Sacral architecture is a religious architectural practice concerned with the design and construction of places of worship or sacred or intentional space, such as churches, mosques, stupas, synagogues, and temples. Many cultures devoted considerable resources to their sacred architecture and places of worship. Religious and sacred spaces are amongst the most impressive and permanent monolithic buildings created by humanity. Conversely, sacred architecture as a locale for meta-intimacy may also be non-monolithic, ephemeral and intensely private, personal and non-public.
Ornate details on the entrance tower of Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple, Singapore.
Interior of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey
Bimah of Princes Road Synagogue in Liverpool, England
Teotihuacán's Pyramid of the Moon was used for ritual sacrifice
A place of worship is a specially designed structure or space where individuals or a group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is sometimes called a house of worship. Temples, churches, mosques, and synagogues are examples of structures created for worship. A monastery may serve both to house those belonging to religious orders and as a place of worship for visitors. Natural or topographical features may also serve as places of worship, and are considered holy or sacrosanct in some religions; the rituals associated with the Ganges river are an example in Hinduism.
A Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, United States
Pura Besakih is a Hindu temple in Bali, Indonesia
Wat Kanlayanamit is a Wat or Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand
Great Synagogue of Plzeň is a Jewish synagogue in Plzeň, Czech Republic