place, Saint Peter’s, with high regards due to its importance. Works Cited Wightman, G. J. Sacred Spaces: Religious Architecture in the Ancient World. Leuven: Peeters, 2007. Print. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Discuss the relationship between the design of religious architecture Essay - 1”, n.d.)
Discuss the relationship between the design of religious architecture Essay - 1. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1618857-discuss-the-relationship-between-the-design-of-religious-architecture-and-the-interests-and-requirements-of-the-religious-tradition-associated-with-it
(Discuss the Relationship Between the Design of Religious Architecture Essay - 1)
Discuss the Relationship Between the Design of Religious Architecture Essay - 1. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1618857-discuss-the-relationship-between-the-design-of-religious-architecture-and-the-interests-and-requirements-of-the-religious-tradition-associated-with-it.
“Discuss the Relationship Between the Design of Religious Architecture Essay - 1”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/visual-arts-film-studies/1618857-discuss-the-relationship-between-the-design-of-religious-architecture-and-the-interests-and-requirements-of-the-religious-tradition-associated-with-it.
  • Cited: 1 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Relationship between Religious Architecture and Religious Tradition

Creating New from the Old: Designs in Architecture from Turkey

When looking at the architecture of Turkey, it is noted that alterations in styles have been made to architecture and the approach which is taken throughout time.... When looking at the architecture of Turkey, it is noted that alterations in styles have been made to architecture and the approach which is taken throughout time.... The ability to understand what tradition means, how this affects the contemporary time frame and how this relates to a given culture, such as Turkey, then establishes a deeper meaning and understanding of the evolution of architecture....
21 Pages (5250 words) Dissertation

Architectural Hierarchy in Religious Structures

Going eastward, just like Roman Catholicism, Chinese temples are also influenced by some traditional and religious beliefs.... 25 November 2012 Architectural Hierarchy in religious Structures It has oftentimes been expressed that architecture is the heavenly construal of humankind in characterizing and symbolizing celestial themes in physical form.... Earlier religious congregations design their worship place based on their interpretations of some theological precepts and ideologies....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Buddhism and the Nara Aesthetic Values

This essay "Buddhism and the Nara Aesthetic Values" discusses the Buddhist philosophical impact on the aesthetic values of the Nara period is anchored on the fact that these values are interrelated with the spiritual and moral sensitivities that permeated in the period.... .... ... ... By 710, the Japanese Nara period began with the reign of Emperor Genmei....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Temple of Heaven, Beijing

According to ancient Chinese politics, the political leadership such as the famous Ming and Qing empires observed the sociocultural practices of the people into their As expected, the construction of the Temple of Heaven offered the leadership a religious opportunity to connect with the people and sustain the tradition of a rich cultural endowment.... esides the connection between religion and dynastic politics to illustrate the involvement of Chinese traditions, the reflection of the Chinese tradition in the Temple takes the form art and architectural design....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

Encounter Between Christianity And Other Religions During The 19th And 20th Century

Presently, among Christian scholars and theologians of comparative religion, a great extent of ink has been spilled in an attempt of defining the relationship between Christianity and other non-Christian religions around the world.... Early Christians emanated from the Jewish tradition, however, they had a belief that the message and teaching of Jesus Christ were supposed to be for all people in the world.... An essay "Encounter between Christianity And Other Religions During The 19th And 20th Century" reports that early Christians suffered persecutions at the hands of Roman officials....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

The relationship between Human and Nature

It is important to consider the work of Tadao Ando because his designs have been considered influential in the current Japanese architecture and in other works from other architects in the West.... This paper “The relationship between Human and Nature” seeks to study architecture, including its primary elements, religious and cultural influences, as well as historical influences.... Western religions, which include Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, as well as Greek and Roman Empire influences, apply their beliefs based on congregated prayer where the community usually participates in praise and other religious rituals (Cooler, n....
25 Pages (6250 words) Dissertation

Sistine chapel as a religious art piece

Even though the Western religious principles generally criticize the practice of depicting Jesus and the al events, Roman Catholics preserved many of the ancient paintings from the ancient history of Christianity and renovated them through the medieval periods till the modern era of architecture and art.... This paper will make an appreciation of the Sistine Chapel at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican City as a monumental evidence of the relationship between art and religions in the medieval Europe....
11 Pages (2750 words) Term Paper

History and Islamic Studies

The paper "History and Islamic Studies" is an amazing example of a Culture essay.... Islam is a global and comprehensive religion.... It covers all aspects of life.... Islam's greatest beauty is in its culture.... The culture of the people includes their rules of behavior, beliefs, rituals, arts, styles of dressing, and technology ways of cooking and producing food, economic and political systems....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us