Monasteries are among the most intriguing and enduring symbols of England's medieval heritage. Simultaneously places of prayer and spirituality, power and charity, learning and invention, illusion and superstition, they survive today as haunting ruins, great houses and as some of our most important cathedrals and churches.
This book examines the growth of monasticism and the different orders of monks; the architecture and administration of monasteries, the daily life of monks and nuns, the art of monasteries and their libraries, their role in caring for the poor and sick, their power and wealth, their decline and suppression, their ruin and rescue.
Many of Britain's greatest churches, including Westminster Abbey, Canterbury, Durham and Gloucester cathedrals were once monasteries. So too were some of Britain's most evocative and awe-inspiring ruins such as Fountain's Abbey in Yorkshire and Tintern Abbey in Wales. This book tells the story of devotion, work and prayer behind those magnificent edifices.

Germany is currently experiencing an intense debate about the reconstruction of synagogues that were destroyed under Nazi rule in the 1930s, and the related search for an appropriate architectural expression of Jewish life and culture in the country’s major cities today. This book, which results from a collaboration between the Technical Universities of Darmstadt and Dresden, Hamburg’s HafenCity University, and the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, vividly contributes to this discussion. The Synagogue Project features designs for new synagogues replacing the lost buildings on Berlin’s Fraenkelufer and on Joseph-Carlebach-Platz and Poolstrasse in Hamburg by students at the participating universities. They illustrate the search for a structural expression that can provide space for Jewish life and worship in the future. In conversation, members of Jewish communities and Franz-Josef Höing, representing the City of Hamburg’s department of urban development and housing, explain their views on the past and future of synagogues in Hamburg and Berlin. Mirjam Wenzel, director of the Jewish Museum in Frankfurt, Salomon Korn, former vice-president of Germany’s Central Council of Jews, Rabbi Edward van Voolen, and Swiss architect Roger Diener also contribute to the discussion on the history and significance of spaces for Jewish life, culture, and religion in German cities. Text in English and German.

The local church is a familiar landmark in every town, city and village. The story of its past is the story of the people for whom, down the centuries, it was the centre of the community. But how many people actually understand the reason for it being built in that particular place, how it was constructed, or why it was decorated in such a style? Discovering this information can sometimes be difficult due to the diversity of local building materials used, and to the renovation and rebuilding of more recent years. But there are always clues, both inside and outside. In this informative guide, Trevor Yorke places the period styles of church fabric and decoration into an easy to read form that is packed with photographs, pictures, and diagrams. His simple but graphic approach will be welcomed by all for whom a visit to a church is also a brief journey through time itself.

Contextualises current Salafi iconoclasm and graves destruction, tracing its ideological sourcesIn various parts of the Islamic world over the past decades virulent attacks have targeted Islamic funeral and sacral architecture. Rather than being random acts of vandalism, these are associated with the idea of performing one's religious duty as attested to in the Salafi/Wahhabi tradition and texts. Graves, shrines and tombs are regarded by some Muslims as having the potential to tempt a believer to polytheism. Hence the duty to level the graves to the ground (taswiyat al-qubur).In illuminating the ideology behind these acts, this book explains the current destruction of graves in the Islamic world and traces the ideological sources of iconoclasm in their historical perspective, from medieval theological and legal debates to contemporary Islamist movements including ISIS.Key FeaturesProvides a detailed and in-depth study of Salafi iconoclasmLooks at the destruction of graves in various parts of the Islamic world including the Middle East, North Africa and South AsiaTraces the ideological roots of Salafi iconoclasm and its shifts and mutations in an historical perspective Contributes to the growing study of Salafi IslamCase Studies include Ibn Taymiyya, Muhammad ibn ?Abd al-Wahhab, the formation of Saudi ulama, Nasir al-Din al-Albani, and ISIS and the destruction of monuments

The rule of the Chola dynasty in South India between the ninth and thirteenth centuries was a period of unparalleled creativity in Indian art. Known as the Golden Age of Tamil Culture, the Chola period produced dynamic royal personalities who shaped the artistic activity of theirtimes. Art of the Imperial Cholas examines the dynasty's architectural and sculptural achievements, which stand among the masterpieces of India.

