Characteristics of temples of different religions. Main types of religions

The church of any religion reflects the culture of the people, their inner aspirations and idea of ​​paradise. Views on beauty vary greatly, and something familiar to us can cause considerable surprise to a person of a different culture. Maybe we should sometimes see the breadth of transcendental ideas? So, we present to you the most amazing and beautiful buildings of various religions.

Prambanan Temple Complex (Java Island, Indonesia)

From a distance it may seem as if rocks have grown out of the ground. But when you get closer, you are amazed to see the monumental temples. This is Prambanan, built on the island of Java as a symbol of the divine power of the Hindu king Rakai Pikatan. He conquered an island where they believed in Buddhism. Both religions mixed and turned into one, so in Prambanan there are both figures of Buddha, the lord of the worlds sitting in a royal pose, and the merciful Shiva - the beginning of beginnings.

The temple is covered with bas-reliefs in the form of drawings, revealing the most important moments of Hinduism. Recently, this building has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Kinkakuji Temple (Kyoto, Japan)

The name translates as “Golden Pavilion” because the temple is partially covered with gold, the same as the domes of churches in Russia. Japanese laconic architecture and complete combination with the surrounding landscape delight the eye and inspire writers and architects to create (many stories have been written about the Golden Temple, and a similar Silver Temple has been built). The temple contains Buddhist relics and historically valuable items. Included in the UNESCO list.

Sri Rangatatswamy (Srirangam, India)

On the island of Srirangam there is a wonderful temple complex, the largest in India. It is built in honor of the Hindu god Vishnu and his manifestations in various forms. Like everything in India, the structure looks delightfully colorful, it is decorated with many figurines embodying the main concepts of this religion.

Wat Rong Khun (Chiang Rai, Thailand)

Incredibly white and fabulous, it is guarded by stone demons and beckons you to enter. Wat Rong Khun is a very young temple dedicated to Buddhism. It is completely different from ordinary Buddhist temples; it is a fusion of modern ideas and artistic vision of the tenets of Buddhism. Its creator has been working on the temple for three decades and plans to finish it only in 2070.

Temple of Heaven (Beijing, China)

This temple has stood in Beijing since the 15th century and has still not lost its relevance. Many tricks were used in its construction to give visitors the feeling of being in heaven. Changes in height, colors, play of sounds - everything creates a mysterious and exciting feeling. There is nothing in the center of the temple - no altar, no religious objects. It is as if a person is addressing himself directly to heaven.

Paro-Taktsang (Bhutan)

Paro Taktsang translates to “shelter of the tiger.” This is a monastery in Bhutan, built on a rock jutting out over a precipice. Inside the monastery there is luxury - golden domes and Buddha statues, figurines illustrating the history of the monastery: the great guru Rinpoche flew here on the back of a tigress and meditated for three months, imbuing this place with goodness. Indeed, looking at the surrounding beauty, it is difficult not to be filled with goodness!

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (Abu Dhabi, UAE)

This mosque is located in the United Arab Emirates, and it looks like it was built by genies. Gold and semi-precious stones, crystal and Swarovski crystals. No words! The incredible luxury of the mosque can only be appreciated by seeing it.

Golden Temple (Amritsar, India)

It is located in India, in the middle of Lake Amrita Saras. It is lined with copper and plated with gold, which is how it got its name. A thin path from the shore will lead anyone to this temple, as if floating on the waters.

Temple of the Atonement of the Sagrada Familia (Barcelona, ​​Spain)

It is located in Barcelona (Spain). The cathedral took so long to build that the Spaniards declared the day it was finished to be the end of the world. Construction began in the 19th century. Antoni Gaudi, the architect of the cathedral, planned to embody the entire Old Testament in it. Unfortunately, he died before this happened, and did not even leave any drawings or sketches of his plan. But his successors are trying to complete the cathedral in the same spirit.

Guys, we put our soul into the site. Thank you for that
that you are discovering this beauty. Thanks for the inspiration and goosebumps.
Join us on Facebook And In contact with

Some of these temples were built several centuries ago, others are the creations of modern architects. The implementation of some ideas took decades and even centuries. Others needed only a few years. All these buildings have one thing in common - their architecture is unique, and this attracts millions of people, regardless of their beliefs.

website brings you some of the most architecturally significant places of worship from around the world.

Milan Cathedral, Italy

Holy Trinity Church, Antarctica

The Russian Orthodox Church was built in Russia in the 1990s and then transported to a Russian station in Antarctica. This is one of 7 churches on its territory.

