Sanctuary

A sanctuary is a place, building, object, etc. of key religious importance. In the religions a sanctuary has a special reverence and esteem in which the same is reflected in visits or in the taboo surrounding the sanctuary, or in Sagittarius or in the driving.

Sanctuaries in the religions

Nature religions

In the natural religions, there are usually not built by human sanctuaries. Instead, landscape features are revered as sacred and used as places of worship such as mountains, trees, forests and waters, as well as individual sources or trees.

Stone Age

From the stone age especially sanctuaries are obtained which are attributable to the megalithic culture. A well-known example is the Cromlech Stonehenge.

Ancient Egypt

The pyramids were important sanctuaries in ancient Egypt, since they played a major role in the cult of the dead Egyptians.

Ancient Greece

  • Greek Temple
  • Eleusis, Delphi, Didyma

Judaism

In Judaism, the Mishkan, the " tabernacle " or the " Tabernacle " and the Jerusalem temple, in which the Mishkan was built later, are considered historic shrines. After the destruction of the temple today is the Western Wall, which is a remnant of the Temple, an important shrine. In addition, the ark with the Torah contained therein is holy in every synagogue.

Christianity

In the Roman Catholic Church of the space around the altar, sometimes the sacristy, and the repository of the Holy of Holies is called (Latin for sanctuary ) as a sanctuary. In the Orthodox Churches, the Abaton is the Holy of Holies, that is, the area surrounded with curtains choir room, which only the priests are allowed to enter.

In the Roman Catholic Church today there is the title of a church sanctuary (Latin sanctuary, it Santuario Santuary English. ), As a holy place: These are found to Can. 1231 CIC again stepped in:

  • International Sanctuary ( sanctuary international )
  • National Shrine ( national sanctuary )
  • Sanctuary

For example, there are the sanctuaries Santa Casa in Loreto and Madonna del Rosario in Pompei, which are also papal basilicas, so Santuarii Pontifici ( papal shrines '). In addition, there is also the name Santuario Maggiore (, Large sanctuary ') for these two sites, as well as, for example, also for Maria Ss. delle Grazie di Gerace.

As holy cities considered in Catholicism Jerusalem and Rome. Holy See referred to the Pope as an international leader of the Roman Catholic Church.

Islam

The most famous sanctuary of Islam is the city of Mecca with the Kaaba contained in it. Both Mecca and Medina, the second most holy city of Islam are locked in principle according to Islamic law for non-Muslims. More generally recognized Islamic sanctuaries are designated by the Al -Aqsa Mosque and Dome of the Rock and the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, also known as grave of Patriarch of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

The Shiites consider the grave - shrines of the Imams from the family of ʿ Alī ibn Abī Taalib ( as the rightful successors of the Prophet Muhammad ) also as sacred sites. Examples include the Imam Husayn Shrine in Karbala ( Iraq) or the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad (Iran). Other Muslims this strong devotion to the imam is often regarded as not orthodox.

Bahai

In the Baha'i faith for sites to be viewed in the Baha'i World Centre in Haifa as sacred.

Hinduism

The Hindu temple - as North Indian shikhara or as South Indian Vimana - represents the image of the mythical world mountain, in India Meru, the center of the universe dar. In the temple tower is the most sacred area of the temple, the Garbhagriha ( literally, " womb house "), which a cavernous interior is unlit.

The Ganges, the second largest river of India and Bangladesh, is the most sacred river of the Hindus. The lingam is the symbol of the Hindu goddess Shiva.

Buddhism

Aztec religion

  • Templo Mayor

Australia

In Australia, the Uluru an important sanctuary Aboriginal dar. Around him some legends of the Dreamtime, among other things, explain the appearance entwine.

Identification of sanctuaries

It is often difficult, earlier people used to identify locations for the sanctuary. As aids are written records, place names, image monuments and archaeological finds are available. In Europe is that although Tacitus described a series of sanctuaries, so far none of these places could be identified. The same applies to the tradition about Slavic and Scandinavian sanctuaries. The dating of place names has been controversial. Evaluable image monuments there is only since the end of the imperial era and in the migration period. There remain only the archaeological findings in the rule. In this context, three criteria for a sanctuary have been developed:

  • The continuity of the holy place, which is often obtained via a change of religion also.
  • The discovery. Sanctuaries are not planned. You can be anywhere and need not be tied to particular landforms. The reasons for the choice of location must not be archaeologically detectable.
  • But mainly in follow-up to the extraordinary, to a topographic feature.
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