For your friends, who wonder what's up with that weird corner over there?
This guide is just a brief description of how the Holy Apostles are depicted in Icons, so that they can be more easily recognized when encountered in churches, monasteries, or wherever else an icon…
Asmara is a city of Eritrea, a country of the Africa. It is the capital of Eritea. About five hundred thousand people live in Asmara. The architecture of Asmara was influenced by the Italian colonization. The town of Asmara was colonized by the Italians. It was colonized in 1889. The town of Asmara became the national capital of the colony in 1897. In 1913 and then later in 1915, Asmara suffered knew some damages because of earthquakes. That is one of the reason why in the 1930’s, the Italians modified the architecture of the city. They built new buildings. Most of the actual center of the town was built by the Italians. The city looked like Roma. Asmara was called "Piccola Roma" (the little Roma). Nowadays, most of the buildings of Asmara have an italian origin. Some shops are still named in Italian. The three main architectural styles you will find in Asmara are the art deco style, the Victorian style and the Italian new roman style. The Impero Cinema is a famous art deco building of Asmara. As famous as well, there is the Pension Africa, a cubist building. The Europeans at that time used to say that Asmara was a place to experiment “new radical designs”. Some buildings are neo-Romanesque, such as the Roman Catholic Cathedral, some villas are built in a late Victorian style. Art Deco influences are found throughout the city. Architects were restricted by nothing. There are a lot of religious sites in the town of Asmara. Such as the catholic cathedral, the eclectic cathedral, mosquees, and the copte Nda Mariam cathedral which is one of the most impressive buildings of Asmara. Colored wall pictures done by contemporary artists can be seen in different parts of the town. The town also has traditional markets. It has little shops. The inhabitants are reputed warm and open people. © Eric Lafforgue www.ericlafforgue.com
Since the French Revolution, world history has witnessed numerous examples of nation-building processes. Each show their own variations based on ethnic,...
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A remarkable series of colour photographs, taken more than 100 years ago, have been unearthed and they paint a fascinating picture of the dying days of the Russian Empire.
Editorial comment: This has gotten republished more times than I can count now, mostly without asking (which, while I won’t be hounding people, should still be noted as illegal in most countries). I don’t mind too much, but I do mind that in some places (like church newsletters), it’s gotten republished either without my name on it or having altered the text and still…
Ethiopia’s churches and monasteries, built on hilltops or hewn out of cliff faces, are celebrated in a new book, Ethiopia: The Living Churches of an Ancient Kingdom
The Monastery of Visoki Dečani is a Serbian Orthodox monastery located in Kosovo. It is known for its beautiful and harmonious chanting, which is an important part of the monastery's spiritual life. The monks at Visoki Dečani come from a variety of different backgrounds and are dedicated to living a life of prayer, contemplation, and
The Romania-born Hungarian photographer opens up about Orthodoxy and Romanian national identity
By John Sanidopoulos Below are two readings from the Old Testament I propose to be added in the Orthodox service books for Great Friday or Holy Saturday. They are little known pre-images or foreshadows of the Cross that powerfully show Christ victorious on the Cross. The first describes the Prophet Balaam's vision of the Cross. This one is easily overlooked. The key to understanding this passage are knowing three things. First, Balak wanted Balaam to curse the people of Israel. Second, Balaam is taken to a high hill or mountain overlooking the encampment of the people of Israel to be given instruction by the Lord on whether to curse or bless Israel. Lastly, he blesses them because he sees the image of Christ crucified in glory amidst the people of Israel. How does he see Christ in his prophecy? The key is the formation of the people of Israel described in Numbers 2 (read here). As one can observe from the image above, the Israelites were encamped in the formation of the Cross around the Tabernacle which contained the Holy of Holies, that is, the presence of God or throne of God in the midst of His people. One can even see how God deliberately had the tribes of Reuben and Judah join to make the southern formation appear longer if one were to look down at the formation from a mountain as Balaam did. Thus, when Balaam sees the formation of the Cross with the Lord in the middle, he saw Christ, the King of Glory seated on the throne of the Cross, crucified and said: "For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him..." The second reading concerns the death of Samson. Samson is an image of Christ in the Old Testament in many ways, but none more powerfully than in the description of his death in Judges 16. The Philistines are images of the enemies of Jesus, primarily the demons who occupy unjustly the people on earth and grip them with fear. The pagan temple he is brought into represents Hades. Samson is brought into this temple blind and asks to be brought in between two pillars. This is the key to seeing the Cross in this passage, because Samson intends to destroy his enemies with this request. He does this by lifting his arms in a cross formation and pulling apart the two pillars of the temple, which in turn destroys the temple and the Philistines within. Thus, this is a perfect image of Christ destroying death by His death on the Cross. Read the passages below and judge whether or not these should be added to the Holy Week service books: The Vision of Balaam the Prophet (Numbers 22:41 - 23:12) So it was, the next day, that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, that from there he might observe the extent of the people. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.” And Balak did just as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. Then Balaam said to Balak, “Stand by your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will come to meet me, and whatever He shows me I will tell you.” So he went to a desolate height. And God met Balaam, and he said to Him, “I have prepared the seven altars, and I have offered on each altar a bull and a ram.” Then the Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, “Return to Balak, and thus you shall speak.” So he returned to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, he and all the princes of Moab. And he took up his oracle and said: “Balak the king of Moab has brought me from Aram, From the mountains of the east. ‘Come, curse Jacob for me, and come, denounce Israel!’ How shall I curse whom God has not cursed? And how shall I denounce whom the Lord has not denounced? For from the top of the rocks I see him, And from the hills I behold him; There! A people dwelling alone, Not reckoning itself among the nations. Who can count the dust of Jacob, Or number one-fourth of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, And let my end be like his!” Then Balak said to Balaam, “What have you done to me? I took you to curse my enemies, and look, you have blessed them bountifully!” So he answered and said, “Must I not take heed to speak what the Lord has put in my mouth?” The Death of Samson (Judges 16:23-30) Now the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice. And they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands Samson our enemy!” When the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said: “Our god has delivered into our hands our enemy, the destroyer of our land, and the one who multiplied our dead.” So it happened, when their hearts were merry, that they said, “Call for Samson, that he may perform for us.” So they called for Samson from the prison, and he performed for them. And they stationed him between the pillars. Then Samson said to the lad who held him by the hand, “Let me feel the pillars which support the temple, so that I can lean on them.” Now the temple was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there — about three thousand men and women on the roof watching while Samson performed. Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, “O Lord God, remember me, I pray! Strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines for my two eyes!” And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.
Orthodox women survivors of the Holocaust - residents of Boro Park mostly - told us their stories, at a recent Hanukkah party in Brooklyn.
Lalibela Tours, you'll explore distant churches, finding a resident priest in each, and he's happy to put on richly embroidered vestments.
When my husband and I became Eastern Orthodox seven years ago, I knew I had come home. However, I wasn’t sure how to make my own home reflect my new faith. This series–”So I’m Orthodox, Now What?”–is based on the questions I asked myself in the first few years after our chrismation: How could IRead More
Lalibela Tours, you'll explore distant churches, finding a resident priest in each, and he's happy to put on richly embroidered vestments.
ΤΟ ΑΓΙΟ ΦΩΣ ΣΤΟΝ ΠΑΝΑΓΙΟ ΤΑΦΟ 2015 - HOLY FIRE - HOLY SEPULCHER JERUSALEM 2015 - ORTHOGNOSIA
A Personal Story about the Miraculous Help of St. Herman of Alaska. Find out about it in our monastery blog. We have been writing about Christianity, church history, church products and crafts, the lives of the great ascetics, etc.