Taktsang Lhakhang, Bhutan

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, United Arab Emirates

Hallgrimskirkja Church, Iceland

The Lutheran Church in Reykjavik is the fourth tallest building in Iceland. It is located in the center of Reykjavik and is visible from any part of the city.

Temple of All Religions, Kazan, Russia

This unique structure miraculously combines a Christian cross, a Muslim crescent, a Star of David and a Chinese dome. True, no rituals are performed here, because this is not a functioning temple, but just a building that looks like a residential building inside. In total, the project includes domes and other iconic elements of religious buildings of 16 world religions, including disappeared civilizations.

Lotus Temple, India

For the people of India, the lotus means purity and peace. This is one of the most visited buildings in the world.

Kul-Sharif Mosque, Kazan, Russia

The designers of the new mosque tried to recreate the main mosque of the Kazan Khanate, destroyed in 1552 by the troops of Ivan the Terrible.

Cathedral of Las Lajas, Colombia

The neo-Gothic cathedral is built directly on a 30-meter arched bridge connecting the two sides of a deep gorge. The temple is cared for by two Franciscan communities: one is Colombian, the other is Ecuadorian. Thus, the Cathedral of Las Lajas became a pledge of peace and union between the two South American peoples.

Kamppi Chapel of Silence, Finland

It is intended for privacy and meetings. There are no services in the chapel. Here you can hide from the bustle, enjoy peace in one of the busiest places in the capital and meditate in an environmentally friendly space. Due to its appearance and materials, the chapel of silence is often called the “sauna of the spirit.”

Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Slovenia

The church is located on the only island in all of Slovenia. To get inside, you need to cross the lake by boat and climb 99 steps.

Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel, USA

The chapel's unique design is a classic example of modernist architecture. The magnificent interior brings together several different areas of worship under one roof, including Protestant, Catholic, Jewish and Buddhist chapels. Each of them has its own distinctive symbolism, ammunition and its own exit.

Paoay Church, Philippines

St Patrick's Cathedral, Australia

St Patrick's Cathedral is the tallest and largest church in Australia.

Church of the Transfiguration, Kizhi, Russia

The church was built in the traditions of Russian carpentry, that is, without nails. It is crowned with 22 domes and its height is 37 meters.

Green Church, Argentina

The most ordinary Catholic church became famous thanks to its rich living ivy decor, which turned the facade into an allusion to the biblical Garden of Gethsemane.

St. Andrew's Church, Ukraine

The church is located on a steep hill, offering a beautiful view of Kyiv. According to legend, it was built on the spot where St. Andrew the First-Called erected a cross. This is just one of the many legends that surround St. Andrew's Church.

California Mormon Temple, USA

The huge building is made in dazzling white. And this color scheme is no coincidence, because white color is traditionally perceived as a symbol of purity and purity. Tourists and simply curious people are not allowed inside the Mormon Temple itself; only members of the community can enter the premises of the sacred building.

Crystal Mosque, Malaysia

It is located on an artificial island. The mosque is made of steel and glass, so it feels like it is made of crystal.

Culture

Religion, no matter how much it adheres to the principles of poverty, is the mother of some of the most magnificent monuments of architecture in human history.

The list below contains buildings and temples of the most common religions.

10. Orthodox Christianity

St. Peter's Basilica is located in the Vatican and has been located at the center of the Catholic Church since its inception. In the first century AD, Saint Peter was buried on this site after his crucifixion. Because St. Peter was the first Pope, early Christians remembered and honored this site. In the 4th century, the first St. Peter's Basilica was built, which in the 16th century underwent a total restoration according to the design of Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

This is one of the largest (if not the largest) architectural monuments of the Renaissance that still exists today. Contrary to popular belief, this building is not an official papal basilica - that honor belongs to the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

9. World religion Islam

Masjid al-Haram is a huge mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is the largest in Islam and is also the home of the Kaaba. This is a structure in the form of a black square in which Muslims must pray every day. The Kaaba is believed to contain a stone bearing Abraham's footprint, as well as a black stone that Muslims believe was a meteorite that fell to earth and showed Adam and Eve where to build the altar.

The construction of this mosque began in 630 AD, when Muhammad won a territorial victory and began to establish his own order.

8. Hinduism in India

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple occupies a leading position among the sacred temples of the Hindus. It is located in Varanasi, India (the city is mentioned in Hindu scriptures as the home of Lord Shiva). Every Hindu should generally visit this place at least once in their life and they should also ideally scatter the ashes of their deceased family members in the Ganges River flowing there.

