DISCUSS: Best Religious Building

[Nick in Atlanta]

Originally Posted by Nate

And also the Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal is another of my favourites. The exterior isn't all that fantastic... but the interior is breath-taking:

That is fantastic! Very beautiful.

[ladolcevita]

Famous Temples or Temples as World Heritage Sites I can think of:

Chartres Cathedral
Nortre-Dame
Hagia Sophia
Ankor Wat
Temple of Heaven
St. Peters Basilica
Cologne Cathedral
Meenakshi Temple
Borobudur
Sagrada Familia

[Küsel]

[QUOTE=CipiripiBelgrade (Serbia) Hram Svetog Save

in the future with golden roof[/QUOTE]


What a similarity - and it has already the golden roof!

Sao Paulo Orthodox Cathedral

[www.sercan.de]

Sultanahmet Mosque (Blue Mosque)

The most important monument that was added to the Hippodrome is, without doubt, the Sultanahmet Mosque. Ii was a long time the only mosque with 6 minarets in the world (in 1998 the Sabanci Markez Mosque was built p. 34). It was built by the Architect Sedefkar Mehmed Aga between 1609 and 1616 for Sultan Ahmed I. The mosque section has a dimension of 64 x 72 m. It central dome has a heigt of 43 m and a diameter of 23,5 m. Total of 260 windows illuminated the inside. It is named "the Blue Mosque" by the European for it was adorned with blue, green and white coloured beautiful tiles. Because of having 6 minaret, Sultan Ahmed had to spend a 7 one to the mosque in Mekka.

[tpe]

To difficult when the scope covers all religious buildings. I'll propose a list of the Christian buildings or building that may have had a Christian context.

Hagia Sophia should be on this list. This is unquestionable.

For gothic: two come to mind immediately. The first is, of course, Chartres. The second is the jewel of gothic Paris: the Sainte Chapelle.

Dealing with baroque Rome is difficult (too many) St Peters has the magnificent dome, but the elongated nave is a disadvantage when viewing the facade relatively 'up-close'. The Jesuit chruch of the Gesu influenced almost all Spanish colonial church architecture in some way, but its beauty is a matter of taste (I like it.) The same goes for Santa Susanna.

Early Rome also has a lot -- most in not so pristine state. Had St Pauls outside the Walls survived the 19th century fire, I would consider it. As I said in another thread, Santa Sabina is a jewel: all the proportions and sense of balance remains.

The Pantheon goes back to pre-Christian, although it is currently a church...

In Spain, San Lorenzo de El Escorial of course. How about the Great Mosque/Church of Cordoba? The polychrome marble of Sevilla's is beautiful. Do we bypass Santiago de Compostela and all the great Romanesque churches of South France?

I have only touched a handful of cities/countries... And one religious group... Do we bypass the mosques of Sinan? The Great Mosque at Isfahan?

This is too difficult!!!!

[www.sercan.de]

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia had been burned down twice during insurrections and was rebuilt by Justinian in 537. Columns, heads, marbles and colourful stones from various ancient cities of Anatolia were brought to Istanbul for use in Hagia Sophia. The interior space has a dimension of 100 x 70 m and is enclosed with a 56,2 m high dome, which has a diameter of 31,97 m, supported by four large piers. During the ottoman period, it was used as a mosque and get 4 minarets (59 m high). Since 1934 it has beeb a museum. In addition to the architecture of the building, mosaics are also very important.

[tpe]

Beautiful pictures, www.sercan.de.

Istanbul is quite a treasurehouse of wonderful religious architecture.

What I am sure you are also familiar with (being in Istanbul) but not so sure if generally known to many forumers is the Church of the Chora (Kariye Camii). To me, this is the jewel of late Byzantine art. Together with the Deisis panel is Hagia Sophia, the mosaics from Kariye Camii are certainly the most moving...

[www.sercan.de]

Chora

[tpe]

Wonderful!!! Istanbul is a City for the Ages.

I should keep track of your Istanbul threads.

Many thanks.

