Temenos
Originating in the preservation and declaration of land for a specific importance, tempos refers to land which has been clearly marked as private for the sake of dedicating it to a God or a figure of authority. While not referred to an architectural structure, these plots of land have distinct purpose and hold as much importance as the temples that they reside by. Most commonly seen in Ancient Greece tradition, the presence of tempos also appears throughout the region, reaching down towards Egypt. Often enclosed by a gate, the temenos holds landscaping as well as buildings supplemental to the use of the temple¹. These dates purposefully define the line between what is open for public use and what has been privatized. Oftentimes, the entirety of the enclosure of the temenos is private and only for those who are due to pay respects and apologies to the gods².
The gate that marks the edge of the temenos is alluding to many practices also accepted by present-day Christians. At this gate, the common people of the town were judged, urged to pray towards their deity, and were permitted to meet with a figure of religious authority. This idea resides in a natural expression of reverence for the gods; creating beauty from the landscape in dedication and praise⁴. Comparing this to a modern day temple with a definitive enclosure, I believe that St. Peter’s Basilica has its own surrounding temenos. In this case, the temenos is known as the Vatican, where a great wall of high security surrounds the church and all of its additional buildings. The slight variation lies in the touristic and economic development of the world, now allowing for common entrance and viewings of this city encased within another. |
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Original drafted drawing by Alexandria Szabo of the plan of a Greek temenos
Temenos of Apollon in Delphi by P. de la Coste-Messelière, 1936
"DELPHI Vintage Ground Plan. Temenos of Apollo. Greece, 1967 Vintage Map." Antiqua Print Gallery. Accessed December 08, 2018. https://www.antiquemapsandprints.com/delphi-vintage-ground-plan-temenos-of-apollo-greece-1967-vintage-map-287136-p.asp.
"DELPHI Vintage Ground Plan. Temenos of Apollo. Greece, 1967 Vintage Map." Antiqua Print Gallery. Accessed December 08, 2018. https://www.antiquemapsandprints.com/delphi-vintage-ground-plan-temenos-of-apollo-greece-1967-vintage-map-287136-p.asp.
¹Docherty, Thomas, and Thomas Docherty. Postmodernism: A Reader. London: Routledge, 2016.
²Shiping, Hu. "The Earthquake‐Resistant Properties of Chinese Traditional Architecture." Earthquake Spectra7, no. 3 (1991): 355-89. doi:10.1193/1.1585633.
³Xinian, Fu. Chinese Architecture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003.
²Shiping, Hu. "The Earthquake‐Resistant Properties of Chinese Traditional Architecture." Earthquake Spectra7, no. 3 (1991): 355-89. doi:10.1193/1.1585633.
³Xinian, Fu. Chinese Architecture. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2003.