Hindus believe that this city is the oldest city in human history. It is worth noting that the temple has a 15-meter spire made of gold.

7. Buddhism in the world

The most important place in Buddhism is the Mahabodhi Temple, built on a place that, according to Buddhists, is the “Navel of the Earth”. It was here that the Bodhi Tree was located, under which the first Buddha is said to have achieved his enlightenment around 528 BC.

The temple is located in the state of Bihar in India. Unfortunately, in recent years, temple officials have increasingly been accused of fraudulently using donations and selling sacred objects.

6. Sikhism

Sri Harmandir Sahib is the main shrine of Sikhism. The temple is located in the Indian state of Punjab and was built in 1574 AD. It houses the holy scriptures of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib, consisting of many poems, hymns and religious injunctions.

The temple is also often called “golden” because its upper floors are covered with real gold.

5. Judaism as a religion

Obviously there is no Jewish temple, which is why the Great Synagogue in Budapest is on this list. It is the largest synagogue in Europe and the fifth largest in the world.

There is a Holocaust museum, a school and a cemetery here. The synagogue was built in 1854 and seats three thousand people.

4. Baha'i Temple

While it is not a major Baha'i shrine, the Lotus Temple of India is a new structure, but by far the most interesting architecturally. It is built in the shape of a lotus flower, so the idea was realized 100 percent.

The temple was built in 1986, making it the newest structure on this list. Adherents of all religions are allowed to enter it, however, sermons are prohibited, music is allowed, but musical instruments are prohibited.

3. Chinese philosophy of Confucianism

The Confucius Temple in Qufu, China, is the most important temple of Confucianism. This was the very first structure of this religion, it is still the largest, and is also currently a World Heritage Site.

It is the largest cultural site in modern China, and since it went through major renovations due to a fire immediately after the construction of the Forbidden City, it has very similar features to it.

2. Jainism

Sri Digambar is the largest and oldest Jain temple located in the capital of India, Delhi. It was erected in 1656. In order to enter, you must follow several rules: no food, no leather clothing and no menstruating women.

There are also other important historical monuments in this region, so it is worth considering visiting these places.

1. Roman paganism

Actually, the Shinto religion should have been at the top of this list due to the least number of followers, but, alas, Shinto shrines are incredibly boring. Instead, in the first place was a temple built in honor of all the gods of Ancient Rome.

The Pantheon is a stunning structure built in 27 BC. It exists to this day largely due to the fact that it was adopted as the Catholic Church when Roman paganism gradually began to fade away. Although the temple contains a large number of Christian changes that were made to make the temple suitable for Christian worship, it still retains its original pagan elements, including numeric and symbolic elements in the design. It is, as you might expect, located in Rome.

Currently, the problem of developing a tolerant consciousness has become especially acute, and textbooks on the humanities in elementary schools contain a minimum of information on this problem and a minimum of material for work, which, in my opinion, indicates the absence of a system in solving this issue. Therefore, in the classroom, the teacher should use every opportunity to instill in children a sense of respect for other people's way of life.

So, when studying history in the 4th grade on the topic “Adoption of Christianity in Rus',” it is necessary to acquaint students with the content and essence of three (of the four main) religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity and Islam, which allows us to more fully substantiate the reason for the adoption of Christianity in 988 by Prince Vladimir “ Red Sun."

Getting to know these religions can begin by identifying the architectural features of the temples.

Primary school students are fertile ground for international education, which is very important nowadays, so it is important not to miss the time when you can convey to children the idea that people of different religions complement each other and enrich their inner and outer world.

Lesson objective: give children knowledge about the similarities of the religions of the world, about the common source of their origin.

The purpose of the lesson: patriotic education, instilling a sense of tolerance in children.

Equipment:

• images of Orthodox churches, Muslim mosques, Jewish synagogues;
• set of postcards “Cathedral of Christ the Savior”;
• textbook E.V. Saplina, A.I. Saplina “Introduction to History”, 4th grade M.: “Bustard”, 2002;
• notebook of creative tasks E.V. Saplina, A.I. Saplin “Introduction to History” 4th grade, M.: “Drofa”, 2005; atlas “History of the Fatherland” grades 3-5, M.: “Drofa”, 2000;
• Holy books - Bible, Koran.

