But people rarely travel
the U.S. in search of such sanctuaries. After all, what religious wisdom
could America, a country still in its youth at 236 years old, have to
offer?
Although the country may
not have a reputation for religious landmarks, America is home to more
than just secular city halls and strip malls. Whether or not you
practice a faith, visiting these beautiful and historic U.S. religious
spots may provide inspiration.
Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois
This Bahá'í House of Worship
is one of just seven Bahá'í temples in the world and is the only of its
kind found in North America. It's just 30 minutes north of Chicago in
Wilmette, Illinois.
Although the house of
worship was created with a mixture of quartz and cement, the intricately
carved temple looks as if it's made of white lace. Like all Bahá'í
houses of worship, the circular temple has nine sides and is surrounded
by fountain-filled gardens.
The temple services
members of the Bahá'í faith, a religion founded in 19th-century Persia
that stresses unity of all humankind. Anyone is welcome to visit the
space -- its auditorium and gardens are open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
every day free of charge.
"We don't ask what your
religion is -- we don't even care," the temple's summer tour
coordinator, Gwendolyn Clayborne, said. "It's a place for people to come
and meditate and pray and just get in touch with their spiritual
sides."
Clayborne said people
are surprised such a temple, which was completed in 1953 and took more
than 30 years to construct, can be found in Illinois.
"A few people from Chicago will admit it's the best kept secret," Clayborne said.
Hsi Lai Temple in Hacienda Heights, California
With its traditional Chinese design, this Buddhist temple looks like it came from the Far East.
Although it was
completed in 1988, the temple's architecture is faithful to the Ming and
Ch'ing dynasties, which ruled in China from the 14th to 20th centuries.
The Hsi Lai Temple
features golden tiles in its buildings, protective figurines on its
roof and a peaceful courtyard at its center. A bird's-eye view shows the
building is shaped like a bodhi leaf, symbolic of the tree under which
the Buddha attained enlightenment.
Inside the temple, an art gallery includes both Eastern and Western paintings, ceramics, photographs and Buddhist artifacts.
"People come here and
say, 'I don't know I'm in Southern California. It seems I am in another
part of the world,'" said the temple's director of outreach, Miao Hsi.
The temple is open from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m. every day free of charge, and tours are offered on
weekends. For a $7 donation, visitors can enjoy the temple's Chinese
vegetarian buffet.
Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan
Although it is a modern mosque in Michigan, inspiration for the Islamic Center of America came from venerable houses of worship in Turkey, India and other countries.
With a stone-carved
edifice and fiberglass dome, the mosque's design is distinct. Inside,
visitors will find crystal chandeliers, imported granite and a prayer
room decorated with Islamic motifs and calligraphy of Quranic verses
created by a Lebanese artist.
The 65,000-square-foot
facility services nearly 5,000 families in a city with one of the
largest Arab-Muslim populations in the U.S. This site has only been open
since 2005, but the Islamic Center of America has been serving
America's Muslims since 1962.
Guests often are
impressed with the mosque's beauty, but what they are most awed by is
the center's openness, said Kassem Allie, the center's executive
administrator.
"What people are kind of
surprised about is we are so open to visitation and dialogue and
collaboration," he said. "I think they think we're a closed
organization. ... They find out who we are and the fact that we have an
open house."
The Islamic Center of
America is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to about 11 p.m. daily and free
tours of the facility can be scheduled on its website.
Memorial Presbyterian Church in St. Augustine, Florida
Memorial Presbyterian Church may be beautiful, but it's the story behind the building that often touches visitors the most.
The church is dedicated
to Jenny Louise Benedict, the daughter of tycoon Henry Morrison Flagler,
who built the church in 1889. Flagler had always had a special place
for St. Augustine in his heart, investing heavily in the city after
visiting with his first wife, Mary. And when his beloved daughter died
after complications from childbirth, Flagler knew the Presbyterian
church he was planning to build in town would be erected in her honor.
Flagler, along with Mary, Jenny Louise and his granddaughter, Marjorie, are all entombed at the church.
The structure's detailed
design draws influence from the churches of Europe, including Venice's
St. Mark's Basilica. It features wood-carved walls, stained-glass
windows, a peaceful sanctuary and a prominent dome that inspires guests
to lift their eyes toward the heavens.
"People walk in, and
they see a little piece of Europe," church historian Jay Smith said. "I
wouldn't say it rivals the European cathedrals, but it has its own
unique beauty and majesty, and people are very surprised by that."
