Builder: Ferrovial]]> 2006 - Construction is completed]]> ]]> ]]>
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]]> The Masjid-i Jameh in Isfahan exists as a large congregational mosque which developed through various architectural stages to create its current design with four monumental iwans surrounding a central courtyard and extensive domed prayer halls that show the expansion of time. The structure uses brick as its fundamental material while decorative elements made from stucco and glazed tile and carved stone create intricate geometric patterns and pointed arches and muqarnas vaulting throughout the building. The building connects its domed rooms to the outdoor courtyard through pathways which show the transition between Seljuk brickwork and Safavid decorative elements. The mosque served as Isfahan's central prayer area which united religious activities with educational functions and community representation throughout history. The mosque shows how Islamic architecture in Iran developed through time by uniting original spatial designs with advanced decorative elements. The building exists as a historical architectural record which displays Iran's Islamic and dynastic past through its architectural design and materials.]]> Architects and builders unknown]]> Major reconstructions: Seljuk (11th–12th c.), Ilkhanid, Timurid, Safavid]]> Image 2: Creative Commons
Image 3: Creative Commons
Image 4: Creative Commons
Image 5: Creative Commons
Image 6: Creative Commons]]> stucco
glazed tile
carved stone]]> Longitude: 51.6838 E]]>
The building had played a religious purpose as a meeting ground for the Ngāti Awa tribe. The large roof provides shade for the porch, and the wood in which this structure was made was easily accessible. This building provokes a ritual movement as a sensory experience. ]]> (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Todaiji_island.jpg)]]>
The Sacred Autonomous Royal Monastery of Saint Catherine of the Holy and God-Trodden Mount Sinai, more commonly known as Saint Catherine’s Monastery, stands at the foot of Mount Sinai in Egypt. Dating back to the mid-500s AD, it is one of the oldest and still occupied monasteries in the world. Harboring the aesthetics of most Byzantine and early Christian style structures, its plan is rather irregular and has a fortress-like format with its high, thick granite stone walls to house a collection of buildings. It is rather compacted and the various structures primarly range between 33 and 66 feet. The natural earth colored exterior blends in with the desert surroundings, as the granite was excavated from the surrounding mountain environment. A fortified gate named after Emperor Justinian, who ordered the building of the monastery (Justinian’s Gate or Gate of the emperor), was no longer used as the main entry point to preserve its condition. One of the main basilica-style churches has a timber roof, wooden doors, and decorative beams that contain intricate mosaics and depictions of important Byzantine icons. Next to it is the notable belfry, which is three stories but divided into 4 tiers, has open archways, and large bells that are still in use today. It is a much later addition to the monastery and was built in a style similar to 12th-century Syrian churches.

The monastery's overall structure flexes its dual role as an elaborate sanctuary and fortress, as it was meant to protect monks and pilgrims within its massive granite walls that are practically impenetrable. Housing manuscripts, relics, and even a library of volumes in various languages, the monastery, for many, is a holy place and sacred. It is believed to be built where Moses witnessed the burning bush, which still lives on the premises. It was then that the building of all the surrounding structures became almost an act of worship in itself, and certainly a way for people to preserve the divinity of the area. Then, the body of Catherine of Alexandria (after which the monastery was later named) was also said to have been discovered there. This only further cements the status of it being spiritual, which has stretched across all three major Abrahamic religions. Each faith has its own tie to the area, such as the discovery of Christian Palestinian Aramaic, Arabic, and Hebrew texts. ]]> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Catherine%27s_Monastery#/media/File:Katharinenkloster_Sinai_BW_2.jpg)
]]> (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Catherine%27s_Monastery#/media/File:Monastery_of_Saint_Catherine_at_Mount_Sinai-_drawing_from_the_Description_de_l'%C3%89gypte_(1809).jpeg)]]> https://orthodoxwiki.org/St._Catherine%27s_Monastery_(Sinai)
https://www.sinaimonastery.com/index.php/en/
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/954/]]>