TCC 2023 March Photo Contest - Religious Buildings
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Thank you for participating in the TCC Centurian's December photo contest. We hope you have fun with rating these photos.
Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE, is one of the world's largest mosques. Named after Sheikh Zayed, the Founding Father of the UAE, it is an architectural masterpiece combining Islamic architecture and modern elements of Islamic design. I have seen the mosque during times of the day, but I like it best during dusk with an overcast sky when the grays of the sky blend with the beautiful hues of grey and white of this marble edifice. Its courtyard has one of the largest marble mosaic artworks in the world.
Megha Chokshi
Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple) in Chiang Rai, Thailand
This beautiful "White Temple" is a Buddhist temple that doubles as an art exhibit. It is a stunning building in glorious white that includes pieces of glass in the plaster for added sparkle! I was amazed at its beauty and nearby, I enjoyed the best sticky rice with mango that I ever had!
Dave Netzer
Monks performing religious dance in Bhutan
On the way from Bumthang to Thimpu, my guide thought we had missed the chance to see Tshechu performance by the monks; then he heard there will be a performance in a small nearby Dzhong. We quickly reached there. That was one of the highlights of my trip.
Nancy Lim
St. Paul's Cathedral in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
I loved visiting this mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan. Pope John Paul II said mass here at the 1985 consecration of the Cathedral. A wonderful highlight of the Cathedral is the very impressive stained glass windows, depicting the arrival of European missionaries in Africa!
Dave Netzer
Hanging Monastery, near Datong, Shanxi Province, China
To say that the Hanging Monastery is jaw-dropping is a true understatement. Built more than 1,500 years ago, it sits like a spider on a huge, sheer cliff. Walking through this extremely narrow structure (which consists of 40 rooms on several levels) can be a bit nerve-wracking because the railings are quite low and the distance to the ground below is dizzying. This structure is the only existing temple/monastery that expresses Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism combined.
Laurel Glassman
Meteora Monastery
Between the 13th and 14th centuries, the very tops of huge, narrow stone pillars in Meteora (which aptly means "lofty" or "elevated") became the foundations for 24 Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Central Greece. Of the six that remain today, the diminutive Monastery of Rousanou, perched at an elevation of more than 1,450 feet, can lay claim to one of the most spectacular settings in the middle of this vast site.
Laurel Glassman
Al-Shafi Mosque, Old Jeddah
The sights around Old Jeddah in Saudi Arabia are charming in daylight, but as the sun sets and the moon rises, nothing could be more striking than the 1250 A.D. minaret of the Al-Shafi Mosque in Jeddah. Made of lovely coral stone, this minaret, constructed of beautiful coral stone, set the standard for many minarets for years to come. This glowing minaret, with the crescent moon decorating the sky close by, created a unique and indelible impression.image.
Laurel Glassman
Notre Dame Basilica in Montreal, Canada
This is a gorgeous view of the interior of the famous Notre Dame Basilica. I loved the dramatic Gothic Revival Architecture of this religious building. The architect behind the design was so overcome with his work that he converted to Catholicism on his deathbed and is the only person buried in its crypt!
Dave Netzer
Angkor in the morning
It was lost in the jungle for maybe a thousand years. It appeared to me like a dream, the once-lost city of Angkor, when I arrived early in the morning, trying to stay ahead of the mid-day heat. I thought the dreamlike quality was due to the fact that it was so early and I wasn’t fully awake, though my camera captured the ethereal atmosphere I experienced. Walking through Angkor Wat was like walking in another time, viewing art that tells stories, communicates the ideas and emotions of artists from centuries past, tales of battles and daily life, gods and demons, elephants and turtles, the sky and the sea, of hopes and dreams. This is a scan of a photograph taken prior to my acquisition of a digital camera.
