SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS

Discipline: Architecture
Spring 2010
ARCH 2500: Sacred Places
Lower Division
Faculty: Phoebe Crisman

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This introductory course will focus on the major religious architecture and landscapes of the world, with a
particular focus on sacred places—cities, buildings and gardens—that we will visit on our voyage. We will
study Taoist and Shinto shrines, Buddhist and Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, Ancient Greek temples,
Jewish Synagogues and Christian churches. A global perspective will allow for comparisons and contrasts
between Western and Non-Western architecture. We will examine of the formal, spatial, structural,
aesthetic and symbolic aspects of each building and consider how it reflects the rituals in that culture. The
study of the different religions as well as the political, social and cultural events and developments
relevant to the buildings will bring light to the overall conception, significance and use of the different
architecture in their original context. Students will analyze the sacred spaces in detail and share their
experiences in the buildings when possible, in order to fully evaluate the design intentions and their
ultimate realization.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
• Encourage a deeper analysis of several of the world’s major sacred sites that students will encounter on their
voyage. Sites marked with a “*” are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
• Gain a sound understanding of sacred architecture as an expression of culture and faith in the world’s major
religions.
• Understand the relationship between the perceptions of certain forms, spaces and design features and the
concept of sacredness.
• Develop skills to understand physical form and space and learn how to represent those perceptions in verbal
expression.

COURSE OUTLINE (organized by class meeting)

CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

1. Architecture as a Reflection of Culture

Kostof. “The Study of What We Build,” A History of Architecture: 2-19.
Humphrey. “Architecture and the Cosmos,” “Techniques of Building,” Sacred Architecture: 8-37, 161-
169.

2. The Sacred & the Profane

Humphrey. “Sacred and Social Dimensions,” “Ritual and Ceremony,” Sacred Architecture: 38-81.
Eliade. “Sacred Space and Making the World Sacred,” The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion
(Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1987): 20-65.

3. Nature & Culture

Esposito. “Origins,” Geography of Religion: 17-69.
Gray. Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power (New York: Sterling, 2007): 1-13.
ASIA

4. Sacred Landscapes of Japan & China

Japan: Three Holy Mountains of Japan (Mt. Fuji, Mt. Haku, Mt. Tate)
China: Five Great Mountains of Taoism & Four Sacred Mountains of Buddhism
Grapard, Allan. “Flying Mountains and Walkers of Emptiness: Toward a Definition of Sacred Space in
Japanese Religions,” History of Religions, Vol. 21, No. 3 (Feb. 1982): 195-221.

5. Shinto Shrines & Japanese Buddhist Temples

Ise Shrine site* (4bc), Fushimi Inari Shrine (711), Meiji Shrine (1920)
Senso-ji Temple (645), Horyu-ji temples* (711)
Humphrey. “Shinto Shrines and Temples,” and “Ise Grand Shrine,” Sacred Architecture: 92-95.
Paine, Robert Treat and Alexander Soper. “Buddhist Architecture of the Asuka and Nara Periods,” The Art
and Architecture of Japan (Yale University Press, 3rd ed, 1981): 291-323.
Shinto: Nature, Gods, and Man in Japan (Peter Grilli & David Westphal, Japan Society film, 1977)

6. Zen Monasteries & Gardens

Kyoto: Daitoku-ji (1326) & Daisen-in (1513), Kikaku-ji, Ryoan-ji dry rock garden* (1400’s)
Esposito. “Buddhism,” Geography of Religion: 135-188.
Hayakawa, Masao. “The Essence of the Japanese Garden,” The Garden Art of Japan (Weatherhill,1973):
9-15.

7. The Forbidden City & Royal Tombs

Beijing: Temple of Heaven* (1420), Imperial Tombs of the Ming and Qing Dynasties*, Imperial Palaces
of the Ming and Qing Dynasties*

8. Chinese Buddhist Temples

Shanghi: Longhua Temple & Pagoda (977), Jade Buddha Temple (Yùfó Sì, 1928)
Beijing: White Dagoba Temple (Baita Sì, 1279), Tibetan Lama Temple (Yonghe Gong, 1694)
Humphrey. “Boundaries, Thresholds and the Centre,” Sacred Architecture: 128-143.

9. City of Temples: Angkor Wat*

Scarre. The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World (London: Thames & Hudson, 1999): 81-85.

