Transcript Religion Cultural Landscapes

Religion in the Cultural Landscape
Religious beliefs
shape spatial features
in the real world.
The Impact of Religion
on the Cultural Landscape
Structures
 Sacred Places
 Pilgrimages
 Toponyms
 Settlement Patterns
 Distribution of Plants and Animals

Structures
Hinduism – temples and towers
 Judaism – Wailing Wall and synagogues
 Buddhism – temples, pagodas, stupas
 Shinto – shrines and torii
 Christianity – churches and cathedrals
 Islam – mosques and minarets
 Sikhism – gurdwara

Angkor Wat
The Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka
Thuparama Dagoba
Pagoda in Japan
Shinto Shrine
St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow
Many Eastern Orthodox Christian Churches
are highly elaborate.
Sikh Gurdwara
Sacred Places
From the Latin sacer – holy
(sacrifice, consecrate, sacrilege, sacrum)
 Sites of sacred buildings
 Places associated with the dead
 Landscape features

Cemetery in Hoctun, Yucatan
The beautiful
cemeteries in the
Yucatan reflect the
blending of Catholic
and indigenous
religions.
The Taj Majal, India
The Taj Majal is a Muslim tomb built for a
Mogul Emperor’s favorite wife in 1629.
The Cremation Ghat, Varanasi
Feng Shui
Mount Shasta, California
Mountain peaks, such as Mount Shasta, and other
high places are often revered. Mount Shasta is
considered holy by 30 New Age cults as well as
some Indian groups.
Holy Water
Water is seen as holy in
several religions.
Many rivers, such as
the Ganges, are holy,
especially at the
confluence of two
rivers. Springs and
waterfalls often become
sacred places in the
landscape.
Pilgrimages
Religious journey to a sacred place
 Circumambulation
 Economy
 Exchange of ideas
 Confirmation of faith
 Catholicism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism

The Hajj
In Islam making a pilgrimage to Mecca is one of the 5 Pillars of Faith.
Kaaba
The Pilgrimage to Lourdes, France
Religious Toponyms
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Religious toponyms are scattered all over the land, with place
names such as San Francisco, Holy Cross, and Santa Rosa.
To Muslims, Mecca is the most holy city and the name itself has
come to mean desired. Only Muslims are allowed to enter the city.
Settlement Patterns
Mormon wards and stakes
 Catholic diocese

Mormon Farm Villages, Utah
Mormons have distinctive
settlement patterns. Farms are not
scattered throughout the
countryside as is common in the
western U.S. Farm villages have
wide streets and are divided into 4
farms per city block.
The Mormon House
Mormons were
originally
polygamous; men
were encouraged
to have more than
one wife. The
Mormon House
accomodates this
type of family by
having two
entrances.
The Law of the Indies, 1573
Distribution of Plants and Animals
The Sacred Bo-Tree
Holy Cow
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Bullocks are used as draft animals and provide 47% of the energy
Milk important source of food
300 million tons of dung are gathered for fuel each year
340 million tons are used as fertilizer each year
20M cattle die each year, 19M hides used in the leather industry
Non-Hindu and lower castes are allowed to eat meat
Religion has a Large Impact
on the Cultural Landscape
Structures
 Sacred Places
 Pilgrimages
 Toponyms
 Settlement Patterns
 Distribution of Plants and Animals
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