Sacred Buildings Explained
How a mosque, a cathedral, a temple or a shrine works, part by part: interactive cutaway drawings, what happens inside and how to visit respectfully.
Mosques, churches and synagogues
Houses of prayer of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
- Gothic cathedral How a Gothic cathedral works, from the carved west front and soaring nave to the choir, the high altar and the flying buttresses that hold the whole structure up.
- Mosque How a mosque works, from minaret and ablution fountain to the mihrab that marks the direction of Mecca, and how one simple plan grew into many regional styles.
- Orthodox church How an Orthodox church works, from narthex and nave to the icon screen, the royal doors and the altar beyond, under a dome where Christ looks down on the faithful.
- Synagogue How a synagogue works, from the ark that holds the Torah scrolls and the eternal light above it to the bimah where the Torah is read, all facing towards Jerusalem.
Temples of India
Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain sacred buildings.
- Gurdwara How a Sikh gurdwara works, from the saffron Nishan Sahib and the four open doors to the Guru Granth Sahib enthroned under its canopy and the free kitchen that feeds all comers.
- Hindu temple How a Hindu temple works, from gateway and pillared hall to the dark womb-chamber beneath the tower, where the deity is believed to dwell and devotees come for darshan.
- Jain temple How a Jain temple works, from its flag-topped spire and carved marble halls to the sanctum where images of the tirthankaras sit in meditation, with history, worship and famous temples.
- Stupa How a Buddhist stupa works, from carved gateways and railing to the solid dome, the relic chamber within and the umbrellas above, using the Great Stupa at Sanchi as the guide.
Temples and shrines of East Asia
Buddhist temple compounds and Shinto shrines.
- Pagoda temple How an East Asian Buddhist temple works, from the guardian gate and incense burner to the main hall, the bell and the tiered pagoda that grew from the Indian stupa.
- Shinto shrine How a Shinto shrine works, from the torii gate and purification basin to the closed inner hall where the kami is believed to dwell, with its history, rituals and famous styles.
Fire and marble
The Zoroastrian fire temple and the temple of ancient Greece.
- Fire temple How a Zoroastrian fire temple works, from its outer prayer hall to the sanctuary where priests tend a consecrated fire day and night, with the three grades of fire, history and famous temples.
- Greek temple How an ancient Greek temple worked, from the altar outside and the columns of the three orders to the cella where the cult statue stood, with its history, its use and famous examples.