INDIAN SUBCONTINENT

10. Cave Santuaries, Stupas & Temples of India

Ajanta Caves* (2nd c bc), Ellora Caves* (600-1000), The Great Stupa of Sanchi (2nd c bc)*
Mamallapuram* (7-8c), Kanchipuram
Tiruchchirappalli: Vishnu Temple Complex of Srirangam
Scarre. “The Great Stupa of Sanchi,” The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World (London: Thames &
Hudson, 1999): 120-122.

11. The Holy River & Hindu Ghats of Varanasi

Esposito. “Hinduism,” Geography of Religion: 73-123.
Eck, Diana L. Banaras: City of Light (Princeton University Press, 1999): 3-42.
Mitchell, George. Banaras: The City Revealed (Marg Publications, 2006): tba

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12. Imperial Tombs & Mosques of India
Humayun’s Tomb* (1570), Taj Mahal* (1648), Fatehpur Sikri Jama Masjid *
Katherine B. Asher. Architecture of Mughal India (Cambridge University Press, 1992): tba

13. Judeo-Christian sites on the subcontinent:

Santa Cruz Cathedral (1505), St. Francis Xavier Church (1516), Cochin Synagogue (1568)
Esposito. “Judaism,” Geography of Religion: 201-252.

14. Midterm Exam

MIDDLE EAST & MEDITERANEAN

15. Greco-Roman World: Greek and Roman Temples

Paestum*, Delphi*, Acropolis*, Ephesus, Pompeii*
Kostof. “The Greek Temple and ‘Barbarian’ Alternatives,” and “Components of a Roman Town:
Pompeii,” A History of Architecture: 115-136 and 194-206.
Humphrey. “Greek Temples,” and “Roman Temples,” Sacred Architecture: 116-123.

16. Byzantine Empire & Early Christian Basilicas

Istanbul: Hagia Sophia* (537), St. Savior in Chora (11th c)
Ravenna: San Vitale Basilica* (548), Sant'Apollinare in Classe* (549),
Esposito. “Christianity,” Geography of Religion: 265-320.
Kostof. “The Triumph of Christ,” A History of Architecture: 245-268.

17. Gothic Cathedrals & Renaissance Churches

Humphrey. “Churches,” and “St. Peter’s, Rome,” Sacred Architecture: 124-127.
Kostof. A History of Architecture: 333-340, 403-411, 511-526.

18. Islamic Mosques

Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem (691), Mezquita, Cordoba (8th c), Ibn Tulun Mosque, Cairo (879), Istanbul:
Suleiman Mosque (1557), Blue Mosque (1616)
Esposito. “Islam,” Geography of Religion: 333-386.
Kostof. “The Empire of Muhammed” and “A Turkish Renaissance,” A History of Architecture: 284-294
and 454-467.
Humphrey. “Mosques,” and “Isfahan, Iran,” Sacred Architecture: 96-99.

AFRICA

19. Ancient Egypt: Pyramids, Temples and Obelisks

Thebes (Karnak, Luxor)*, Memphis (Giza), Abu Simbel*
Kostof. “The Architecture of Ancient Egypt,” A History of Architecture: 66-89.
Humphrey. “Egyptian Temples,” and “The Temple of Amun,” Sacred Architecture: 88-91.

20. Rock, Hewn and Mud Architecture of Africa

Rock-Hewn Churches*, Lalibela, Ethiopia (13th c)
Larabanga Mosque, Ghana, Great Mosque*, Djenne, Mali (1906)
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions, Ghana (1482-1786)*
Suzanne Blier, et.al. Butabu: Adobe Architecture of West Africa (Princeton Architectural Press, 2003): tba

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THE AMERICAS

21. Pre-Columbian sacred sites: Mesoamerican Pyramids & Temples

Mayan civilization (300-900): Chichén Itzé, Palenque, Tikal, Guatemala ( ), Uxmal, Copan, Honduras
(400-800), Tulum, Monte Alban, Mexico (Zapotec capital, 500bc-750ad)
Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan, Mexico, Manchu Picchu, Peru (Inca)
Humphrey. Sacred Architecture: 84-87.

22. Christianity in the New World: Churches in Salvadore* & San Juan*
São Francisco Church and Convent, Salvador (1723)
Iglesia de San José, San Juan (1532), Catedral de San Juan (1540)

23. Concluding Discussion

Final Exam

FIELD COMPONENT
Students are required to complete 5 field reports that document visits to important sites from the readings and
discussed in class. Students are encouraged to seek out places of worship, monuments, pilgrimage sites,
shrines, gardens, museums and other locations that manifest or document the concept of the sacred.

