Religions, whether one believes in them or not, play very integral parts of daily living. They have been around for hundreds of centuries already, fulfilling the need of man to be able to believe in an omnipotent being who made the universe and all those that are found in it. Every religion has its sets of rules and guidelines that are aimed to guide the people to the path of the faithful. Temples are for Buddhists, mosques are for Muslims, cathedrals and Staten Island church are for Catholics and Christians alike.
Churches are often admired for their sublime appearances and beautiful craftsmanship. Most of them are even considered tourist attractions that are really visited by millions, even though some of them are not even Christians. They are as timeless as the religion they are representing. They have survived significant events in human history yet they have preserved that aura of grandeur they were originally built with.
A church building can serve many functions. Cathedrals are well known to everyone, religious or otherwise. It is a common misconception that these have to be large and very imposing with all its pillars and intricate arches, as most well known ones are. The truth of the matter is that size does not really matter so much for a building to be called a cathedral.
A cathedral gets its name from the Latin cathedra. This literally means the throne of the bishop, and it goes without saying that this infrastructure is where the bishop performs his ecclesiastical obligations. It also serves as a pilgrimage site and a venue for important events, so they had to be spacious to be able to hold the throng of people quite comfortably.
A basilica, in the architectural sense, bears similarities in the structures of the ancient Roman basilicas, hence the apt name. It typically has a longitudinal plan rather than a central one. The center naves of these structures have aisles on both sides and are often separated by a colonnade. In the ecclesiastical sense, however, it will only be termed as such if it were designated with basilica status by the pope.
There are four known basilicas in the world and most of them are found in Rome, which is not surprising as it is the seat of Christianity. The most popular of the four is the famed Basilica of St. Peter which is a dream destination of people, religious or otherwise. There are also thousands of basilicas all over the world, even outside Europe. A building is often turned into a basilica when it serves as the home of objects that are used in religious veneration, like it houses parts of the True Cross, and other things of similar religious importance. If a church holds under its roof some relics of a saint, it is also granted basilica status, which explains why most churches in areas that has produced a saint has its share of basilicas.
Those structures that house monks and other members of a holy order or society is termed as an abbey church, or to put it simply, an abbey. This is housed inside an exclusive complex along with a library, cloister, and other facilities that the religious might need. They were one of the most important buildings during the time.
They served so many functions for people back then. The abbey often served as a refuge for the locals. Abbeys turned into parish churches at the end of a monastic era.
The solemnity that one craves when going to a church is not at all exclusive to the impressive looking buildings. There are still many beautiful ones in even the busiest parts of the world. This is just proof that many people still believe in religion even if the society has lapsed into a time when it does not really matter anymore.
Churches are often admired for their sublime appearances and beautiful craftsmanship. Most of them are even considered tourist attractions that are really visited by millions, even though some of them are not even Christians. They are as timeless as the religion they are representing. They have survived significant events in human history yet they have preserved that aura of grandeur they were originally built with.
A church building can serve many functions. Cathedrals are well known to everyone, religious or otherwise. It is a common misconception that these have to be large and very imposing with all its pillars and intricate arches, as most well known ones are. The truth of the matter is that size does not really matter so much for a building to be called a cathedral.
A cathedral gets its name from the Latin cathedra. This literally means the throne of the bishop, and it goes without saying that this infrastructure is where the bishop performs his ecclesiastical obligations. It also serves as a pilgrimage site and a venue for important events, so they had to be spacious to be able to hold the throng of people quite comfortably.
A basilica, in the architectural sense, bears similarities in the structures of the ancient Roman basilicas, hence the apt name. It typically has a longitudinal plan rather than a central one. The center naves of these structures have aisles on both sides and are often separated by a colonnade. In the ecclesiastical sense, however, it will only be termed as such if it were designated with basilica status by the pope.
There are four known basilicas in the world and most of them are found in Rome, which is not surprising as it is the seat of Christianity. The most popular of the four is the famed Basilica of St. Peter which is a dream destination of people, religious or otherwise. There are also thousands of basilicas all over the world, even outside Europe. A building is often turned into a basilica when it serves as the home of objects that are used in religious veneration, like it houses parts of the True Cross, and other things of similar religious importance. If a church holds under its roof some relics of a saint, it is also granted basilica status, which explains why most churches in areas that has produced a saint has its share of basilicas.
Those structures that house monks and other members of a holy order or society is termed as an abbey church, or to put it simply, an abbey. This is housed inside an exclusive complex along with a library, cloister, and other facilities that the religious might need. They were one of the most important buildings during the time.
They served so many functions for people back then. The abbey often served as a refuge for the locals. Abbeys turned into parish churches at the end of a monastic era.
The solemnity that one craves when going to a church is not at all exclusive to the impressive looking buildings. There are still many beautiful ones in even the busiest parts of the world. This is just proof that many people still believe in religion even if the society has lapsed into a time when it does not really matter anymore.
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