Byzantine architecture

Byzantine architecture evolved from Roman architecture. Over time, a style emerged that incorporated Near Eastern influences and the Greek cross plan for church design. Furthermore, brick replaced stone, the classical order was less strictly adhered to, mosaics replaced carved decoration, and complex domes were erected.

One of the great advances in the history of Western architecture occurred when the architects of Justinian I invented a complex system that allowed a seamless transition from the square plan of the church to the circular dome (or domes) using brackets or pendentives. The main example of early Byzantine religious architecture is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

European medieval architecture

The religious architecture of the Christian churches of the Middle Ages presented the Latin cross plan, which took the Roman basilica as its main model with later developments. It consists of a nave "Nave (architecture)"), transept, and the altar is located at the east end. Additionally, cathedrals influenced or commissioned by Justinian I employed the Byzantine style of domes and a Greek cross (resembling a plus sign), focusing attention on the altar in the center of the church. The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl is an excellent example of Russian Orthodox architecture in the Middle Ages. The Urnes Stave Church (Urnes stavkyrkje) in Norway is a magnificent example of a medieval stave church.

gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is especially associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. Originating in 12th century France, it was known during the period as Opus Francigenum ("French work"). The style originated in the abbey church of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, near Paris. Other notable Gothic religious structures are Notre-Dame de Paris, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens, and Chartres Cathedral.

Renaissance architecture

The Renaissance brought with it a return of classical influence and a new emphasis on rational clarity. Renaissance architecture represents a conscious revival of Roman architecture with its symmetry, mathematical proportions and geometric order. Filippo Brunelleschi's plan for the dome of Florence Cathedral in 1418 was one of the first important religious architectural designs of Italian Renaissance architecture.

baroque architecture

The evolution from the Renaissance to the Baroque was experienced above all in religious art and architecture. Most architectural historians consider Michelangelo's design of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as a precursor to the Baroque style; This can be recognized by larger interior spaces (replacing long, narrow naves), a more playful attention to light and shadow, extensive ornamentation, large frescoes, a focus on interior art, and often a dramatic exterior overhang. The most important example of Baroque architecture was the Church of Santa Susanna "Church of Santa Susanna (Rome)"), the work of Carlo Maderno. St Paul's Cathedral in London, the work of Christopher Wren, is considered the main example of the rather late influence of the Baroque Style in England.

Mormon temples

The temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offer a unique insight into design, as it has changed from the simple church-like structure of the Kirtland Temple built in the 1830s, to crenellated architecture. From the Gothic Revival style of Utah's first temples, to the dozens of modern temples built today.

Early temples, and some modern temples, have a priesthood meeting room with two sets of pulpits at each end of the room, with chairs or benches that can be altered to face either side. Most temples, but not all, have the recognizable statue of the Angel Moroni on a spire. The Nauvoo Temple and the Salt Lake Temple") are adorned with symbolic stones that represent various aspects of the faith.

Modern and postmodern architectures

Modern architecture encompasses several styles with similar characteristics that result in the simplification of forms and the elimination of ornament. Among the most influential modernist architects of the early and mid-20th century were Dominikus Böhm, Rudolf Schwarz&action=edit&redlink=1 "Rudolf Schwarz (architect) (not yet drafted)"), and Auguste Perret.[2] Although secular structures clearly had the greatest influence on the development of modern architecture, several excellent examples of modern architecture can be found in religious buildings of the 20th century. For example, the Unity Temple in Chicago is a Unitarian Universalist congregation designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Cadet Chapel of the United States Air Force Academy, begun in 1954 and completed in 1962, was designed by Walter Netsch and is an excellent example of modern religious architecture. It has been described as a "phalanx of fighter jets" turned on their tails and pointing towards the sky. In 1967, architect Pietro Belluschi designed the strikingly modern Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption&action=edit&redlink=1 "Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (San Francisco, California) (not yet drafted)") (San Francisco), the first Catholic cathedral in the United States intended to conform to Vatican II.

Postmodern architecture can be described as an unapologetic aesthetic in which styles collide, form exists on its own, and new ways of seeing familiar styles and space abound. The Temple of Independence, Missouri, was conceived by Japanese architect Gyo Obata based on the concept of the chambered nautilus. The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Los Angeles) was designed in 1998 by José Rafael Moneo in a postmodern style. The structure evokes the area's Hispanic heritage through the use of adobe colors, while combining a stark modern form with some traditional elements. The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń on the other hand is a much more traditional building. Designed by Barbara Bielecka and built between 1994 and 2004, its form includes references to several Polish structures. The columns have a slenderness and delicacy inspired by those of the Renaissance court of Wawel Castle in Krakow, while the enormous 420-foot spire that will rise next to the basilica bears a more than accidental resemblance to the baroque spire that adorns Czestochowa's Jasna Gora monastery, home of the Black Madonna.

