Modern History and Culture Booster 2018 Cathedral architecture always exceptions. Let's start at the entrance. The history of cathedral architecture begins When you walk through the main front door of the around the year 312 CE. When the Byzantine cathedral, generally called the West Door, you emperor, Constantine I, publicly converted to enter into the narthex. The narthex is a Christianity and legitimized Christianity as a formal congregating space, often separated from the religion, the Christian church as we know it was main worship area by another set of doors. The formally organized. Although there were narthex has changed quite a bit over the years. At impressive buildings long before, calling these times it was almost non-existent and at others it structures cathedrals would be misleading as was massive. Some medieval cathedrals had large bishops did not come into play until the 4th seating areas in an elevated narthex reserved for century. royal patrons, while others used the narthex to hold royal tombs. With the early Christian church based largely in Rome, their architecture was mostly also based on Past the narthex is the main part of the church. Roman precedents. In the Roman Empire, local Generally, this main part has three central aisles. magistrates would hold court in a long, The middle aisle is called the nave. The side aisles rectangular hall called a basilica. In one end of the were historically used for people passing through hall, the magistrate would legislate and at the the church to get to one of the chapels, while the other end was generally a small chapel-style nave was used for processionals. The front of the temple to worship the Roman gods. Basilicas were nave is intercepted by a long perpendicular important to Romans as they constituted an section called the transept. If you think of a unrestricted public space, something Romans cathedral like a lowercase t, the transept is the valued as a right of citizenship. This meant that horizontal line. Transepts often contain chapels, practically anybody could congregate in a basilica small areas meant for private worship. Chapels are to hold meetings, socialize, or discuss important often funded by a private donor or family, who matters. When early Christians started coming also may have had the option to decorate it. In together to practice their religion, they often did fact, some of the most important paintings in so in Roman basilicas. Western history were commissioned for private chapels. Parts of a Cathedral Bom Jesus-Old Goa Over time, cathedrals came to share a common adhere to a basic floor plan, although there are Pscnotes.com Page 1 Modern History and Culture Booster 2018 The Bom Jesus Basilica, perhaps Goa's most simplicity. It measures 183 ft in length,55 ft in famous church and among the most revered by breath, and 61 ft in height. The main altar is 54 ft Christians worldwide, is partially in ruins but still a high and 30 ft broad. The pillars and detail are model of simplicity and elegance, and a fine carved from basalt which was brought from example of Jesuit architecture.alt This is the only Bassein, some 300 kms away. The interior of the church in Old Goa, which is not plastered on the church is built in Mosaico-Corinthian style and is outside, the lime plaster having been stripped off remarkable for its charming simplicity. by a zealous Portuguese conservationist in 1950. The roof was originally tiled. The church is Located at Old Goa, 10 kilometres east of Panaji, cruciform on plan. The flying buttresses on the the Bom Jesus Basilica is a World Heritage northern side of the church are recent additions. A Monument. The foundation stone of this single-storeyed structure adjoining the church on remarkably large church was laid on 24 November its southern wing connects it with the Professed 1594 and the church was consecrated by Fr. Alexia House. de Menezes, the Archbishop of Goa and Primate The three-storeyed facade of the Church shows of India consecrated it when it was completed on Ionic, Doric and Corinthian Orders, and has a main 15 May 1605. In 1946 it was raised to the status of entrance flanked by two smaller ones, each having a minor Basilica. Corinthian columns supporting a pediment. There The Order of Jesuits was suppressed in 1759 and are two chapels, a main altar and a sacristy its property confiscated by the Portuguese State. besides a choir inside the Church itself. There is a The church was, however allowed to continue belfry is at the back. services. This magnificent edifice stands as a As one enters, beneath the choir, to the right is an superb example of Baroque architecture in Goa. altar of St. Anthony and to the left is an The church is called "Bom Jesus" meaning 'good exceedingly well-carved wooden statue of St. Jesus' or 'infant Jesus' to whom it is dedicated. The Francis Xavier. In the middle of the nave on the façade has on it, at the top, the letters, "HIS" northern wall is the cenotaph of the benefactor of which are the first three letters of Jesus in Greek. this church, Dom Jeronimo Mascarenhas, the Captain of Cochin, who died in 1593, bequeathing The imposing facade built out of black granite in the resources out of which this church was built. an exquisite combination of the Doric, Corinthian The two columns supporting the choir bear slabs and composite styles, is remarkable for its Pscnotes.com Page 2 Modern History and Culture Booster 2018 inscribed in Portuguese and Latin the dates of The interiors of the church has depictions of the beginning of construction and the consecration. life of Saint Paul in pictures, posters and other documents that portray his holy deeds. The St. Paul’s- Kolkata ambience of the church is soothing and allows you St. Paul's Cathedral is rich in its history, culture to stay at peace with yourself, forgetting the noise and religious relevance. Being of the major and chaos around you. A special meditation point landmarks of the city, the church sees thousands has been set up in the church for those who wish of visitors every year from across the globe. to meditate. The church is one of the finest examples of St. Thomas-Chennai buildings built using Gothic Revival style of San Thome Basilica is a Roman Catholic (Latin Rite) architecture. Though the cornerstone of the minor basilica in Santhome, in the city of Chennai church was laid in 1839, the structure was (Madras), India. It was built in the 16th century by complete only by 1847. St. Paul's Cathedral, the Portuguese explorers, over the tomb of Saint largest cathedral in Kolkata, is also the first Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. In cathedral that was built in the overseas territory 1893, it was rebuilt as a church with the status of a of the British Empire. cathedral by the British. The British version still The church has a close resemblance to the stands today. It was designed in Neo-Gothic style, Norwich Cathedral in England. Though the favoured by British architects in the late 19th structure had witnessed earthquake twice and century. This church is one of the only three ruined partially, the structure was soon rebuilt to known churches in the world built over the tomb the cathedral we see today. of an apostle of Jesus, the other two being St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City and Santiago de It is believed that the church was built to replace Compostela Cathedral in Galicia, Spain. St. John's Church due to the increasing European population in the city. Designed by the famous It is claimed that St. Thomas’s apostolic ministry in English architect Major W. N. Forbes, the church is India took place specifically at Cranganore along a beautiful piece of art with its slender vertical the Malabar coast from 52 A.D to 68 A.D. His piers, pointed arches and counterbalancing journey through Kerala is said to have resulted in buttresses. numerous conversions. After spending 10 years on the Malabar coast he is said to have travelled Eastwards across the Deccan Plateau, arriving in Pscnotes.com Page 3 Modern History and Culture Booster 2018 Mylapore in 68 A.D. The cave at little mount is Concept of Decolonization, Nationalism and claimed to be his favourite preaching spot. A 2000 Socialism, Globalization and Concept of Modernity year old never drying, a miraculous stream of water on a rock face are said to be examples of Concept of Decolonization the apostle’s divine exploits. A church atop St. Decolonization refers to the undoing Thomas mount was built by Portuguese in 1547 to of colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by mark the spot. It was on this St. Thomas Mount another country or jurisdiction. The term generally that the apostle was said to be killed by a lance refers to the achievement of independence by the which pierced through his back. various Western colonies and protectorates in Asia and [Africa]] following World War II. This His mortal remains were believed to be buried in conforms with an intellectual movement known as Post-Colonialism. A particularly active period of the location over which the present day decolonization occurred between 1945 to 1960, Santhomes Cathedral Basilica stands. Sometime in beginning with the independence of Pakistan and the 10th century A.D a group of Nestorian the Republic of India from Great Britain in 1947 Christians from Persia founded the Christian and the First Indochina War.