[www.sercan.de]

Süleymaniye Mosque (the biggest in Istanbul)

Süleymaniye Mosque, which is one of Sinan's foreman's piece', was built by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in 1557. The mosque seemed to symbolise the genius of Sinan's architecture and the power of Süleyman. The composition of the great dome inner space illustrates the culmination of Ottoman mosque design. Rumour has it that the 4 minarets on both sides of its court meant that the sultan who had it built was the 4th ruler as from the conquest of Istanbul and the total number of the minaret balconies mean that Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent was the 10th sultan after Sultan Osman Ghazi who founded the Ottoman State. The dome is 53 m high and has a diamater of 26,5 m. Sinan called it "my journeyman work".













Bonus
from the Park inside the complex
looking to Asia, Bosphours and the Bosphorus Bridge


New Mosque







you will like this thread
Imperial Istanbul
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...38#post5310338

[Ellatur]

hagia sophia no doubt

i like those japanese temples also

[azimo]

I would put The inside of Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal and Haram shareef in Mecca top ranking rel. bldngs.

[tpe]

Originally Posted by www.sercan.de

Süleymaniye Mosque (the biggest in Istanbul)

Süleymaniye Mosque, which is one of Sinan's foreman's piece', was built by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent in 1557. The mosque seemed to symbolise the genius of Sinan's architecture and the power of Süleyman. The composition of the great dome inner space illustrates the culmination of Ottoman mosque design. Rumour has it that the 4 minarets on both sides of its court meant that the sultan who had it built was the 4th ruler as from the conquest of Istanbul and the total number of the minaret balconies mean that Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent was the 10th sultan after Sultan Osman Ghazi who founded the Ottoman State. The dome is 53 m high and has a diamater of 26,5 m. Sinan called it "my journeyman work".

you will like this thread
Imperial Istanbul
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...38#post5310338

Thanks!

The Suleymaniye Mosque is truly magnificent, but I must admit that Sinan's Selimiye Mosque in the old capital of Edirne is what I consider to be his most beautiful.

I hope you will not take this against me

[www.sercan.de]

no
as Sinan said
the Selimiye is his master piece / masterwork

Selimiye Mosque
The mosque was commissioned by Sultan Selim II and was built by Architect Sinan between the dates 1568-1574. The dome is 43 m. high and has a diameter of 31,28 m. The 4 minarets are 73,89 m. high. Sinan called this mosque his "masterwork".













actualy i like also the new Sabanci Merkez Mosque
(but many don't like it)

[tpe]

There is a steepness and compactness in the Selimiye more imposing/monumental. The buttresses around the dome add another rhythm to the minarets.

I checked out the Sabanci Merkez Mosque on the web as I have no knowledge of it. The details don't look new at all (workmanship looks stunning). There are echoes of Cordoba in the interior arches and the use of multiple squinches seem complex.

I suppose some people don't like it because it appears dated or a pastiche? One may not like it, but something like this is always interesting.

[www.sercan.de]

i think many people don't like ti, because it is a Mosque of the 1990s with the design of the 16-17th century

Haci Ömer Sabanci Merkez Mosque in Adana (Biggest Mosque in Turkey)

the minartes are 99m tall
the dome 54 m high and has a diameter of 32 m

[tpe]

I think I know what you mean. Historicism can also be a very good stimulus, IMO. Judging from the photographs alone, it seems to be beautifully done. The details like the lunette above the main door in one of your pics (the one done in tracery -- marble?) looks as good as any from the 17th-18th century.

I assume madrasas are still actively housed and functioning in the Sinan Mosques as well as in this new one.

[yo]

[Nate]

[Jakob]

The Sumela Monastery, Trabzon (Turkey)

Sumela was founded in the fourth century by Athenian monks named Barnabas and Sophronius. It was sacked in the seventh century, but rebuilt. It was richly endowed by the "pocket" Empire of Trebizond and by later Ottoman sultans. It's present form dates largely from the 19th century, when numerous monks entertained throngs of pilgrims, both Christians and Muslims, and presided over an important library.