The churches of Wales are one of Britain's great unheralded treasures, yet for many years there has been no book devoted to them and they await the kind of complete coverage given to churches elsewhere in Britain. Astonishingly, this is the first opportunity for a book on the subject to show them at their best in colour as well as words.The archetypal Welsh church is not in town or village, enhanced by generations of patronage: it is the isolated, simple, evocative walls-with-roof, in a landscape often spiritually charged. The Welsh churches tell us about medieval times, and the Age of Saints that came before and, amazingly of the pagan Celtic times before that, which they were meant to erase.Illustrated in colour, "One Hundred Welsh Churches" encompasses a millennium of churches around Wales, from tiny St Govan's tucked in its cliff-face, through ruined Llanthony to the magnificence of the cathedrals at Llandaff and St David's. It is an invaluable repository of history, art and architecture, spirituality and people's lives which will appeal to the historian and the tourist, communicants and those without a god.

Text and detailed drawings follow the planning and construction of a magnificent Gothic cathedral in the imaginary French town of Chutreaux during the thirteenth century.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

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.

Among the most magnificent buildings of England are its Anglican cathedrals, great symbols of spiritual and architectural power. No one can fail to marvel at Durham's incomparable Romanesque masterpiece, the elegant stylistic unity of Salisbury, the world- amous stained glass of Canterbury or the striking Gothic scissor arch at Wells. In this breathtaking new book, award-winning Magnum photographer Peter Marlow has captured the nave of each of England's 42 Anglican cathedrals. Taken in natural light at dawn, usually looking towards the east end of the building, these remarkable images bring into sharp relief the full splendour of the architecture, whatever the style. Marlow's spellbinding photographs are accompanied by his commentary on the project, including sketches and preparatory shots; an introduction by curator Martin Barnes on the tradition of church photography in England, particularly the work of Frederick Evans and Edwin Smith; and a concise summary of each cathedral interior by architectural historian John Goodall. A special collector's edition comprising a blocked, cloth-bound hardback edition of the book and a signed, hand-finished print, 30.5 x 25.4 cm (10 x 12 in.) , placed together in a handmade, blocked, cloth-bound slip case.

The Romanesque churches to be found in every corner of France are one of the wonders of Europe. They were built between about 1000 and 1200 and were contemporary with English Norman architecture. Their architectural style varies from region to region, as do their size, shape and layout. The period saw the first revival of the art of sculpture since Roman times, and many of the churches such as Moissac, Autun, Vezelay and Chauvigny contain outstanding sculpture. Some, like St-Savin-sur-Gartempe and Tavant, have superb frescoes, and a few like Ganagobie have fine mosaics. It was the age of pilgrimages and a number of the churches were built along the four great pilgrim routes through France to Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain. Many have links to Romanesque churches in Italy, England and Germany, since Romanesque was a style that was admired throughout Europe. "Romanesque Churches of France", which covers a hundred or so churches in ten geographical sections from Normandy and Burgundy in the north to Provence, Roussillon and Languedoc in the south, is the first comprehensive book to be published on the subject. This book is an ideal companion for travellers, with its many maps and its regional arrangement, and will be a stimulus for the exploration of remote and beautiful areas that are less familiar, such as Auvergne and the Pyrenees. It will also be invaluable as a reference book for all those with a general interest in the history of French architecture and sculpture.

This is the fourth and final volume in a series which presents a complete corpus of all the church buildings that were built, rebuilt or simply in use in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem between the capture of Jerusalem by the First Crusade in 1099 and the loss of Acre in 1291. This volume deals with the major coastal cities of Acre and Tyre, which were both in Frankish hands for almost two centuries, and also contains addenda and corrigenda to volumes 1 3. It describes and discusses some 120 churches and chapels that are attested by documentary or surviving evidence, accompanied where possible by plans, elevation drawings and photographs. This is an indispensable work of reference to all those concerned with the medieval archaeology of the Holy Land, the history of the Church in the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem and the art and architecture of the Latin East.

Church Architecture of Late Antique Northern Mesopotamia examines the church architecture of Northern Mesopotamia between the fourth and eighth centuries. Keser Kayaalp focuses on settlements, plan types, artistic encounters, the remarkable continuity of the classical tradition in the architectural decoration, the heterogeneity of the building techniques, patrons, imperial motivations, dedications of churches, and stories that claim and make spaces. Employing archaeological and epigraphical material and hagiographical and historical sources, she presents a holistic picture of the church architecture of this frontier region, encompassing the cities of Nisibis (Nusaybin), Edessa (Sanliurfa), Amida (Diyarbakir), Anastasiopolis (Dara/Oguz), Martyropolis (Silvan), Constantia (Viransehir), and their surroundings, and the rural Tur Abdin region. The period covered spans the last centuries of Byzantine and the first century and a half of Arab rule, when the region was, on the one hand, a stage of war and riven by religious controversies, and a cultural interspace on the other. Keser Kayaalp discusses the different dynamics in this frontier region and the resulting built environment and church architecture in pursuit of providing a regional contribution to the study of the transformation that the Byzantine civilization underwent in the late antique period and understanding the continuities and changes after the Arab conquest.

