The Gothic Cathedral focuses on the interaction between design and the requirements of patrons, following the creative processes of architects by reconstructing the problems and opportunities which faced them. Christopher Wilson presents the essential facts on such aspects as chronology, structural techniques and stylistic developments and then goes further, seeing the story as a sequence of choices from which new solutions arose, which, in their turn, gave rise to still more challenges. Illustrated with carefully chosen photographs and specially drawn diagrams, this fresh, perceptive and provocative book has already established itself as a definitive introduction to the subject.

Invisible City analyzes conventual architecture in terms of the politics of sight, "the optics of power", the relationship between flesh and stone. It uncovers the connections between the bodies of the nuns and the walls that housed them, presenting the architecture of female convents as a metaphor for the body of the aristocratic female virgin nun.

Cairo's Islamic monuments are part of an uninterrupted tradition that spans over a thousand years of building activity. No other Islamic city can equal Cairo's spectacular heritage, nor trace its historical and architectural development with such clarity. The discovery of this historic core, first visually by nineteenth-century western artists then intellectually by twentieth-century Islamic art specialists, now awaits the delight of the general visitor. This new, fully revised edition of a popular and handy guide continues to walk the visitor around two hundred of the city's most interesting Islamic monuments. It also keeps pace with recent restoration initiatives and newly opened monuments.

The Tekkieh Moaven is a significant religious monument in Kermanshah and one of the most important national memorials in Iran. Following the building's destruction in the early 20th century, it was rebuilt and furnished with exclusive tiles, the focal point of this publication. Since 1975, it has also been a popular museum visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year. The tiles illustrate the fascinating world of art in the Persian empire and Islamic era and are distinguished by colourful illustrations featuring floral, calligraphic, and also figurative motifs. Author Hadi Seif weaves the recollections of the ancient guardian Sojdehpur into his narratives, contributing valuable insights into the evolutionary history of these impressive tiles. This is the first major English-language publication dedicated to this outstanding cultural monument.

This book is a revised edition of a classic work of scholarship, with new Foreword, Appendix, and updated Index and bibliography. Dr Yates discusses the liturgical arrangement of Anglican churches in the period between the Reformation and the Oxford Movement, challenging many widely held assumptions and prejudices.

The ancient Axumite Kingdom, now a part of Ethiopia, was possibly the first nation in the world to convert to Christianity. In AD 340 King Ezana commissioned the construction of the imposing basilica of St. Mary of Tsion. It was here, the Ethiopians say, that Menelik, son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, brought the Ark of the Covenant containing the Ten Commandments. By the fifth century, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church had spread beyond Axum into the countryside, aided by nine saints from Byzantium, and over the next ten centuries a series of spectacular churches were either built or excavated out of solid rock in the region, all of them in regular use to this day. Lalibela, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has the best known cluster, but the northern state of Tigray, less famous and more remote, has many churches that are masterpieces of design.Ethiopia: The Living Churches of an Ancient Kingdom traces the broad sweep of ecclesiastical history, legend, art, and faith in this sub-Saharan African kingdom and describes some seventy of the most breathtaking churches, with their astounding architecture, colorful decoration, and important religious festivals, all illustrated by more than eight hundred superb color photographs by some of the most celebrated international photographers of traditional cultures. This magnificent, large-format, full-color volume is the most comprehensive celebration yet published of the extraordinary Christian architectural and cultural heritage of Ethiopia. Ethiopia is the third book on iconic sacred places published by Ludwig Publishing and the American University in Cairo Press, following the bestselling success of The Churches of Egypt and The History and Religious Heritage of Old Cairo.

Engineering a cathedral offers professional engineers, architects and interested lay people a unique opportunity to study the construction of one of the worlds finest buildings. Durham cathedral celebrates its 900th anniversary in 1993 and to mark the event a group of engineers have applied their modern knowledge and techniques to its structure. With over 80 illustrations, Engineering a cathedral is not only relevant to Durham, it is relevant to all other medieval buildings, those who care for them and those who simply stand and wonder.

This book looks at the treatment of Byzantine monuments in the first hundred years of the Greek State. It examines representative restoration interventions on Byzantine monuments in Greece and critically analyses the theoretical principles and the practices adopted. The author records the developmental course of actions taken to salvage the Byzantine heritage, both by the Greek State and by non-governmental agents. It also investigates their ideological and cultural framework, correlating this with European thought. It enhances the impact of the upgrading of Byzantium in Greece on activities for the protection, rescue and restoration of Byzantine ecclesiastical monuments. The study is based on ample archival material, which is published for the first time. This volume is an essential contribution to research into the history of Greek cultural heritage and of European restorations. English language edition

Anhand zweier Fallstudien untersucht Bjoern Roehrer-Ertl die Entwicklung des Theologischen Programmes zweier evangelischer Pfarrkirchen des Historismus in Bayern. Konsequent wendet er eine weltliche Methodik ausserhalb des theologischen Methodenkanons an. Sein Ergebnis: Tradition schwindet dahin, so wie ein Luftballon zuerst unmerklich seine Luft verliert. Diese dahinschwindende Tradition hat in den Fallbeispielen als eine wesentliche Ursache einen Wertewandel, weg von der generationenubergreifenden Einordnung in einer Tradition hin zu einem Primat der Autonomie des Individuums. Fur den Autor steht es fest: Tradition ist kaum mehr vorhanden, wird kaum mehr verstanden. Er appelliert, diesen gesellschaftlichen Wandel nuchtern anzunehmen und zu gestalten.