Dorothy Thompson
Midnight Sun Mosque
This mosque, also known as the "Little Mosque of the Tundra", was built in 2010. It is the northernmost mosque in the world and the only one above the Arctic Circle. It is located in Inuvik. Inuvik is a very small town in the Northwestern Territories in Canada, not far from the Arctic Ocean and on the Mackenzie estuary. It is mainly sunni, though open to all muslims. It was built for workers attracted there in the mid 70s by the Arctic oil exploration boom. Inuvik is nearly at the end of the Dempster Highway, a winter only road starting not far from Dawson City which I traveled in 2013; It is a bit peculiar : due to the short (or long days with light (either midnight sun or polar night, religious rules for fasting during Ramadan have to be adjusted!
Dominique Laurent
Eglise Sainte Radegonde
This Roman style church is a very nice parish church (catholic) dating from the 11th century. It is located in Talmont-sur-Gironde in Charente-Maritime (Southwestern France). It is astonishing for its situation on a high cliff above the Estuary of the Gironde. I visited it in 2022.
Dominique Laurent
Up
When inside a mosque, I realize, the very best things to see often involve looking up, straight up, way up. This is the inside of the dome of the Tillya-Kari Madrassah mosque in Registan Square, constructed 1640-1660 and finished/restored in more recent times. Coated with gold, the meaning of Tillya-Kari, it was explained to me, seems appropriate in this case. At first, the view is striking and engaging. The longer I looked, the more I found it to be nearly hypnotic, expanding to infinity. I thought it unlikely that an interior photo aiming at something so far up in low light would turn out, but I wanted to try. And it worked. / Samarkand, Uzbekistan
Dorothy Thompson
Rila Monastery, Bulgaria
Black-and-white striped arches, colorful murals of saints and sinners, and high snow-capped peaks that fill the horizon - a visit to Bulgaria’s Rila Monastery is one of our memorable experiences, and not only because it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place pretty much unites a stunning landscape, spirituality, amazing art and architecture, and interesting stories. Rila Monastery was founded in the 10th century by St. Ivan of Rila, a hermit, who lived in a cave without any material possessions not far from the monastery’s location. It was actually his students who built the complex when they came to the mountains for their education. This monastery is said to have preserved the Bulgarian language and culture during the Ottoman rule, and is known as being one of the hideouts of Bulgarian revolutionaries.
Megha Chokshi
Nagoor Meera Saheb Mandir
This strange ship-shaped temple (also known as Nagoor Meera Saheb Jhanda Prayer Hall) is located in Yanam (India). Yanam (also known as Yanaon in French) was a trading post and was during 200 years one of the 5 small colonies that France had in India. I visited this place in 2014. Yanam is entirely surrounded by Andhra Pradesh.
Domin
Nasir-Ol Molk Mosque
Nasir-Ol Molk Mosque, also known as the Pink Mosque, is one of the most ancient mosques of Shiraz and one of the most beautiful sites in Iran. It looks like an ordinary Islamic mosque but as the sun rises, the art of architecture turns the mosque into a huge kaleidoscope.
Wanda Ross
Ganden Monastery, Tibet
Ganden Monastery is the primary seat of the Gelug School of Buddhism monasteries of Tibet, as well as one of the Great Three Holy Monasteries of Lhasa, along with Sera Monastery and Drepung Monastery. It is situated at an elevation of 3800m/12,497ft and is the main seat of the Geluk School. While at the monastery, we did the low and high kora to see the enchanting views of Lhasa Valley and the surrounding mountains and Tsongkapa’s meditation cave. This unique and beautiful monastery lies at the top of Wangbori Mountain, in a shallow natural depression just below the actual peak.
Megha Chokshi
Unexpected discovery: Popwoon Temple
I did not expect to see in North Korea a Buddhist temple complete with priest, a place of worship apparently open and active. He welcomed me inside and was agreeable to be photographed. This is a scan of a photograph taken prior to my acquisition of a digital camera. Taken near Yongaksan, DPRK, 2007.
Dorothy Thompson
Saint Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv Ukraine
The Bell Tower next to Saint Sophia is a great place for a birds-eye view of the Cathedral. At the right time of night this majestic building looks like a miniature model. The colors are brilliant and the building is well-lit at night. This photo was taken January of 2022 just before Orthodox Christmas.
Kevin D Oswald
Amazing photos, we're a lucky bunch.
So baby wonderful photos
A marvelous group of photos.