Perhaps the most awe-inspiring structures ever built in these isles, ancient cathedrals continue to exude spiritual force and architectural magic many centuries after their incredible design and construction. This book, by monumental mason, letterer and fire-fighter Mark Mills is beautifully illustrated with rare fine engravings, and carefully printed on the highest quality papers. Here is the amazing story of the cathedrals, told through the exquisite examples of old England. WOODEN BOOKS are small but packed with information. "Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES. Small books, big ideas.

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.

From modest chapels to majestic cathedrals, and historic synagogues to modern mosques and Buddhist temples: this photo-filled, pocket-size guidebook presents 1,079 houses of worship in Manhattan and lays to rest the common perception that skyscrapers, bridges, and parks are the only defining moments in the architectural history of New York City. With his exhaustive research of the city's religious buildings, David W. Dunlap has revealed (and at times unearthed) an urban history that reinforces New York as a truly vibrant center of community and cultural diversity.

Published in conjunction with a New-York Historical Society exhibition, "From Abyssinian to Zion" is a sometimes quirky, always intriguing journey of discovery for tourists as well as native New Yorkers. Which popular pizzeria occupies the site of the cradle of the Christian and Missionary Alliance movement, the Gospel Tabernacle? And where can you find the only house of worship in Manhattan built during the reign of Caesar Augustus? Arranged alphabetically, this handy guide chronicles both extant and historical structures and includes

- 650 original photographs and 250 photographs from rarely seen archives

- 24 detailed neighborhood maps, pinpointing the location of each building

- concise listings, with histories of the congregations, descriptions of architecture, and accounts of prominent priests, ministers, rabbis, imams, and leading personalities in many of the congregations

This eclectic selection of papers looks at historic and contemporary issues concerned with the redundancy of churches, and their subsequent reuse and maintenance. When did it come to be thought preferable to reuse the buildings rather than demolish them? What is the role of the Church of England, and how has the law changed over time? How have ideas evolved about the acceptability of different uses - by members of other religions, for commercial purposes, and involving for instance licensed premises and martial arts? And how are heritage bodies entrusted with former churches, such as the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Churches Conservation Trust and the Norwich Historic Churches Trust (NHCT), coping with the challenges of maintaining and converting the buildings in an age of austerity? Papers presented at conferences organized by the NHCT and its Friends in 2014 and 2015 are supplemented by four specially written contributions on aspects of the NHCT itself: its history, its guiding principles, the Heavenly Gardens project to enhance churchyards, and the experiences of a tenant. The NHCT is entrusted with the care of 18 of Norwich's redundant medieval churches, and works not only to maintain them but to increase awareness of architectural, historical and other related aspects of our medieval ecclesiastical heritage. All profits from the sale of this book go to support its work.

Northumberland was one of the greatest influences on the development of Christianity in Europe. Stan Beckensall guides the reader in words and full-colour pictures through the history of Northumberland's old churches, from the Anglo-Saxon period to the Reformation. The architecture of these beautiful buildings provides a unique insight into the history of the county. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the production of the Lindisfarne Gospels on Holy Island and those of the Venerable Bede in nearby Jarrow. This 'golden age' also produced exceptionally fine church buildings and their contents, many of which were later to be laid waste by Vikings. This book traces the achievements of that age through remaining structures such as the incredible crypt at Hexham, the tall, slender towers that are still part of many churches, and other features. The Norman period is also well represented, followed by the Transitional period when the pointed arch began to replace the rounded one, until it replaced it fully. Northumberland's development was then largely determined by its position as border country, which seriously affected church construction, the emphasis being more on defence in castles and fortified towers. Such period trends were confined to slight changes in existing churches, and there were few later developments except in Alnwick, protected by the defences of that town. In addition, Beckensall looks at the origins of the names of towns and villages that had churches, and comments on their location, with the help of stunning aerial photography.

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.

