The Significance of Main Religious Buildings - Essay Example

This paper is going to discuss four religious architectures and the significance of their architecture in regards to the religion they belong to. These include Masjid e Nabwi, the church of Santa Maria, Sistine chapel and the Old New Synagogue. The Masjid e Nabwi also known as the Prophet’s Mosque is the second holiest place of worship for Muslims. It is the largest mosque of the world which is also the resting place for Prophet Muhammad and two Caliphs of Islam namely Abu Bakr and Umar. The original mosque was built by the Prophet himself in 622 CE. The mosque was built in a rectangular shape; the walls were made using palm trunks and mud and the ceiling was made using palm fronds. The mosque had a raised platform where the holy book of Islam, the Quran was recited. This place was not only a place of worship but also a court, religious school and a community center where politics and other fundamental issues were discussed. Today this mosque is 100 times larger than the original mosque. The place where Prophet Muhammad used to preach was beside palm tree wood which was replaced by a ‘minbar’ in 628. This was done so the Prophet could be higher than the crowd and it would be easier to lead the prayer or address the crowds. The mosque now has two floors where prayers are offered. The roof is also used during peak times to accommodate the worshippers. The green dome is called ‘Ar-Rawdah’ and is situated above Muhammad’s grave. It is also called the ‘Dome of the Prophet’. The mosque has a total of 27 domes. There are holes in the base of each dome; this is done so the interior is kept illuminated. The mosque has 10 minarets. Minarets and dome are important distinctive architectural elements of a mosque. Minarets are useful because they give a visual focal point and they are also used as a vantage point for ‘adhaan’, the call for prayer. Minarets also provide a natural ventilation system. As the dome gets heated by the sun the air is drawn in from the windows and up and out the minarets. There is a ‘mihrab’ in every mosque to mark the direction of the ‘qibla’ (where the worshippers face towards while offering prayers). The Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence and the first great basilica there. It was built in the place of the 9th century worship place of Santa Maria delleVigne. In 1221, after the site was assigned to the Dominican Order, a new church was built which was designed by Fra Ristoro da Campi and Fra SistoFiorentino. The church has the basic architectural elements of a church; the basilica, the stained glass windows and the Latin cross. The interior of the church is built based on the basilica plan as a Latin cross. It is separated into a nave and a short transept. The nave which is 100 meters in length is designed this way to give an impression of graveness. Stained glass windows are a common part of a church. They represent religious scenes or figures as well provide sufficient natural light in the church. Some people also associate this entering of light with Christ. The ones in Santa Maria church date back to the 14th and 15th century. The chapels of the church include FilippoStrozzi, Gondi Chapel, Cappella Strozzi di Mantova, Della Pura, Rucellai Chapel, Bardi Chapel, Sacristy and the Spanish Chapel. Chapels are small rooms situated within a church. The Sistine Chapel is of great importance for the Christians as it is the home of the Pope in Vatican City. Known for its architectural designs and decoration done by the Renaissance artists such as Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Michelangelo and Pinturicchio the chapel has been a place for functionary papal happenings and religious endeavors. It is also the venue where the new Pope is chosen. The Sistine Chapel is also famed for Papal Conclaves. When a conclave takes place, a chimney is fitted in the chapel’s roof for signaling with smoke. When white smoke is seen rising from the chimney, it is a sign that a new pope has been selected. The smoke results when the ballots are burned. If a candidate has gotten less than two thirds of the vote the smoke is made black by adding chemicals to the burning ballots; a sign that no result has been established. The conclave is also a place where the pope can hear the masses. The internal measurements of the chapel are same as those of the Temple of Solomon as mentioned in the Old Testament (Campbell, 5) The artist Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling of the chapel which he did with various paintings such as ancestors of Christ, Jonah, nine stories from Book of Genesis and 300 scenes from the Bible. The figures showed the Hand of God, Adam and Eve, the Great Flood, the Last Judgment and so many more. The paintings, the interior, exterior and the entire place, reflects the essence of the religion and when there one can really feel divine presence. The last architecture that I would like to discuss is the Old New Synagogue built in Prague. It is the oldest synagogue to have survived. Before I talk about it, I would like to mention a few things about these religious buildings. Synagogues do not have any specific architectural features and you will not find any synagogue that will reflect any exclusive Jew related style. The main reason for this might be that Jews were spread all over the world where they represented the minority wherever they lived. There were also some countries where Jews could not own land and so like mosques or churches, synagogues lacked representative meaning. The external appearance was usually like the surrounding buildings to make it seem unobtrusive. In places where Jews were somewhat stable they made sure that the synagogue was the tallest building there but they did not dare to make it taller than other religious buildings where they were a minority. What they did do was to build the synagogue downwards so structure wise it was taller. This was also done to fulfill these words of the Psalmist “Out of the depths have I called Thee, O Lord”. The Old-New Synagogue has a double nave system which was reformed from the monasteries and chapel plans by the Christian architects (Krinskey, 366). On the entrance there is a molding on the tympanum which has a design integrating twelve bunches of grapes and vines that signify the twelve tribes of Israel (Meek, 93). There are windows because synagogues are supposed to have windows. The Rabbis decided this from a verse in the Bible saying “his windows were open in his upper chamber”. The windows also reminded the worshippers to be aware of the outside world. However this rule is not always followed nowadays. Even in the Old-New Synagogue the windows are kept small just to let in light and some fresh air. The bimah is located in the middle of the structure where the Holy book, Torah’s scrolls are kept. This is done to emphasize the key role of the Torah in the worship. There are five steps leading up to the Ark and to the lectern where the service leader stands. The men and women sit in separate places to follow the orthodox traditions. An unusual aspect of the nave in the Old-New Synagogue is the big, red flag by the west pillar. In its middle is the Star of David and in that is a hat that was used by 15th century Jews. BIBLIOGRAPGHY Campbell, Ian. "The New St Peters: Basilica or Temple?." Oxford Art Journal4.1 (1981): 3-8. Krinsky, Carol Herselle. "Synagogues of Europe: Architecture." History, Meaning (1985): 366-67. Meek, Harold Alan, and Harold A. Meek. The synagogue. Phaidon Press, 1995., p. 93. Read More