During the classes

1. Setting the lesson goal

Today we will take you on a short trip. We will visit different temples. Which temples have you already been to? We will begin our journey from an Orthodox church.

2. Reporting new material

Architectural features of Orthodox churches.

The teacher shows an image of the Orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

What is a Russian temple?

What geometric figure does it resemble? (Square.)

From the point of view of ancient peoples, a square is a symbol of what? (Symbol of earth.)

What completes the temple? (Domes.)

What geometric figure does the dome resemble? (Circle.)

From the point of view of ancient people, the circle is a symbol of what? (Sky.)

What conclusion can we draw? (The dome is also a symbol of the sky.)

How many domes do you see on the Cathedral of Christ the Savior? (5)

The number of domes can be different: one chapter - in honor of Jesus Christ, three chapters - in honor of the Holy Trinity, five chapters - in honor of Jesus Christ and the four evangelists, seven - the number of church sacraments: baptism, confirmation, repentance, communion, sacrament of the priesthood, sacrament of marriage, unction.

The teacher shows images of temples with different numbers of domes.

It is very rare to find churches with 9 domes in honor of the meeting of the soul of a deceased person with angels of 9 ranks. Such a rare nine-domed one is the Dmitrov Assumption Cathedral, built at the expense of the Dmitrov prince Yuri Ivanovich, son of Ivan III in 1509-1533, and the Moscow St. Basil's Cathedral (Cathedral of the Intercession on the Moat), built under Ivan IV in honor of the capture of Kazan on October 14, 1552 . Children look at images of temples and their domes.

There are 13-domed temples in honor of Jesus Christ and the 12 apostles.

We will find an image of such a temple on page 3 of the atlas “History of the Fatherland”.

What is the name of this temple? St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.

What are the domes topped with? (Cross.)

Even in pre-Christian times, the sign of the cross in many religions was a symbol of the divine and a symbol of eternal life, and with the adoption of Christianity, the Cross of the Lord includes these meanings and is for Christians a sign of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Working with a notebook. In your workbook on page 11, find the Orthodox church.

How did you determine that this was an Orthodox church? It resembles a square and has a dome topped with a cross.

What does an Orthodox church look like inside?

Postcards with the interior decoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior are hung on a board or stand.

The main part of the Orthodox church is altar.

The altar is the most important part of an Orthodox church. The word "altar" is Latin. The altar existed in pre-Christian times. In early Christianity, the altar was the table on which the sacrament was prepared. Only clergy or men can enter the altar during the rite of baptism. The altar is separated from the rest of the temple by a wall with icons - an iconostasis, which allows the clergy not to be distracted during the ceremony.

There are 5 rows of icons on the iconostasis. In the center are Royal Doors. From the entrance through the entire church to the royal gates there are royal way, which is marked on the floor with a different color or carpet.

Demonstration of a model of the iconostasis with the Royal Doors.

Working with the textbook.

Page 25. Top drawing. What is shown? Royal Gates.

Prove, confirm your words with lines from the text.

Bottom picture. What is shown? Orthodox church and bell tower.

Why is a bell tower built next to an Orthodox church? Christians are called to worship by the ringing of bells.

What does an Islamic mosque look like?

Working with a notebook. In the workbook on page 11, find the Muslim mosque.

The teacher shows a picture of a mosque.

How did you determine that this is a mosque? Mosques have a crescent moon.

The construction of Islamic religious buildings is based on a rectangular courtyard (similar to the square shape of an Orthodox church - a symbol of the earth)

What completes the mosque? Dome. (Similarity with an Orthodox church: the dome is a symbol of heaven.) What is the dome crowned with? Crescent. (For Christians - with a cross)

The word "Islam" means "surrender to God." In Arabic it sounds like “Muslim”, which is where the Russian word “Muslim” comes from.

What architectural similarities do we see in an Orthodox church and a Muslim mosque?

Quadrangular shape, dome with a religious symbol of a cross or crescent.

IN difference from Christian churches, in mosques there are no images of living beings (animals and humans). This has a deep religious meaning: not to be distracted from prayer directed to Allah.

The mosque is decorated with geometric and floral patterns and inscriptions in Arabic script.

A minaret is being built next to the mosque. Muslims call for prayer by singing from the top of the minaret. (For Christians - ringing bells)

Religious similarities in Christianity and Islam.

Do Christians have a God? Yes. Muslims? Yes. What is the name of the Muslim god? Allah.

