The Umayyad Mosque is the earliest surviving

stone mosque. It was built between AD 705 and

715 by the Umayyad Caliph al-Walid I. It was built
in Damascus, Syria
The Mosque is a quadrangle 157 by 100m. This
contains a large courtyard surrounded by arches
which are supported by columns.
The hall of worship is called the liwan and is the
entire lengths of the south side of the mosque. It is
divided into three long aisles by rows of columns
and arches.
The Imam Ali Mosque is located in Najaf, Iraq. It is
said to be the third holiest site with the estimation
of 200 million followers of the Shia branch of
Islam. Many burials were made in this mosque
including the cousin of Muhammad.
It has been newly renovated by Dawoodi Bohras, a
spiritual leader of the mosque.
This mosque is visited annually by roughly 8
million pilgrims each year. This number is
expected to increase to 20 million in the years to
come.
Sultan Ahmed Mosque is located in in Istanbul,
Turkey. It was built from 1609-1616 during the
rule of Ahmed I. Though there have been many
burials made in it, it is still popularly used as a
mosque of worship.
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque has one main dome, six
minarets, and eight secondary domes.
Umayyad Mosque
Imam Ali Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque






























The Badashi Mosque was under construction in
1671 and was completed 2 years later in 1673. It is
located in Lahore, Pakistan. Its affiliation is with
the branch of Sunni of Islam. The mosque is
capable of accommodating up to 55,000
worshippers in its main hall and a further 95,000
in courtyards and porticoes.
This mosque was the largest mosque in the world
from 1673-1986, a period of 313 years.
The Jama Masjid Mosque is in Delhi, India. It has a
capacity of up to 25,000 people. This temple was
built by more than 6,000 workers over a period of
6 years. It was completed in 1656. It is estimated
that roughly 25,000 people worship in this mosque
at any time.
The foundation of the historic Jama Masjid was
laid on a hillock in Shahjahanabad by the
fifth Mughal Emperor of India, Shahjahan, on
Friday, October 19,1650 AD
Badashi Mosque
Jama Masjid Mosque
The Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic Church
and is located in Barcelona, Spain. The process of
designing and building this church was a long one.
Planning began in 1852 while construction
commenced in 1882. The church was expected to
be completed in 2006, however it still remains
unfinished. Although it is incomplete, the church
is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sagrada Familia
Westminster Abbey is one of the worlds most
famous churches. It is on the UNESCO World
Heritage Site and is one of the most iconic features
of London, England. The church has a noticeable
styling, consisting of many gothic features. The
church was built sometime in the 10
th
century.
This church was formally known as the Collegiate
Church of St Peter at Westminster.
Westminster
Abbey































Saint Marks Basilica
The Saint Marks Basilica was constructed in 1650
and is currently Venices most famous church.
This is a Roman Catholic Church. This Italian
church is most well-known for is examples of
Byzantine architecture.
This church is iconic and a certain destination for
every travelling tourist.
The Notre Dame cathedral is one of the most
singular and beautiful cathedrals of Europe. The
cathedrals dramatic towers, spire, stained glass
and statuary are most impressive. The Notre Dame
was the heart of medieval Paris and took over than
a century to complete. As the cathedral of the
Archdiocese of Paris, Notre-Dame is the parish that
contains the cathedra, or official chair, of the
archbishop of Paris.
Notre Dame
Also called the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, or
the Church of the Resurrection, it is a church
within the Christian Quarter of the old city of
Jerusalem. The site is located on the Hill of Calvary
(Golgotha) where Jesus was believed to be
crucified, and is said also to contain the place
where Jesus was buried (the Sepulchre). For many
Christians the site is the most important
pilgrimage destination since even before the 4th
century.
Church of Holy Sepulchre































The Laxmi Narayan Temple is a Hindu temple
dedicated to Laxminarayan in Delhi, India.
Laxminarayan usually refers to Vishnu. The side
temples are dedicated to Shiva, Krishna and
Buddha. It was built between 1933 and 1939. The
temple is spread over 7.5 acres and is adorned
with many shrines, fountains and a large garden.
The temple is one of the major attractions of Delhi
and attracts thousands of devotees on the Hindu
festivals of Janmashtami and Diwali
The Hindu temple Somnath is located on the
western coast of Gujarat, India, is one of the
twelve shrines of the god Shiva. Today it is a
common tourist spot for pilgrims. The Somnath
Temple is known as "the Shrine Eternal", having
been destroyed many times by Islamic kings and
rulers. It was most recently rebuilt in November
1947.
Lingaraj Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to
Harihara, a form of Shiva and is one of the oldest
temples in Bhubaneswar, the capital of the East
Indian state of Odisha. The central tower of the
temple is 55 m tall. The temple is the most
prominent landmark of the Bhubaneswar city and
one of the major tourist attractions of the state.

Laxi Narayan Temple
Somnath Hindu Temple
Lingaraj Temple





















Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand is unlike
any Buddhist temples in the world. The all-white,
highly ornate structure gilded in mosaic mirrors
that seem to shine magically, is done in a distinctly
contemporary style. It is the brainchild of
renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. The
temple is still under construction and Chalermchai
expects it will take another 90 years to complete,
making it the Buddhist temple equivalent of the
Sagrada Familia church in Barcelona, Spain.

Tiger's Nest Monastery is perched precariously on
the edge of a 3,000-feet-high cliff in Paro Valley
and is one of the holiest places in Bhutan. Legend
has it that Guru Rinpoche, the second Buddha,
flew onto the cliff on the back of a tigress, and
then meditated in a cave which now exists within
the monastery walls. The monastery, formally
called Taktshang Goemba, was built in 1692 and
reconstructed in 1998 after a fire. Now, the
monastery is restricted to practicing Buddhists on
religious retreats and is off-limits to ordinary
tourists.
Wat Rong Khun Temple
Tiger's Nest Monastery

1. Discuss any places of worship where there is conflict surrounding its use as
a significant structure or holy place.
The Imam Ali Mosque is one of many holy places affected by conflict. During the
uprising of March 1991, Suddam Husseins Republican Guards damaged the shrine.
Members of the Shia were cornered by these guards. After this occurance, the
shrine was officially closed for just over two years. This was so that the shrine
could be properly repaired. Suddam Hussein deported many of Iranian descent
back to Iran when he attacked. The shrine was renovated once again by Dawoodi
Bohras.
This act of conflict has affected the mosque and followers in several different ways.
One way was by simply destroying the shrine, crushing hope whilst doing so. The
Mosque was sacred to many and would have traumatised them to find that it had
been ransacked. Lives were also affected when Hussein deported many back to Iran.
This would have shifted their entire lives and life plans.
2. If the purpose is the same, why is it seemingly impossible for different
religions to use the same facility?
Although most religions are built on similar foundations each believe they
are unique and may believe in different things. Many different sects of
religious groups have beliefs that differ slightly from each other sect. They
may worship another god and have different values and rituals. Also many
churches, temples, mosques are very strict about who is allowed to enter and
pray. Only people who believe in that religion may be allowed to enter, or if
you have the right dress code, or you may even have to be accompanied by a
male. Each place of worship has its own rules of worship. Also many
religious followers may feel a connection with their religions place of
worship because it is said that they can feel the presence of their deity.