7: The Sacred Buildings of Civilizations (200 CE – 1400 CE)
( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\)
All cultures had some kind of sacred belief whether it was one god, or many gods and they erected different types of structures including: temples, churches, mosques, or pagodas where they observed their religion. Globally, all of the buildings were designed, constructed, decorated and enhanced with some style of art: statues, stained glass, special trim, architectural configurations, or unique materials.
- 7.2: Byzantine Hagia Sophia (537 CE)
- One of the architectural wonders of the world is Hagia Sophia (7.1), with its magnificence, functionality, and sheer size dominating the horizon.
- 7.3: Jerusalem Dome of the Rock (691 CE)
- The Dome of the Rock, completed in 691 CE, is a mosque located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem and is considered one of the oldest intact works of Islamic art.
- 7.4: Islamic Golden Age Umayyad Mosque (715 CE)
- The Islamic Umayyad Mosque sits in the city center of Old Damascus. The original temple was known for its beauty and size, the largest temple in Roman Syria, dedicated to the god Jupiter.
- 7.5: Viking Borgund Stave Church (Around 1180 CE)
- A stave church was a medieval post and lintel constructed building using massive timbers harvested from the surrounding areas in northern Europe.
- 7.6: Romanesque Sant Climent de Taull (1123 CE)
- Sant Climent de Taull, Spain is an outstanding example of Romanesque architecture and art both in the interior and exterior of the building. The Romanesque style of architecture is found in its semi-circular arches in the buildings as opposed to the point arches of Gothic style.
- 7.7: Gothic Notre Dame (Started 1163 CE)
- The Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral (7.29) is located on the Ile de la Cite in Paris, France, and is one of the best examples of Gothic architecture as well as one of the most well-known churches in the world.
- 7.8: Ethiopian Lalibela Church Complex (12th and 13th Centuries)
- Lalibela (7.38) is located in northern Ethiopia and is known for its churches carved directly out of bedrock. Lalibela is one of the holiest areas of Ethiopia since the 12th century and was named after King Lalibela (1181-1221), the Ethiopian ruler.
- 7.10: Khmer Empire Bayon Temple (13th Century)
- Bayon Temple built in the center of the walled city Angkor Thom, the capital of the Khmer Empire in the 13th century.
- 7.11: Song Dynasty Six Harmonies Pagoda (970 CE)
- The Six Harmonies Pagoda (7.53), located on a hill overlooking the Qiantang River and Xi Hu Lake in eastern China, was constructed by the Northern Song Dynasty from brick and wood in 970 CE.
- 7.12: Asuka, Nara, Heian Periods Konpon Daito Pagoda (887 CE)
- The Konpon Daito Pagoda is part of a temple complex located in Koya, Japan. The large wooden Kondo Hall temple is one of the significant buildings next door to the pagoda where ceremonies are held.
- 7.13: Ancestral Puebloans Kivas (Approx. 1080 – 1150)
- The Ancestral Puebloans left few written records so historians can only estimate the exact use of the kivas; however, the belief is they were used for rituals, ceremonies, and gathering places.
- 7.14: Mayan Classic Period Kukulkan Temple (900 CE)
- The pyramid of Kukulkan (7.59) is the main building in Chichen Itza on the Yucatan Peninsula. The area surrounding the pyramid is a limestone plain pockmarked with natural pools of water surrounded by dense jungle.
- 7.15: Incan Temple of the Sun (Mid 1400 CE)
- The Temple of the Sun (7.62) was built on a mountain ridge in Machu Picchu, Peru at 2430 meters in elevation, cradled on the eastern slope of the Andes Mountains overlooking the Urubamba River.
- 7.16: Aztec Templo Mayor (1326 CE (first version))
- The Aztec Templo Mayor, located in Tenochtitlan, is what is today, Mexico City, Mexico. The Templo Mayor (7.64), was in the Aztec’s capital and one of their principal temples.