Early Islamic architecture

Byzantine architecture had a great influence on early Islamic architecture with its characteristic horseshoe arches, vaults and domes. Many forms of mosques have developed in different regions of the Islamic world. Among the most notable mosque types are the early Abbasid mosques, T-type mosques, and Anatolian central dome mosques.

Early styles of Islamic architecture produced "Arabic plan" or hypostyle mosques during the Umayyad dynasty. These mosques follow a square or rectangular plan with an enclosed courtyard and a covered prayer hall. Most early hypostyle mosques had flat roofs for the prayer hall, requiring numerous columns "Column (architecture)") and supports&action=edit&redlink=1 "Support (structure) (not yet drafted)").[3] The Mosque in Córdoba, Spain was built as a hypostyle mosque supported by more than 850 columns.[4] Arab-style mosques continued under the Abbasid dynasty.

Ottoman architecture

The Ottomans introduced "central dome" mosques in the 15th century, which have a large dome centered over the prayer hall. In addition to having a large dome in the center, there are often smaller domes that exist off-center above the prayer hall or in the rest of the mosque, in areas where prayer is not performed.[5] The Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem is perhaps the best-known example of a mosque with a central dome.

Iranian sacred architecture

The "iwan mosques" are notable for their vaulted chambers and iwan, which are vaulted spaces open at one end. In iwan mosques, one or more iwans face a central courtyard that serves as a prayer hall. The style represents a borrowing from pre-Islamic Iranian architecture and has been used almost exclusively for mosques in Iran. Many iwan mosques are converted Zoroastrian fire temples in which the courtyard was used to house the sacred fire.[3]​ Today, iwan mosques are no longer built.[5]​ The Mosque of the Shah&action=edit&redlink=1 "Mosque of the Shah (Isfahan) (not yet redacted)") in Isfahan, Iran is a classic example of an iwan mosque.

Characteristic features and styles

A common feature in mosques is the minaret, the tall, slender tower that is usually located in one of the corners of the mosque structure. The top of the minaret is always the highest point in mosques that have it, and often the highest point in the immediate area. The first mosques did not have minarets, and even today the most conservative Islamic movements, such as the Wahhabis, avoid building minarets, considering them ostentatious and unnecessary. The first minaret was built in 665 in Basra during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Muawiyah I. Muawiyah encouraged the construction of minarets, as they were supposed to equate mosques with Christian churches with their bell towers. Consequently, the architects of the mosques borrowed the shape of the bell tower for their minarets, which were used for essentially the same purpose: to call the faithful to prayer.[6]​.

Domes have been a hallmark of Islamic architecture since the 7th century. As time went by, the size of mosque domes increased, from occupying only a small part of the roof near the mihrab to encompassing the entire roof above the prayer hall. Although domes were typically semi-sphere-shaped, the Mughals of India popularized onion-shaped domes in South Asia and Persia.[7]​.

The prayer room, also known as musalla, lacks furniture; There are no chairs or benches in the prayer room.[8] The prayer rooms do not contain images of people, animals, or spiritual figures, although they may be decorated with Arabic calligraphy and verses from the Quran on the walls.

Normally, in front of the entrance to the prayer room is the qibla wall, which is the most visually prominent area within the prayer room. The qibla wall is usually placed perpendicular to a line leading to Mecca.[9] Worshipers pray in rows parallel to the qibla wall and are therefore positioned so that they face Mecca. In the qibla wall, usually in its center, is the mihrab, a niche or depression that indicates the qibla wall. Normally, the mihrab is also not occupied by furniture. Sometimes, especially during Friday prayers, a minbar or raised pulpit is placed on one side of the mihrab for a khatib or other speaker to deliver a sermon (khutbah). The mihrab is the place where the imam leads the five daily prayers on a regular basis.[10]​.

Mosques often have ablution fountains or other washing facilities in their entrances or courtyards. However, worshipers in much smaller mosques often have to use the bathrooms to perform their ablutions. In traditional mosques, this function is usually housed in a free-standing building in the center of a courtyard.[4] Modern mosques may have a variety of services available to their congregants and the community, such as health clinics, libraries, and gyms.

In the cults that venerate the gods, they are objects and icons and beings beyond them (transcendent). They can be found in the sacred building but the building itself cannot house them. Sacred architecture is, in part, an attempt to capture the divine presence.

Monotheistic religions emphasize the transcendent, formless nature of God. In Judaism and Islam, this is very marked since mosques and synagogues do not contain a representation of God, but rather focus worship on his cosmic law, as it appears written in a sacred book. In Christianity, although the church is considered "The House of God", it is interpreted that God does not literally live in it, but can best be found there.

