The Dome of the Rock is a shrine within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount in the Old Jerusalem. The trapezium shaped Temple platform measures 488m along the west, 470m along the east, 315m along the north, 280m along the south, being a total area of ≈150,000 m²: The Dome of the Rock…
Maitreya-Buddhism Birthplace? The Tushita Celestial Scenic Area is located in the Kuaiji Mountain Range of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. The Longhua Temple was founded during the S-Song dynasty (354). The scenic area consists of the Maitreya Hermitage created by the Eastern Jin Dynasty’s eminent monk Zhi Dun. The complex was reconstructed and enlarged in 2014. Its…
2 lengths of fetters fused in a single chain, displayed in a church near the Colosseum. The bonds, as per tradition, once held fast the limbs of Peter the Apostle and have been cherished by Christians ever since. The story of their veneration first appeared in the Acts of Saint Alexander, an early pope who…
These are the keys to the kingdom of heaven, which Christ gave Peter as a symbol of his spiritual power: St Peter’s Basilica Baldachin or ciborium Cherubs with the papal tiara and the keys to Heaven and Earth In addition to the deep-rooted tradition in the Western world of the Latin and Christian cross,…
The Jubilee The Jubilee has its origins in the Jewish tradition establishing every 50 years a year of rest for the land (to strengthen future cultivations), the restitution of confiscated lands, the liberation of slaves, and the forgiveness of debts, thus eliminating too rich or too poor people. To signal the beginning of the Jubilee,…
Saint Peter’s Square is a large plaza, allowing 300K people, located directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. At the center of the “square” is the Vatican obelisk, an ancient Egyptian obelisk. A granite fountain constructed by Bernini in 1675 matches another fountain designed by Carlo Maderno. Bernini designed the square, including…
St. Peter’s Baldacchino is a towering bronze canopy sculpted over the High Altar of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. It was built over the tomb of St Peter. Even though sculpted canopies are ordinary in medieval churches and buildings, the Baldacchino in St. Peter’s church was noted for its grandeur and the man who executed it,…
Circus Maximus Circus of Nero with the Egyptian Obelisk, that stands now at St.Peter’s square. Peter crucified inside the Circus of Nero and buried right next to the circus! Only Peter can be seen as Christ’s vicar on Earth. No Catholic Pope or other Prelate can claim the same. Crucifixion and bones of St Peter:…
The annual feast of cathedra petri at Rome A wooden seat (cathedra) was given by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles the Bald to Pope John VIII in 875 to be used during the Charles’ coronation as emperor at Christmas day in the old St. Peter’s Basilica. A depiction of the emperor appears on the crossbeam…
The Maitreya Sacred Altar, is a renowned Buddhist site on the picturesque Xuedou Mountain, near Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. This sacred altar is like a city in the sky, a temple in the clouds, resplendent in gold and radiating grandeur: The Maitreya Sacred Altar and geodesic dome were designed by the Tsinghua University Architectural R&D…
Transcendental Edifices Circular Buildings & Communities Akichaka, 5-bodied man Circle inscribed in a square Square inscribed in a circle Radisson-Frankfurt Shenyang (100m) Guangzhou (138m) Fushun Mauritius, breeam rated Temple of Heaven, China Filmmaker’s and National Heroes Monument, Burkina Faso El Alhambra Ø-architecture+K-Carlos circles+square Twelve very precisely…
8 Secrets of the Taj Mahal This world-wonder memorial remains a place of mystery The mausoleum in Agra is India’s most famous monument, and a sublime shrine to eternal love. Built from between 1632 and 1647 by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, the Taj Mahal was dedicated to Jahan’s favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during…
