Legend has it that Shwedagon Pagoda was built on the top of the former Myanmar capital of Yangon 2500 years ago and the aura of the pagoda still protects the city today. The eight-hair stupa of Buddha is the most symbolic and sacred place in the country where Buddhists make up 90% of the population. The architecture consists of circles and squares, which represent heaven and earth in Buddhist cosmology. The pagoda is covered with 20,000 gold plates and precious stones. The stupa is permanently maintained and restored by technicians and volunteers, who hope that their great dedication can bring good karma to their future reincarnation.
The Süleymaniye Mosque was built in 1550 by the famous architect Sinan, in honor of the Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Great. Harmonious proportions, a stepped dome and an interior bathed in light are some of the features of this exceptional building. The four minarets indicate that it is a selatin mosque, a place of worship built by the sultan or his family. It is an important example of Ottoman architecture and without a doubt Istanbul's largest imperial mosque. Every day, culminating in Friday, believers gather here to pray to Allah.
The gigantic Minakshi temple complex (the size of a city) is built in the form of a mandala, a sacred geometric symbol originating from Hinduism, one of the oldest religions. The architecture on the inside is exuberant, symbolic and figurative, and the 30 million colorful sculptures tell the epic stories of the deities. It is dedicated to the gods Shiva and Minakshi. Every evening, at dusk, their union is celebrated again.
Buddhism has adopted several variants depending on its location on the map and the spirit and will behind it. The purest form is found in Japanese Zen Buddhism, which emphasizes emptiness, as a spiritual and aesthetic principle. The famous Daitoku-ji Temple in Kyoto and the surrounding Zen gardens are like a hymn to the world, mediating between the secular and the sacred, the visible and the invisible, in the ultimate quest for harmony and beauty.
On the Mongolian steppe plain lies the iconic Erdene Zuu Monastery, where Tibetan Buddhism first blended with local ancient beliefs. The monks lead a withdrawn life. Their day consists of studying, performing rituals for the locals and meditating in harmony with their natural environment. The Gandan Temple is located in the capital Ulaanbaatar and is the religious center. The monks prepare for the TSAM festival, a sacred festival that brings together the nomadic communities of the country through music and dance every year.
The Duomo has a magnificent dome of white and green marble and rises above the old city of Firenze. A historian specializing in the Renaissance, Sabine Frommel uncovers some of the architectural secrets of this cathedral, which was the greatest in its time and intended to express Florence's superiority over Pisa and Siena. The building is currently undergoing a renovation. Meet the people who perform these works, the churchgoers and the choir that plays sacred music in the monument. For 24 hours, it was recorded in one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the world, the walls of which are decorated with work by the great masters of the Renaissance: Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo da Vinci...
To celebrate his victory in Kazan, Ivan the Terrible, the Tsar of Russia, ordered an impressive cathedral to rise on Moscow's Red Square. The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Mother of God, better known as St. Basil's Cathedral, is a masterpiece of Orthodox architecture. The multicolored spheres have become a symbol of Orthodox Russia, and the cathedral is one of the most visited monuments in Moscow.
Chartres Cathedral has been spared from wars and revolutions. Works started in the 12th century and today the building is one of France's best-preserved Gothic monuments. It took barely 30 years to build and is characteristic of the consistency of the architectural style. In 2008 a huge renovation started to restore the famous stained glass windows and the extraordinary organ. Discover how highly skilled craftsmen restore the symbol of French Gothic.
The breathtaking abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, with its remarkable architecture and colorful history, has no equal anywhere in the world. Surrounded by a Gothic cloister, the Romanesque-style Benedictine abbey has a Gothic Revival spire and is located in the middle of a rocky island. It is a silent witness to the faith of the monks who built the building in the Middle Ages. It is an important pilgrimage site dedicated to the Holy Archangel Michael, but it is also world famous for its unique location in a bay. Every day the tides provide a different view of the landscape and adapted rules for visitors and pilgrims who want to reach the place.
The Jama Mashid Mosque was built from 1650 to 1656 as part of a larger plan by the great patron Shah Jahan, who wanted to found Shahjahanabad, a new capital in Delhi. The large open-air mosque is constructed of sandstone and marble and covers an area of 4,200 square meters. This makes it the largest mosque in the Mughal Empire. Since its construction, the management of the mosque and the appointment of the imams who preach there have been in the hands of the same family. Learn how Old Delhi's symbolic monument brings together thousands of worshipers and visitors from dawn to dusk to pray or just take a stroll.
There is a relaxed and peaceful atmosphere in the large market square of Meydan in Isfahan where children play and groups of veiled women stroll around. The market square is surrounded by several shops and wakes up early in the morning. The square has many monuments, but the Shah Mosque or King's Mosque still gets the most attention. The mosque is a striking highlight in the square. The dome is currently being restored and is under construction. Every day is busy working under the watchful eye of architects and contractors. The mosque was built in 1637 and was given the name of the leader at the time. It is a symbol of the Muslim Renaissance. In the 17th century it made Isfahan the philosophical, scientific and religious educational center and at the same time became a commercial attraction. When the day comes to an end and the prayers are ended, the sun casts its last rays of sunlight on the building and the merchants close the doors one by one.
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