Churches, Temples, Mosques and Synagogues

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Churches, Temples, Mosques and
Synagogues

• The unique places people worship around the world

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Japanese Temples

• The native religion in Japan is Shinto and it is
  the most prominent. Shinto is the worship of the
  Kami which can mean one god or a collective name
  for all of the gods. Shinto believes that the
  Kami lives in nature like rocks , streams or
  trees. A torii is placed at the entrance to a
  shrine and come in various colors. It is also
  customary to rinse your mouth and hands with
  water to purify the inner and outer self before
  entering a temple. Temples always have an area
  for you to leave offerings to the Kami.

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Chinese temples

• Many temples in China are Buddhist and
  Confucianist. The Chinese Buddhist temples are
  fashioned after the imperial palaces and bear
  little resemblance to the temples in other
  Buddhist countries( above left). The temple
  above right is dedicated to Confucianism and has
  a statue of him in the front. Confucianist
  temples often have many courtyards and a library.
  The other main religion in China is Daoism.
  Daoist temples usually have an entrance on one
  side out of superstition about demons which
  might try to enter the temple.

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Hindu Temples of India

• The architecture of the temple is called
  shikhara, meaning peak (mountain). This is
  because of the belief that the gods lived in the
  mountains. The basic plan of a Hindu temple is
  square inside a circle the square represents the
  four directions and the circle represents heaven
  because of its perfect shape without a beginning
  or end. In South India the temple is frequently
  carved with images of gods.

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Israel Synagogues

• Synagogues are meeting places for Jewish people.
  The synagogue on the left is called the great
  synagogue and is in the Jewish homeland of
  Israel. The Jewish people have suffered many
  hardship throughout the last 2000 years and many
  of their synagogues were destroyed. This one is
  modeled after the first and second temples. It
  has marble floors and stained glass windows even
  though it was built in 1982.

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Middle East Mosques

• Domes are typical in the architecture of mosques
  they are said to symbolize the vault of
  heaven.There are no pictures or statues of Allah
  in Islamic mosques because Muslims think these
  are blasphemous. A niche in one of the walls,
  called a mihrab, shows the direction that the
  worshippers should face in order to face Mecca.
  The Mecca is the center of the Islamic world (top
  left) and includes the most sacred sight in all
  of Islam. Ritual prayer, five times a day, is
  the essence of Muslim worship, whether done in
  the mosque of anywhere else.

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Africa

• The great mud mosque on the top right is the
  largest mud brick building in the world
  characterized by conical spires that represent
  the spirits of ancestors. This design is believed
  to come from Mali and is popular in the mosques
  of Africa. Christianity is the fastest growing
  religion in Africa. Most churches are small and
  very plain compared to many of the churches
  around the world.

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The Church of Bones

• In a town near Prague in the Czech Republic
  is a church decorated with human bones. It was
  once a church with a cemetery but it was
  considered sacred. When the bubonic plague wiped
  out much of Europe there were no where for the
  bones to go except up. An artist made many
  designs with the bones including the chandelier
  in the far right photo.

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Vatican City

• Vatican city, ruled by the pope is a walled
  catholic city within Rome, Italy. It is
  beautifully decorated with intricate detail
  everywhere you look. It is the center of
  Catholicism. St. Peters basilica is located in
  Vatican city and is the largest basilica in the
  world. St. Peters tomb is directly below the
  basilica. The sisteen chapel is also in Vatican
  city which took Michelangelo 4 years to paint.
  St. Peter square is and is a gathering place for
  the faithful lined by 140 catholic saints.

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Russian Churches

• Russia is filled with beautiful churches and
  cathedrals in the Russian onion-domed style. The
  design of churches follow the Byzantine pattern
  and the standard of the Greek church. The cross
  inscribed in a rectangle and the dome supported
  on piers is the traditional type of Orthodox
  churches found in Russia. The churches are
  brightly colored and topped with gold which is a
  popular characteristic in Russian architecture.

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Mexico

• All Mexican communities center on the
  church. Typically an old stone building with bell
  tower and dome (which is also common in other
  religious buildings). Some are elaborate such as
  the big city cathedrals. Some are homely and
  mild, many have lights and intensely colored
  tiles which is popular in Mexican architecture. A
  unique idea is the open air churches of Mexico
  which were thought to accommodate the large
  crowds of worshippers.

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South America

• South America is very similar to Mexico in that
  churches can be magnificent or humble in the
  décor and architecture. Many are old and decaying
  from the weather and salt water.

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North America

• North America is the melting pot where virtually
  every religion is practiced. Christianity is the
  main religion however America has the highest
  Jewish population in the world. America has some
  unique religions such as Scientology in the upper
  left hand corner and The Mormon Church of latter
  day saints (right). Mormon temples have combined
  almost every classical styling used throughout
  history even though the first temple was built in
  1893. Scientologists are taking old run down
  buildings and restoring them and using them for
  churches as an eco friendly way of recycling
  architecture.

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Similarities

• Throughout the world there are many different
  religions and ways to worship. There are also
  many similarities including the domes,
  purification through water, offerings to the gods
  and the sacred sights where most religious
  buildings are built. Although we may not all
  agree on the same religion we can appreciate the
  beauty of the buildings themselves.

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Works Cited

• http//www.templenet.com/Tamilnadu/df001.html
• http//www.sacred-destinations.com/mali/great-mos
  
• http//www.travelchinaguide.com/picture/beijing/co
  nfucius_temple/0001719.htm
• p//www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/Architecture
  /Architecture.html
• http//www.forbeginners.info/rome/vatican-city/