METHODS OF EVALUATION
Field Reports (5 at 10% each)..................................................................................................................50%
Class Participation ..................................................................................................................................20%
Midterm and Final Exams........................................................................................................................30%

Individual Participation and Contribution to Classroom Learning

The instructor places a significant emphasis on your regular attendance, engagement in lectures, and
contribution to the learning of others. In addition to these more concrete illustrations of your engagement
with the course, think of class participation as your responsibility to add energy and insight to our
discussion and to share your varying perspectives with your peers and instructor.

Rubric for Assessing Contribution to Classroom Learning

A Contributes substantially to all classes. Shows good knowledge of readings and relates them to
experiences outside the classroom. Summarizes readings accurately and concisely, identifies
key issues, makes connections to ideas presented earlier in the course, and has thoughtful
answers to questions distributed in advance. Draws others, especially those who have not yet
spoken, into the discussion and directs the flow of discussion by asking questions and helping
monitor the group process.
A- Does all of the above except for drawing others into the discussion and helping to manage the
group process. Overall, a very constructive force in class discussions.
B+ Contributes substantially to most classes and has something worthwhile to say in all
discussions. Shows consistent evidence of having done the reading and thought about how it
relates to the course. Steps in when there is a silence most of the time.

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B Makes at least a few contributions at most classes. When called upon, always has something
worthwhile to say and shows evidence of having done the reading. Summarizes readings and
cases accurately and always identifies at least one issue that a particular reading raises.
B- Consistently present in class, but only contributes occasionally. Has good things to say when
he/she decides to get involved. Usually shows evidence of preparation when called upon.
C+ Present and looks engaged but almost never says anything. Sometimes seems unprepared
when called upon.
C Sometimes absent. When present, inclined to draw energy away from the discussion through
apathy or lack of preparation.
<C Frequently absent, unprepared, or uncooperative.

REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS

AUTHOR: Spiro Kostof

TITLE: A History of Architecture: Settings and Rituals
PUB/DATE: Oxford University Press, 2nd ed., 1995

AUTHORS: Caroline Humphrey and Piers Vitebsky

TITLE: Sacred Architecture
PUB/DATE: Little, Brown and Company, 1997

AUTHORS: John Esposito, Susan Tyler Hitchcock, Desmond Tutu, et. al.
TITLE: Geography of Religion: Where God Lives, Where Pilgrims Walk
PUB/DATE: National Geographic Society, 2006

RESERVE LIBRARY LIST

AUTHOR: Chris Scarre, ed.

TITLE: The Seventy Wonders of the Ancient World
PUB/DATE: Thames & Hudson, 1999

AUTHOR: Martin Gray

TITLE: Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power
PUB/DATE: Sterling, 2007

AUTHOR: Francis D. Ching, Mark Jarzombek, Vikramaditya Prakash

TITLE: A Global History of Architecture
PUB/DATE: Wiley, 2006

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ELECTRONIC MATERIALS

AUTHOR: Mircea Eliade

CHAPTER: “Sacred Space and Making the World Sacred”
BOOK TITLE: The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion
PUB/DATE: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1987
PAGES: 20-65

AUTHOR: Martin Gray

BOOK TITLE: Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power
PUB/DATE: Sterling, 2007
PAGES: 1-13

AUTHOR: Allan Grapard

CHAPTER: “Flying Mountains and Walkers of Emptiness: Toward a Definition of Sacred Space
in Japanese Religions”
JOURNAL: History of Religions
VOLUME: Vol. 21, No. 3
DATE: Feb. 1982
PAGES: 195-221

AUTHOR: Robert Treat Paine and Alexander Soper

CHAPTER: “Buddhist Architecture of the Asuka and Nara Periods”
BOOK TITLE: The Art and Architecture of Japan
PUB/DATE: Yale University Press, 3rd ed., 1981
PAGES: 291-323

AUTHOR: Masao Hayakawa

CHAPTER: “The Essence of the Japanese Garden”
BOOK TITLE: The Garden Art of Japan
PUB/DATE: Weatherhill, 1973
PAGES: 9-15

AUTHOR: Suzanne Preston Blier, et.al.

BOOK TITLE: Butabu: Adobe Architecture of West Africa
PUB/DATE: Princeton Architectural Press, 2003
PAGES: tba