Smith said people must
remember to appreciate the rich history of Memorial Presbyterian Church
and the city that surrounds it. Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the
longest continually inhabited city founded by Europeans in the U.S.
Memorial Presbyterian
Church is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through
Saturday, and tours of the building are conducted on weekdays.
Temple Emanu-El in New York City
With a sanctuary that stands 103 feet tall, 100 feet wide and 175 feet long and seating for 2,500 people, New York's Temple Emanu-El is one of the largest Jewish temples in the world.
Inside, Temple Emanu-El
is full of color. The ceiling is painted and gilded, its arches are
lined with mosaics of glass and marble, and there are more than 60
stained glass windows. The temple is also home to a museum that houses
artifacts important in Jewish history.
Completed in 1929,
Temple Emanu-El's 5th Avenue and 65th Street location is the fifth home
for its congregation, whose members have been worshiping in New York
since 1845.
Mark Heutlinger,
administrator of the Emanu-El congregation, said the temple and its
members are an important fixture "on the greatest street in the greatest
land in the greatest city of religious freedom."
"We are a part and
parcel of the mosaic society of New York — the quilt of cultures that
represents New York City," Heutlinger said.
Admission to Temple Emanu-El is free, and it is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
Palace of Gold in Moundsville, West Virginia
A name like Palace of Gold comes with high expectations, and this West Virginia shrine doesn't disappoint.
The Indian-inspired
palace is expansive, with marble floors, crystal chandeliers,
stained-glass windows, wood-carved furniture and walls covered in leaves
of 22-karat gold. The grounds surrounding the building feature an
impressive rose garden, a fountain, thousands of different bushes and a
lotus-filled lake.
It's hard to believe this exquisite palace, which opened in 1979, was initially intended to be just a simple house.
In 1973, West Virginia
devotees of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, a Hindu
organization more commonly known in the U.S. as the Hare Krishna
movement, had decided to build a home for their leader, Srila
Prabhupada.
But when Prabhupada died
in 1977, the disciples' course of construction changed, and they began
instead to build a memorial for Prabhupada. And with that, the elaborate
Palace of Gold was born.
April through August,
the Palace of Gold is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and tours are
available: $8 for adults and $6 for children ages 6 to18. From September
to March, its hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and tours are $6 per adult
and $3 per child.
Salt Lake Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah
Not everyone who travels
to the Salt Lake City Temple is allowed inside the walls, but that
doesn't mean they can't enjoy its splendor.
Only temple recommended
Mormons may step foot inside the structure, which is used for special
instruction and ordinances, such as celestial marriages. But the view
from outside the temple is inspirational enough.
The Neo-Gothic building,
which was dedicated in 1893, took 40 years to construct. Except for
some of its hardware and glass, the temple was built completely of
native materials. With five floors, six spires -- the tallest standing
at 210 feet -- and a granite facade, the structure is definitely
imposing.
Salt Lake Temple is at
the heart of Temple Square, three blocks containing nearly 20
attractions significant to Latter-day Saints' life and history, such as
Assembly Hall and the Salt Lake City Tabernacle.
In 2011, Temple Square
saw about 2,750,000 visitors from all over the world. And for those not
allowed inside the temple, a scaled model is on display in the Temple
Square South Visitors' Center, which shows off the building's interior.
Most buildings in Temple Square are open daily to the public, free of charge.
St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City
Although St. Patrick's
Cathedral isn't as tall as the skyscrapers that surround it, the
cathedral has an old-world grandeur that's rare in New York.
The design of this
Neo-Gothic church, which features soaring spires, an elaborate marble
exterior and colorful stained glass windows, was inspired by the great
cathedrals of Europe. Replacing a church of the same name, St. Patrick's
Cathedral opened its doors in 1879 to help accommodate a growing
Catholic population in the city.
The cathedral is iconic in Midtown Manhattan, known as a place of retreat, Monsignor Robert Ritchie said.
"It's kind of an oasis
of quiet inside the hustle and bustle of the surrounding area," Ritchie
said. "It's a place people can go with their problems, a place where
people can just go and look at some beautiful scenery, a place where
people can pray."
Open from 6:30 a.m. to
8:45 p.m. daily, the church welcomes visitors. Free guided group tours
can also be scheduled during weekdays.
No comments:
Post a Comment