The History of the Church through its Buildings takes the reader to meet people who lived through momentous religious changes in the very spaces where the story of the Church took shape. Buildings are about people, the people who conceived, designed, financed, and used them. Their stories become embedded in the very fabric itself, and as the fabric is changed through time in response to changing use, relationships, and beliefs, the architecture becomes the standing history of passing waves of humanity. This process takes on special significance in churches, where the arrangement of the space places members of the community in relationship with one another for the performance of the church's rites and ceremonies. Moreover, architectural forms and building materials can be used to establish relationships with other buildings in other places and other times. Coordinated systems of signs, symbols, and images proclaim beliefs and doctrine, and in a wider sense carry extended narratives of the people and their faith. Looking at the history of the church through its buildings allows us to establish a tangible connection to the lives of the people involved in some of the key moments and movements that shaped that history, and perhaps even a degree of intimacy with them. Standing in the same place where the worshippers of the past preached and taught, or in a space they built as a memorial, touching the stone they placed, or marking their final resting-place, holding a keepsake they treasured or seeing a relic they venerated, probably comes as close to a shared experience with these people as it is possible to come. Perhaps for a fleeting moment at such times their faces may come more clearly into focus...

Suffolk is a county renowned for the beauty of its many parish churches, but for the average visitor the physical language in which they speak, that of stained glass, engraved fonts, and hammer-beamed roofs, is bewildering. Now available in an updated, single volume, the Guide to Suffolk Churches provides a way into this fascinating world, its architecture and history. From bells to pulpits to centuries-old graffiti found in window sills, each church unfolds from sealed tome to open book in Mortlock's hands. Accompanying the entries there is an extensive glossary/index and two useful appendices. From carvings of woodwoses to weeping chancels, the meaning of idiosyncracies and uniformities alike across the county are laid out in clear, engaging prose. New photographs, line drawings, and a detailed map ensure that neither the greatest of artefacts nor the smallest of churches can be accidentally overlooked.Written in a voice as knowledgeable as it is enthusiastic about Suffolk and its churches, the guide is incomparable in both the thoroughness and charm with which it unlocks more than one thousand years of history across the county's hundreds of churches. There is no visit to any parish church in Suffolk, no matter how well informed the visitor, that would not be more enjoyable and informative for having Mortlock along. About the author: D.P. Mortlock is Librarian to Viscount Coke at Holkham and was, for 20 years, County Librarian of Norfolk. He is a Fellow of the Library Association and served as an officer in the Indian Army from 1945-7. His recent books include a new edition of 'The Guide to Norfolk Churches', also published by The Lutterworth Press, 'Aristocratic Splendour: Money and the World of Thomas Coke, Earl of Leicester' (Sutton Publishing), and 'Holkham Library: A History and Description' (Roxburghe Club).

"Seldom does a collection of art history essays leave readers yearning for a second volume..."-Barbara Wisch, Renaissance Quarterly Roman church interiors throughout the Early Modern age were endowed with rich historical and visual significance. During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, in anticipation of and following the Council of Trent, and in response to the expansion of the Roman Curia, the chapel became a singular arena in which wealthy and powerful Roman families, as well as middle-class citizens, had the opportunity to demonstrate their status and role in Roman society. In most cases the chapels were conceived not as isolated spaces, but as part of a more complex system, which involved the nave and the other chapels within the church, in a dialogue among the arts and the patrons of those other spaces. This volume explores this historical and artistic phenomenon through a number of examples involving the patronage of prominent Roman families such as the Chigis, Spadas, Caetanis, Cybos and important artists and architects such as Federico Zuccari, Giacomo della Porta, Carlo Maderno, Alessandro Algardi, Pietro da Cortona, Carlo Maratta.

In the early 1250s Mongke Khan, grandson and successor of the mighty Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan, sent out his youngerbrothers Qubilai and Hulegu to consolidate his grip on power. Hulegu was welcomed into Iran while his older brother, Qubilai, continued to erode the power of the Song emperors of southern China. In 1276 he finally forced their submission and peacefully occupied their capital, Hangzhou. The city enjoyed a revival as the cultural capital of a united China and was soon filled with traders, adventurers, artists, entrepreneurs, and artisans from throughout the great Mongol Empire includinga prosperous, influential and seemingly welcome community of Persians. In 1281, one of their number, Al al-Din, built thePhoenix Mosque in the heart of the city where it still stands today. This study of the mosque and the Ju-jing Yuan cemetery,today as a lake-side public park, casts light on an important and transformative period in Chinese history, and perhaps themost important period in Chinese Islamic history. The book is published in the Persian Studies Series of the British Instituteof Persian Studies.