Synagogues, mosques and churches are not a home for a god, like the sanctuaries or temples of other religions, but rather they are a home for the community of believers who follow that god.

In the approaches of polytheistic religions, such as the Hindu religion or the ancient Greek religion, temples serve to house different gods.

Byzantine architecture

Byzantine architecture evolved from Roman architecture. Over time, a style emerged that incorporated Near Eastern influences and the Greek cross plan for church design. Furthermore, brick replaced stone, the classical order was less strictly adhered to, mosaics replaced carved decoration, and complex domes were erected.

One of the great advances in the history of Western architecture occurred when the architects of Justinian I invented a complex system that allowed a seamless transition from the square plan of the church to the circular dome (or domes) using brackets or pendentives. The main example of early Byzantine religious architecture is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.

European medieval architecture

The religious architecture of the Christian churches of the Middle Ages presented the Latin cross plan, which took the Roman basilica as its main model with later developments. It consists of a nave "Nave (architecture)"), transept, and the altar is located at the east end. Additionally, cathedrals influenced or commissioned by Justinian I employed the Byzantine style of domes and a Greek cross (resembling a plus sign), focusing attention on the altar in the center of the church. The Church of the Intercession on the Nerl is an excellent example of Russian Orthodox architecture in the Middle Ages. The Urnes Stave Church (Urnes stavkyrkje) in Norway is a magnificent example of a medieval stave church.

gothic architecture

Gothic architecture is especially associated with cathedrals and other churches, which flourished in Europe during the high and late medieval period. Originating in 12th century France, it was known during the period as Opus Francigenum ("French work"). The style originated in the abbey church of Saint-Denis in Saint-Denis, near Paris. Other notable Gothic religious structures are Notre-Dame de Paris, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Amiens, and Chartres Cathedral.

Renaissance architecture

The Renaissance brought with it a return of classical influence and a new emphasis on rational clarity. Renaissance architecture represents a conscious revival of Roman architecture with its symmetry, mathematical proportions and geometric order. Filippo Brunelleschi's plan for the dome of Florence Cathedral in 1418 was one of the first important religious architectural designs of Italian Renaissance architecture.

baroque architecture

The evolution from the Renaissance to the Baroque was experienced above all in religious art and architecture. Most architectural historians consider Michelangelo's design of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome as a precursor to the Baroque style; This can be recognized by larger interior spaces (replacing long, narrow naves), a more playful attention to light and shadow, extensive ornamentation, large frescoes, a focus on interior art, and often a dramatic exterior overhang. The most important example of Baroque architecture was the Church of Santa Susanna "Church of Santa Susanna (Rome)"), the work of Carlo Maderno. St Paul's Cathedral in London, the work of Christopher Wren, is considered the main example of the rather late influence of the Baroque Style in England.

Mormon temples

The temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offer a unique insight into design, as it has changed from the simple church-like structure of the Kirtland Temple built in the 1830s, to crenellated architecture. From the Gothic Revival style of Utah's first temples, to the dozens of modern temples built today.

Early temples, and some modern temples, have a priesthood meeting room with two sets of pulpits at each end of the room, with chairs or benches that can be altered to face either side. Most temples, but not all, have the recognizable statue of the Angel Moroni on a spire. The Nauvoo Temple and the Salt Lake Temple") are adorned with symbolic stones that represent various aspects of the faith.

Modern and postmodern architectures

Modern architecture encompasses several styles with similar characteristics that result in the simplification of forms and the elimination of ornament. Among the most influential modernist architects of the early and mid-20th century were Dominikus Böhm, Rudolf Schwarz&action=edit&redlink=1 "Rudolf Schwarz (architect) (not yet drafted)"), and Auguste Perret.[2] Although secular structures clearly had the greatest influence on the development of modern architecture, several excellent examples of modern architecture can be found in religious buildings of the 20th century. For example, the Unity Temple in Chicago is a Unitarian Universalist congregation designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Cadet Chapel of the United States Air Force Academy, begun in 1954 and completed in 1962, was designed by Walter Netsch and is an excellent example of modern religious architecture. It has been described as a "phalanx of fighter jets" turned on their tails and pointing towards the sky. In 1967, architect Pietro Belluschi designed the strikingly modern Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption&action=edit&redlink=1 "Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (San Francisco, California) (not yet drafted)") (San Francisco), the first Catholic cathedral in the United States intended to conform to Vatican II.