From its position at the heart of the ancient city of York, York Minster formed the focus of a community for centuries, while performing a national role as the seat of Britain's second Archbishop. Today, nearly 1500 years after the earliest traces of Christian worship in York, the Minster remains a vigorous spiritual centre of outreach and renewal. York Minster: A Living Legacy brings the past to life through beautifully illustrated text that reveals the many hidden corners of the Minster today, as well as the beauties of its structure and glass. York Minster is a portrait of the Minster community, its day-to-day life, the people who make the Minster work and the skills of the craft workshops that maintain its fabric for future generations. "There are many fine books about the architectural beauties of the Minster, but this is the first to celebrate the people who have made the Minster what it was and is, and the people who to our own day care for it, serve its mission and devote their time and skill to it. Here, too, we gather the recollections and the thoughts of people who in the living past have been part of the human fabric of the Minster." - The Very Rev. Keith Jones, Dean of York

The British Archaeological Association's 2013 conference was devoted to the study of Westminster Abbey and the Palace of Westminster. It also embraced Westminster School, which was founded at the Reformation in the Abbey precinct. Collectively, these institutions occupy a remarkable assemblage of medieval and later buildings, most of which are well documented. Although the Association had held a conference at Westminster in 1902, this was the first time that the internationally important complex of historic buildings was examined holistically, and the papers published here cover a wide range of subject matter.

"British artist Nicholas Hawksmoor (approx. 1661-1736) is recognized as one of the major contributors to the traditions of British and European architectural culture. Nevertheless, there is insufficient visual documentation and analysis of his work. Nicholas Hawksmoor: Seven Churches for London reconsiders his archtiecture in relation to urbanism. The publication focuses on a series of important London churches the architect designed during the early part of the eighteenth century. The key distinguishing features of these churches are their spires, each designed with different qualities and motifs. While Hawksmoor was inspired by the ancient history of architecture, his work was considered radical and contemporary in its day.
Photographer Helene Binet was specially commissioned to document the various aspects of the seven remaining London churches. Her immaculate black and white photographs demonstrate the beauty of Hawksmoor's architecture with special attention to the variety of scales, sites, interiors, textures, and materials. "

Simon Jenkins has travelled the length and breadth of England to select his thousand best churches. Organised by county, each church is described - often with delightful asides - and given a star-rating from one to five. All of the county sections are prefaced by a map locating each church, and lavishly illustrated with colour photos from the Country Life archive. Jenkins contends that these churches house a gallery of vernacular art without equal in the world. Here, he brings that museum to public attention.

In America between 1946 and 1953, the German-Jewish architect Eric Mendelsohn planned seven synagogues, of which four were built, all in the Midwest. In this book, photographer Michael Palmer has recorded in exquisite detail Mendelsohn's four built synagogues: Saint Paul, Saint Louis, Cleveland and Grand Rapids. These photographs are accompanied by an insightful contextual essay by Ita Heinze-Greenberg which reflects on Eric Mendelsohn and his Jewish identity. Mendelsohn's post-war commitment to sacred architecture was a major challenge to him, but one on which he embarked with great enthusiasm. He sought and found radically new architectural solutions for these 'temples' that met functional, social and spiritual demands. In the post-war and post-Holocaust climate, the old references had become obsolete, while the founding of the State of Israel in 1948 posed a claim for the redefinition of the Jewish diaspora in general. The duality of Jewish and American identity became more crucial than ever and the congregations were keen to express their integration into a modern America through these buildings. Hardly anyone could have been better suited for this task than Mendelsohn, as he sought to justify his decision to move from Israel and adopt the USA as his new homeland. The places he created to serve Jewish identity in America were a crowning conclusion of his career. They became the benchmark of modern American synagogue architecture, while the design of sacred space added a new dimension in Mendelsohn's work.

The Exeter Cathedral Fabric Accounts document the history of Exeter Cathedral during a period when it was being extensively rebuilt by a series of active bishops. They show how the rebuilding was financed and give a detailed account of what was involved in a medieval building project, listing workers' wages, the cost of materials, and they show how building materials were transported to Exeter from Devon and from other parts of England. This informationtells us much not only about the history of Exeter Cathedral and its bishops, but also about the relationship between the Cathedral and the surrounding area, and the economic history of the region. This volume presents the accounts from 1328 to 1353, and Volume One (new series 24) presents the accounts from 1279 to 1326.

