Holy Cities of Hinduism, Islam, Judaism

Paige N. Strong, Kelsey L. Martinez and Dustin Benson

AP WorldMrs. Ruthford

Holiest City of Hinduism

• The holiest city of Hinduism is Varanasi or Kasi.

• It is located in India and has a population of 1,211,749

Varanasi

The River of Ganga

• The holy city of Hinduism is Varanasi or Kashi is surrounded by the Ganga river .

• 1,000,000 pilgrims come to this river and city every year.

• To Hindus it is believed that bathing in this river will remiss there sins.

• People also drink from the water of this river during Hindu ceremonies.

Temples of Varanasi

• Varanasi is a city of many small little temples on almost every street corner that are used for prayers and rituals throughout the day.

• The one large temple in Varanasi is Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Golden Temple) this temple helps to make Varanasi such and place of great religion.

Mecca• Kaaba

• Sacred House (mosque)

• Fifth Pillar• Pilgrimage to Mecca

Medina• Second holiest city

• Where Muhammad is buried, the final prophet of Islam

• Masjid Nabawi

Jerusalem

• Third holiest city

• Muslims believe that Muhammad ascended through the heavens

• The Dome of the Rock

Judaism – Basic Facts – Jerusalem

• Jerusalem is the holiest city of Judaism (since the 10th century BCE) and some denominations of Christianity (since the 5th century CE) and, after Mecca and Medine, the third holiest city of Islam (since the 7th century CE).

Geography:• Elevation 2000 – 2500 feet

(650 – 840 meters)• located between the dead sea

and the Mediterranean sea.

Population:• Current: 724,000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jerusalem_from_mt_olives.jpg

Jerusalem Old City from Mount of Olives.

Jerusalem

Judaism – History – Jerusalem

The oldest printed vision of Jerusalem (Hartmann Schedel, Nürnberg 1493)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hartmann-schedel-hierosolima-

1493_2-BW-1147x965.jpg

Oldest Printed Vision

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jerusalem_Ugglan_1.jpg

• The city is believed to have been built and founded by Canaanite peoples, it may have also been occupied by the Jebusites.

• During the Canaanite period, the city of Jerusalem had the name Urušalim, which has the meaning “the city of peace.”

• Around 960 BCE, Solomon built the First Jewish Temple.

• For about four centuries Jerusalem served as the capital for the southern kingdom of Judah.

First Temple

Construction of the First Temple

Judaism – Roles – Jerusalem

• Christians: The church of Holy Sepulcher.

• Jerusalem has an important role in three major religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, as well in many smaller religious groups.

• Jerusalem has many places which include religious significance to the groups mentioned above. These Include:

• Jews: The Temple Mount, and its Western Wall. • Muslims:

Dome of the Rock.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Al_aqsa_moschee_2.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Holy_sepulchre_exterior.j

pg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Western_wall_jerusalem

_night.jpg

Compare / Contrast of Holy cities

• Though it is not required like in Islam, Hindu people that have enough money and are able to travel a pilgrimage to Varanasi for their religion.

• Islam and Judaism and easily be compared because they both such Jerusalem as a city.

• All three of the Religions holy cites have a major holy temple that has some kind of significant to it even if it just helps to signify their religion and beliefs.

• There are definite similarities between the holy cities of these religions they are also very different and in many senses hard to compare.