Postmodern architecture can be described as an unapologetic aesthetic in which styles collide, form exists on its own, and new ways of seeing familiar styles and space abound. The Temple of Independence, Missouri, was conceived by Japanese architect Gyo Obata based on the concept of the chambered nautilus. The Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels (Los Angeles) was designed in 1998 by José Rafael Moneo in a postmodern style. The structure evokes the area's Hispanic heritage through the use of adobe colors, while combining a stark modern form with some traditional elements. The Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń on the other hand is a much more traditional building. Designed by Barbara Bielecka and built between 1994 and 2004, its form includes references to several Polish structures. The columns have a slenderness and delicacy inspired by those of the Renaissance court of Wawel Castle in Krakow, while the enormous 420-foot spire that will rise next to the basilica bears a more than accidental resemblance to the baroque spire that adorns Czestochowa's Jasna Gora monastery, home of the Black Madonna.

Early Islamic architecture

Byzantine architecture had a great influence on early Islamic architecture with its characteristic horseshoe arches, vaults and domes. Many forms of mosques have developed in different regions of the Islamic world. Among the most notable mosque types are the early Abbasid mosques, T-type mosques, and Anatolian central dome mosques.

Early styles of Islamic architecture produced "Arabic plan" or hypostyle mosques during the Umayyad dynasty. These mosques follow a square or rectangular plan with an enclosed courtyard and a covered prayer hall. Most early hypostyle mosques had flat roofs for the prayer hall, requiring numerous columns "Column (architecture)") and supports&action=edit&redlink=1 "Support (structure) (not yet drafted)").[3] The Mosque in Córdoba, Spain was built as a hypostyle mosque supported by more than 850 columns.[4] Arab-style mosques continued under the Abbasid dynasty.

Ottoman architecture

The Ottomans introduced "central dome" mosques in the 15th century, which have a large dome centered over the prayer hall. In addition to having a large dome in the center, there are often smaller domes that exist off-center above the prayer hall or in the rest of the mosque, in areas where prayer is not performed.[5] The Dome of the Rock Mosque in Jerusalem is perhaps the best-known example of a mosque with a central dome.

Iranian sacred architecture

The "iwan mosques" are notable for their vaulted chambers and iwan, which are vaulted spaces open at one end. In iwan mosques, one or more iwans face a central courtyard that serves as a prayer hall. The style represents a borrowing from pre-Islamic Iranian architecture and has been used almost exclusively for mosques in Iran. Many iwan mosques are converted Zoroastrian fire temples in which the courtyard was used to house the sacred fire.[3]​ Today, iwan mosques are no longer built.[5]​ The Mosque of the Shah&action=edit&redlink=1 "Mosque of the Shah (Isfahan) (not yet redacted)") in Isfahan, Iran is a classic example of an iwan mosque.

Characteristic features and styles

A common feature in mosques is the minaret, the tall, slender tower that is usually located in one of the corners of the mosque structure. The top of the minaret is always the highest point in mosques that have it, and often the highest point in the immediate area. The first mosques did not have minarets, and even today the most conservative Islamic movements, such as the Wahhabis, avoid building minarets, considering them ostentatious and unnecessary. The first minaret was built in 665 in Basra during the reign of the Umayyad Caliph Muawiyah I. Muawiyah encouraged the construction of minarets, as they were supposed to equate mosques with Christian churches with their bell towers. Consequently, the architects of the mosques borrowed the shape of the bell tower for their minarets, which were used for essentially the same purpose: to call the faithful to prayer.[6]​.

Domes have been a hallmark of Islamic architecture since the 7th century. As time went by, the size of mosque domes increased, from occupying only a small part of the roof near the mihrab to encompassing the entire roof above the prayer hall. Although domes were typically semi-sphere-shaped, the Mughals of India popularized onion-shaped domes in South Asia and Persia.[7]​.

The prayer room, also known as musalla, lacks furniture; There are no chairs or benches in the prayer room.[8] The prayer rooms do not contain images of people, animals, or spiritual figures, although they may be decorated with Arabic calligraphy and verses from the Quran on the walls.

Normally, in front of the entrance to the prayer room is the qibla wall, which is the most visually prominent area within the prayer room. The qibla wall is usually placed perpendicular to a line leading to Mecca.[9] Worshipers pray in rows parallel to the qibla wall and are therefore positioned so that they face Mecca. In the qibla wall, usually in its center, is the mihrab, a niche or depression that indicates the qibla wall. Normally, the mihrab is also not occupied by furniture. Sometimes, especially during Friday prayers, a minbar or raised pulpit is placed on one side of the mihrab for a khatib or other speaker to deliver a sermon (khutbah). The mihrab is the place where the imam leads the five daily prayers on a regular basis.[10]​.

Mosques often have ablution fountains or other washing facilities in their entrances or courtyards. However, worshipers in much smaller mosques often have to use the bathrooms to perform their ablutions. In traditional mosques, this function is usually housed in a free-standing building in the center of a courtyard.[4] Modern mosques may have a variety of services available to their congregants and the community, such as health clinics, libraries, and gyms.