What buried secret lies beneath the stones of one of England's greatest former churches and shrines, the Benedictine Abbey of Bury St Edmunds? The search for the final resting place of King Edmund has led to this site, beneath which Francis Young argues the lost king's remains are waiting to be found. Edmund: In Search of England's Lost King explores the history of the martyred monarch of East Anglia and England's first patron saint, showing how he became a pivotal figure around whom Saxons, Danes and Normans all rallied. Young also examines Edmund's legacy in the centuries since his death at the hands of marauding Vikings in the 9th century. In doing so, this fascinating book points to the imminent rediscovery of the ruler who created England.

The burial grounds, graveyards and cemeteries of Fife contain many fascinating historical tales, often with interesting superstitions attached. All walks of life are represented - from the burial place of ancient kings, queens and saints in Scotland's ancient capital, Dunfermline, to the only known grave of a witch in Scotland, on the foreshore of the Firth of Forth. In this book local historian Charlotte Golledge takes readers on a tour through the history of Fife's burial grounds, graveyards and cemeteries. She explores the history of the royal burials at Dunfermline Abbey and the resting place of the bishops at St Andrews Cathedral, with the graves of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris nearby who designed many of Scotland's iconic golf courses. Lesser-known locations include the secluded St Bridget's kirkyard in Dalgety Bay where bodysnatchers would row across the River Forth to claim freshly buried bodies for the anatomist's table, and the lovingly restored kirkyard at Tulliallan Old Kirk with its gravestones going back to the seventeenth century, many of which have been brought to the surface recently, showing the everyday trades of those interred, including nautical connections. Together, these are the tales of real people of Scotland told through their deaths and burials. This fascinating portrait of life and death in Fife over the centuries will appeal to both residents and visitors to this region of Scotland.

Most of the seven million people who visit the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris each year probably do not realize that the legendary gargoyles adorning this medieval masterpiece were not constructed until the nineteenth century. The first comprehensive history of these world-famous monsters, "The Gargoyles of Notre Dame" argues that they transformed the iconic thirteenth-century cathedral into a modern monument. Michael Camille begins his long-awaited study by recounting architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc's ambitious restoration of the structure from 1843 to 1864, when the gargoyles were designed, sculpted by the little-known Victor Pyanet, and installed. These gargoyles, Camille contends, were not mere avatars of the Middle Ages, but rather fresh creations - symbolizing an imagined past - whose modernity lay precisely in their nostalgia. He goes on to map the critical reception and many-layered afterlives of these chimeras, notably in the works of such artists and writers as Charles Meryon, Victor Hugo, and photographer Henri Le Secq. Tracing their eventual evolution into icons of high kitsch, Camille ultimately locates the gargoyles' place in the twentieth-century imagination, exploring interpretations by everyone from Winslow Homer to the Walt Disney Company. Lavishly illustrated with more than three hundred images of its monumental yet whimsical subjects, "The Gargoyles of Notre Dame" is a must-read for historians of art and architecture and anyone whose imagination has been sparked by the lovable monsters gazing out over Paris from one of the world's most renowned vantage points.

European cultural history is inextricably linked to the presence of monasteries, especially during the Middle Ages. In addition to serving as religious refuges, monasteries provided sanctuary for the pursuits of art, education, science, and book production. This lavishly illustrated book traces the development of the art and architecture of these important buildings, from early Carolingian examples in the eighth century to a modern structure by Le Corbusier in 1960.This unsurpassed survey offers a fresh chronicle of a largely overlooked subject and hundreds of marvelous images, many of them newly photographed, of more than 150 of the most interesting and best preserved monasteries in Spain, Portugal, France, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Italy - all of which are accessible to visitors. Here are unique views of the art and architecture of such treasured places as Mont St. Michel, a wondrous Benedictine sanctuary off the coast of Brittany, and the fabled pilgrimage site in Assisi founded by St. Francis.In an insightful text the author describes the cultural heritage of each of the monasteries portrayed and provides an introduction to monasticism and to the various orders dating from the early Christian era to the present. In addition, the volume offers plans of the sites, a glossary, and a bibliography. Historians and collectors of great books of art history will be intrigued by this unsurpassed collection of photographs and fascinating account of the artistic glory of European monasteries.

On the occasion of the forthcoming renovation of the Paulskirche in Frankfurt am Main, the book recounts the history of its construction, reconstruction and renovation in accordance with the respective social currents. In addition, the role of the Paulskirche as a seat of the nationwide debate culture is traced, which it has held since the postwar period in its function as a festival hall. Text in English and German.