Do Christians have a holy book? Yes, the Bible (Greek – collection of books). The holy book of Muslims is the Koran (Arabic - read by heart, recite).

Display and viewing of sacred books - the Bible and the Koran.

Arabian and biblical holy books have common roots. (Adam, Eve, Abraham - Ibrahim, Moses - Moussa.)

Do Christians have angels? Yes. Muslims? Yes. (Archangel Gabriel, in Islam - Jebrail).

Differences in Christianity and Islam, Judaism.

Christianity recognizes the trinity of deity: God is the Father, God is the Son, God is the Holy Spirit. Islam recognizes monotheism and considers Jesus to be the penultimate prophet. Jews consider Jesus Christ to be the last prophet.

Judaism.

Working with a notebook. In your workbook on page 11, find the Jewish synagogue. What architectural features can we identify in a Jewish synagogue?

The basis of the temple is a quadrangle, like an Orthodox church and mosque. The synagogue is also topped with a dome.

The teacher shows a picture of a synagogue.

There are no images of living creatures in the synagogue, only floral patterns and inscriptions (just like in mosques)

Judaism is the oldest of these three religions. The holy book of the Jews is the Bible.

Judaism was the first to proclaim monotheism. Judaism is the source from which Christianity (the most widespread religion) emerged. Based on the ideas of Judaism and Christianity, Islam (the second largest world religion in terms of the number of adherents) emerged. That is why these religions have so much in common, which means you can always find a common language when resolving any controversial issues.

3. Generalization

Images of temples are hung on the board (stand) for comparative analysis.

Which architectural similarities we see in an Orthodox church, a Muslim mosque, a Jewish synagogue?

At the base of the temple there is a quadrangle. The dome is a symbol of the sky. Cross, crescent, star are religious symbols.

There is no image of living beings in the mosque and synagogue, so as not to be distracted from prayer, but in a Christian church there is an iconostasis that fences off the altar from the rest of the church, so that nothing distracts the clergy during the ceremony.

Arabian and biblical tales have common roots. (Adam, Eve, Abraham - Ibrahim, Moses - Moussa.)

The main holy book: the Koran for Muslims, the Bible for Christians and Jews.

4. Summing up

What new did you learn today?

What conclusions can we draw?

People of different religions complement each other, enriching their inner and outer world.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are religions close to each other, because have a lot in common.

5. Homework

Textbook, pp. 24-28, workbook, pp. 11.

References

1. E.V. Saplina, A.I. Saplina “Introduction to History”, 4th grade M.: “Bustard”, 2002;

2. O.A. Andreev. Spiritual revival of the individual through the analysis of world religions. Rostov-on-Don: “Phoenix”, 2003.

3. T.D. Sholokhova, G.N. Podshibyakin. Shrines of the Dmitrov land. Photo album. Moscow: Zhizn Publishing Group LLC, 2005.

As well as their classifications. In religious studies, it is common to distinguish the following types: tribal, national and world religions.

Buddhism

- the most ancient world religion. It originated in the 6th century. BC e. in India, and is currently widespread in the countries of South, Southeast, Central Asia and the Far East and has about 800 million followers. Tradition connects the emergence of Buddhism with the name of Prince Siddhartha Gautama. The father hid the bad things from Gautama, he lived in luxury, married his beloved girl, who bore him a son. The impetus for the spiritual upheaval for the prince, as legend says, was four meetings. First he saw a decrepit old man, then one suffering from leprosy and a funeral procession. So Gautama learned that old age, illness and death are the lot of all people. Then he saw a peaceful beggar wanderer who needed nothing from life. All this shocked the prince and made him think about the fate of people. He secretly left the palace and family, at the age of 29 he became a hermit and tried to find the meaning of life. As a result of deep reflection, at the age of 35 he became Buddha - enlightened, awakened. For 45 years, Buddha preached his teaching, which can be briefly summarized in the following basic ideas.

Life is suffering, the cause of which is the desires and passions of people. To get rid of suffering, you need to renounce earthly passions and desires. This can be achieved by following the path of salvation indicated by the Buddha.

After death, any living creature, including humans, is reborn again, but already in the form of a new living being, whose life is determined not only by its own behavior, but also by the behavior of its “predecessors”.

We must strive for nirvana, i.e. dispassion and peace, which are achieved by renouncing earthly attachments.

Unlike Christianity and Islam Buddhism lacks the idea of ​​God as the creator of the world and its ruler. The essence of the teachings of Buddhism comes down to a call for every person to take the path of seeking inner freedom, complete liberation from all the shackles that life brings.

