Sacred
Title
Sacred
Subject
domestic and public sacred spaces and piety of traditional Roman religion, Christians, and Jews
Creator
Joel G. Cerimele
Collection Items
Courtyard of the Great Mosque of Aleppo in 2016, during the Syrian Civil War
Both the Great Mosque of Aleppo and the Great Mosque of Damascus were built in the same year: 715 CE. The structure in Damascus has been largely spared during the Syrian Civil War, but the same cannot be said for Aleppo. The structure there has…
The Dome of the Rock and the Dome of the Chain
To the left of this image is the Dome of the Rock, while on the right is the Dome of the Chain. The latter building is a Muslim prayer house constructed at the same time as the Dome of the Rock, in 691 CE.
The Foundation Stone
A photograph of the Foundation Stone, located at the center of the Dome of the Rock. Islamic tradition from the Hadith maintains that Muhammad traveled to this location during the Night Journey (al-’Isrā’ wal-Mi‘rāj).
View of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem
In this picture, both of the domes of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Dome of the Rock are visible. The two have virtually the same dimensions, which scholars have suggested was a conscious decision by the architects of the Islamic structure…
Shrine at the Horrea (Granary) of Hortensius
This private shrine once existed within a busy granary in the port city of Ostia. According to the mosaic below the altar, Hortensius served as a captain of a naval fleet at Misenum. Having made a vow to unspecified gods, the captain paid out of his…
Map of Ostia Showing Late Antique Domestic and Work-Place Shrines
This map of Ostia details seventeen identified household and work-place shrines, all datable to the third century, meant for private devotion. These sites included distinct spaces meant for honoring household gods. Remember too that non-monumental…
Lulav, Ethrog, Menorah, and Shofar on the Corbel of the Ostia Synagogue
Close-Up of a corbel from the remaining structure of the Ostia synagogue, with a clearly discernible menorah
Hagia Eirene, Constantinople
Commissioned in 360 by Constantine, the Hagia Eirene could be said to physically represent the Christian side of his policy of toleration alongside the traditionally Roman Capitolium.
Synagogue at Ostia, Fourth Century
While the initial creation of the synagogue in Ostia by its Jewish community remains unclear, this plan shows the synagogue in its final phase, after the fourth century. The structure itself probably dates back at the very latest to the early third…
Apotropaic Amulet from Ostia, Second to Fourth Century
Dated somewhere between the second and fourth centuries, this apotropaic amulet from Ostia exemplifies the eclectic, pragmatic, and individual nature of late antique devotion. The amulet would be worn either as a pendant or around the neck. The…