☪️ 2nd Day - Architecture and Religion

 "Something you truly love."

Today, I want to write about architecture and Religion. Yes, both. Believe it or not, I'm a great fan of architectural places like mosques, gurdwaras, pagodas, and synagogues. As far as I remember, when I first noticed that love I had was in the summer of 2009. To be more specific, my "great experience" took place in July.

    That year, I traveled to Puebla, accompanied by my oldest brother and a friend of mine. Puebla is a state located in southeastern Mexico, well known for its thousands of churches spread throughout various cities. We wanted to visit a specific Baroque temple situated at the top of a pyramid—ten minutes of distance to the city center. From then on, I started believing that every cathedral, mosque, or church has a memory, a history of achievements, and mistakes that make sacred architecture unique. Not only their colors and feelings are unforgettable, but their odors. 

    For instance, let's take the Masjid al-Haram (better known as the Great Mosque of Mecca), considered the holiest place on earth and, at the same time, the earthy house of God for Muslim people. Even though this building has passed through the control of various caliphs, kings, and sultans, its beauty stays the same. Its architecture surrounds the Kaaba, the sacred cube where Muslims everywhere in the world direct their everyday prayer, performing the Salah. White marble columns cover every corner in its interior area. 

    To take another example, the Golden Temple in the northern city of Amritsar is Sikhism's most important house of worship. People from all faiths are welcome in Sikh gurdwaras. Its white marble and gold leaf design make its facade impressive from the very beginning. The always-unpredictable breath-taking sight you see getting in for the first time has a special meaning in this gurdwara. 

    However, my love falls for one specific type of temple. From my viewpoint, orthodox churches are the most fantastic worship places on earth for sightseeing, praying, and admire. In my constant searching for new spiritual spots, I discovered on the internet one place not far from the US that could be nice to visit. As a French speaker, I flew to Montreal toward the end of 2019, a city located in Quebec's French province. I went there to see the Notre Dame Basilica of Montreal, a blend of catholic and orthodox architecture mixed with gothic aspects. 

    When we arrived there, we stood staring at the main gate. We were speechless. Its facade was better than we thought. Surprisingly, there was an event in two hours, so I decided to wait nearby with a friend. While waiting for the entrance time, we discovered another four-story church. Regardless of being in Canada, this was a Spanish-speaking temple. We got into to find out what was going on. Overall, the paintings and decor were breath-taking and the small sanctuary next to the chapel dedicated to Jesus, too.

    The two hours passed by, and we returned to Notre Dame to be in time for the show. We paid the fee, an easy-going guy received us and told us, "As every sacred place on heart, this temple burned a couple of times, welcome to the AURA experience, please take your sits." We laughed for a while and found our sits on the mainline of the benches. Everything was ready to begin.

Onward...