The early Christian church of Santa Maria Maggiore has some of the oldest mosaics in Rome.
Places of worship
Greek gods battle Giants for supremacy of the universe, so deeply carved that they almost step out into our world.
The Pergamon Altar
Augustus is said to have found Rome a city of brick and left it a city of marble—this altar symbolizes his golden age.
Ara Pacis Augustae
Ethiopia’s Christian heritage predates much of Europe’s, and includes churches hewn from living rock.
Christian Ethiopian art
This atmospheric space awakens the eye, heightens the senses, and prepares the path for enlightenment.
Ryōanji (Peaceful Dragon Temple)
Uniting ancient Greek purity with Gothic daring, this church marked a new direction for French architecture.
Soufflot, The Panthéon (Church of Ste-Geneviève), Paris
This Neoclassical monument to Napoleon’s army was modeled on an ancient Roman temple in Nîmes, just much bigger.
Vignon, Church of La Madeleine
Chartres boasts a multicolored ceiling and famous blue stained glass. The west front survived a fire, as did the miraculous tunic of the Virgin.
Cathedral of Notre Dame de Chartres
This multimedia architectural altarpiece took two decades to complete, and required teams of workers in many media.
Jerónimo de Balbás, Altar of the Kings (Altar ...
The European baroque is reinterpreted with Andean building technology in this mission church on the old Inka road.
The Church of San Pedro Apóstol de ...
This mosque was the crowning achievement of architect Sinan’s career and a trophy of Ottoman imperial grandeur.
Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul
In this jewel box of a Byzantine church, the solid walls of a Greek-cross plan dissolve into golden light.
Saint Mark’s Basilica, Venice
Athena's great temple has inspired for 2,500 years, and only became a ruin fairly recently.
The Parthenon, Athens
Unlike other of Sinan’s mosques, this one is covered with tiles, sits above shops, and is accessed from a stairway.
Mimar Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul
The Pantheon has one of the most perfect interior spaces ever constructed—and it’s been copied ever since.
The Pantheon (Rome)
Painting covers every inch of this chapel, from the spiraling narrative cycle to the star-studded blue sky.
Giotto, Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel (part 1 of ...
Explore the development of the Doric order in the temples of the city of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
Ancient Greek Temples at Paestum
This prayer niche once pointed students towards Mecca. Its blue and white patterns comprise verses from the Qur’an.
Mihrab from Isfahan (Iran)
Fossiliferous stone, many-colored mosaics, and banded bricks: meaning is in the material in this Victorian church.
William Butterfield, All Saints, Margaret Street, London
This mesa in New Mexico is believed to hold one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the US.
Browse Smarthistory images for teaching & learning!