Christianity

Originated in the 1st century. n. e. in the eastern part of the Roman Empire - Palestine - as addressed to all the humiliated, thirsting for justice. It is based on the idea of ​​messianism - hope in the Divine deliverer of the world from everything bad that exists on Earth. Jesus Christ suffered for the sins of people, whose name in Greek means “Messiah”, “Savior”. With this name, Jesus is associated with the Old Testament legends about the coming to the land of Israel of a prophet, a messiah, who would free the people from suffering and establish a righteous life - the kingdom of God. Christians believe that God's coming to Earth will be accompanied by the Last Judgment, when He will judge the living and the dead and send them to heaven or hell.

Basic Christian ideas:

• The belief that God is one, but He is a Trinity, i.e. God has three “persons”: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, which form one God who created the Universe.
• Faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, God the Son is Jesus Christ. He has two natures at the same time: Divine and human.
• Belief in Divine grace is a mysterious power sent by God to free a person from sin.
• Belief in posthumous reward and afterlife.
• Belief in the existence of good spirits - angels and evil spirits - demons, along with their ruler Satan.

The holy book of Christians is Bible, which means “book” in Greek. The Bible consists of two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the oldest part of the Bible. The New Testament (actually Christian works) includes: the four gospels (Luke, Mark, John and Matthew); the acts of the holy apostles; Epistles and Revelation of John the Theologian.

In the 4th century. n. e. Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity is not united. It split into three currents. In 1054, Christianity split into the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. In the 16th century The Reformation, an anti-Catholic movement, began in Europe. The result was Protestantism.

And they admit seven Christian sacraments: baptism, confirmation, repentance, communion, marriage, priesthood and consecration of oil. The source of doctrine is the Bible. The differences are mainly as follows. In Orthodoxy there is no single head, there is no idea of ​​purgatory as a place of temporary placement of the souls of the dead, the priesthood does not take a vow of celibacy, as in Catholicism. The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope, elected for life; the center of the Roman Catholic Church is the Vatican - a state that occupies several blocks in Rome.

It has three main currents: Anglicanism, Calvinism And Lutheranism. Protestants consider the condition for the salvation of a Christian not the formal observance of rituals, but his sincere personal faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Their teaching proclaims the principle of universal priesthood, which means that every layman can preach. Almost all Protestant denominations have reduced the number of sacraments to a minimum.

Islam

Originated in the 7th century. n. e. among the Arab tribes of the Arabian Peninsula. This is the youngest of the world. There are followers of Islam more than 1 billion people.

The founder of Islam is a historical figure. He was born in 570 in Mecca, which for that time was a fairly large city at the intersection of trade routes. In Mecca there was a shrine revered by the majority of pagan Arabs - the Kaaba. Muhammad's mother died when he was six years old, and his father died before his son was born. Muhammad was brought up in his grandfather's family, a noble but impoverished family. At the age of 25, he became the manager of the household of the wealthy widow Khadija and soon married her. At the age of 40, Muhammad acted as a religious preacher. He declared that God (Allah) had chosen him as his prophet. The ruling elite of Mecca did not like the sermon, and by 622 Muhammad had to move to the city of Yathrib, later renamed Medina. The year 622 is considered the beginning of the Muslim calendar according to the lunar calendar, and Mecca is the center of the Muslim religion.

The Muslim Holy Book is a processed record of Muhammad's sermons. During Muhammad's lifetime, his statements were perceived as direct speech from Allah and were transmitted orally. Several decades after the death of Muhammad, they were written down and would compile the Koran.

Plays an important role in the religion of Muslims Sunnah - a collection of edifying stories about the life of Muhammad and Sharia - a set of principles and rules of conduct obligatory for Muslims. The most serious ipexa.Mii among Muslims are usury, drunkenness, gambling and adultery.

The place of worship of Muslims is called a mosque. Islam prohibits the depiction of humans and living animals; hollow mosques are decorated only with ornaments. In Islam there is no clear division between clergy and laity. Any Muslim who knows the Koran, Muslim laws and rules of worship can become a mullah (priest).

Great importance is attached to ritual in Islam. You may not know the intricacies of faith, but you should strictly perform the main rituals, the so-called five pillars of Islam:

• pronouncing the formula of confession of faith: “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet”;
• performing daily five times prayer (namaz);
• fasting during the month of Ramadan;
• giving alms to the poor;
• making a pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj).