Water and Sacred Architecture

This edited book explores the architectural representations of water as a physical and symbolic property linked to the sacred, focusing on how water influenced the sacredness of buildings across history and religions and how sacred architecture expressed the spiritual meaning of water. It offers original material on various contextual and design aspects of water and sacred architecture, compiled by a stellar group of scholars and practitioners from different regions. The chapters address rituals, pilgrimage, water as a cultural material and place-making, hydro systems, modern practices, environmental considerations, and the contribution of water to transforming secular into sacred.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 300 pages
Publication date: 25 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This edited book delves into the intricate connections between water, as a physical and symbolic element, and the sacred realm. It explores two interconnected dimensions of this relationship: the historical influence of water on the sacredness of buildings across various religions and cultures, and the spiritual expression of water in sacred architecture. Rather than presenting a conventional historical chronology or focusing solely on a specific geographical region, the volume aims to offer original insights into diverse contextual and design aspects of water and sacred architecture.

The chapters in this book are authored by a distinguished group of scholars and practitioners from the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Africa. They cover a wide range of topics related to water in religious buildings, including rituals, pilgrimage, water as a cultural material and place-making, hydro systems, modern practices, environmental considerations, the transformation of secular spaces into sacred ones, and the digital/cyber context of water and sacredness. Each chapter is based on extensive archival studies, historical documents, and field visits to the sites and buildings in question. Through these examinations, the book reveals water as an expressive medium in architectural design, its materiality, and its profound spiritual values.

This edited book will appeal to a wide audience, including architects, historians, environmentalists, archaeologists, religious scholars, and preservationists. Its insights into the multifaceted relationship between water and the sacred will deepen our understanding of architectural history, cultural heritage, and the spiritual dimensions of our world.

Weight: 632g
Dimension: 173 x 246 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032415895