talking about architecture domes have a
significant place. Domes are structural elements of architecture and they
resemble a hollow upper half of a sphere. One can also call a dome as an arch
that is rotated around its central vertical axis. The tradition of constructing
multiple domes first started when church architecture started in Russia.
There are various types of domes such as
onion domes, corbel domes, oval domes, parabolic domes, polygonal domes, umbrella
domes, and much more. Find out some of the most celebrated domes around the
world. This is just a list of 10 most celebrated domes from a very huge list of
domes. Domes are indeed one of the most famous tourist attractions in the
world.
Pantheon,
Rome, Italy
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| Pantheon, Largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world |
In Greek language, Pantheon means “to every
god;” as the name suggests this was commissioned by Marcus Agrippa to all the
gods of Ancient Rome, which was later completed by Emperor Hadrian around 126
AD. Pantheon in Rome is one of the most preserved Roman buildings.
This is a circular building with a granite
portico and large Corinthian columns. There is a vestibule that links the porch
and the rotunda (rotunda is any building that has a circular ground plan). Pantheon
has a concrete dome and was built close to 2,000 years ago; this is still the largest
unreinforced concrete dome in the world.
Suleymaniye
Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
 |
| Suleymaniye Mosque, the second largest mosque in the world Image source |
Suleymaniye Mosque is the second largest
mosque in Istanbul; it took nearly 8 years to complete the construction. This mosque
was built under the orders of Sultan Suleyman. This structure combines tall and
slender minarets with large domed buildings that are supported by half domes.
Suleymaniye Mosque was designed as a
kulliye, which means a complex where there are adjacent structures for both religious
and cultural needs. Initially, this complex had hospital, a primary school,
public bath, a roadside inn or a Caravanserai, Qur’an schools, school for
learning hadith, medical college, and a public kitchen. Even though many of
these structures are still in place, some of them have changed; the former
imaret has been changed to a well-known restaurant and the hospital to a
printing factory that is owned by the Turkish Army.
St.
Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia
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| Night view of "The Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat" Image source |
St. Basil’s Cathedral is the popular name
of “The Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat;” this
is a Russian orthodox church. This was originally called the “Trinity Church”
or the “Trinity Cathedral.” There are a total of nine churches where the eight
churches surround the ninth church that is in the middle in a symmetrical floor
plan.
St. Basil’s Cathedral was erected on the
Red Square of Moscow between the years 1555-61. The shape of the cathedral is a
flame out of a bonfire rising into the sky. Many mislabel this as the Kremlin
due to its close proximity. This cathedral is famous for its onion domes.
St.
Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
 |
| St. Peter's Basilica, the largest dome in the world - Wide angle view of the altar inside Image source |
The official name of St. Peter’s Basilica
in Italian is “Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano.” This is Late Renaissance
church that is located within the Vatican City and is one of the holiest Catholic
sites. The construction of St. Peter’s Basilica started in the year 1506 and was
completed in the year 1626.
The skyline of Rome is dominated by the
central dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. The total height of the dome is 136.57
meters from the floor of the basilica to the top of the external cross making
it the largest dome in the world.
Harmandir
Sahib, Amritsar, India
 |
| Harmandir Sahib Image source |
The best-known or the popular name of
Harmandir Sahib is the “Golden Temple.” It is a Sikh gurudwara and the construction
began when Guru Ram Das (4th guru) was the guru; the construction
got completed during the period when the guru was Guru Arjan Dev (5th
guru).
It was during the 19th century,
the upper floors were covered by gold by Maharaja Ranjit Singh who took over Punjab
and protected it from outside attack. This is when Harmandir Sahib got its
present name, “Golden Temple.”
Taj Mahal,
Agra, India
 |
| Taj Mahal, yellowish color during dusk. This monument is famous for its color changing properties as the day passes. Image source |
Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan, a Mughal
Emperor in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The entire structure was
constructed using white marble. Taj Mahal is considered as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of
the world's heritage.” Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in
the year 1983.
The shape
of the main dome is onion; therefore, one of the best examples of onion domes. The
height of the marble dome is 35 meters which is about the same length as the base;
the height of the dome is highlighted by a lotus design.
St.
Paul’s Cathedral, London, England
 |
| St. Paul's Cathedral - looking up at the dome, first ever triple dome constructed |
St. Paul’s Cathedral is the seat of Bishop
of London; the present church was built during the late 17th century
when a rebuilding program took place after the “Great Fire of London.” This was
the tallest building in the London for close to 300 years with a total height
of 365 feet.
The dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of
the world’s highest domes and the church is the second largest church building
in the United Kingdom; the first one being the Liverpool Cathedral. There are
totally three layers in the large crossing dome and is the first ever triple
dome constructed. There are 12 bells, 3 clocks, and one bourdon and a
communion.
Ericsson
Globe, Stockholm, Sweden
 |
| Ericsson Globe, the largest hemispherical building in the world and the world's largest scale model of Solar System Image source |
Ericsson Globe was originally called as the
“Stockholm Global Arena” and is currently the world’s largest hemispherical building.
It is the national indoor arena of Sweden. The total volume of Ericsson Globe
is 605,000 cubic meters. This indoor arena has another feather in its cap; it
represents the Sun of the Sweden Solar System and is the largest scale model of
Solar System in the world.
How it got its name as the Ericsson Globe? The
naming rights of the building was officially acquired by Ericsson in the year
2009 and therefore became to be known as the “Ericsson Globe.” In the year
2010, a funicular railway was opened outside this indoor arena; each of these 2
gondolas can accommodate 16 people. This will take them to a height of 130
meters from where they get a unobstructed virtual view of entire Stockholm; one
cannot see such an arrangement anywhere in the world.
Global
Pagoda, Mumbai, India
 |
| Global Pagoda, the world's largest stone dome and the largest structure in the world that contains relics of Buddha Image source |
The Global Pagoda or the Global Vipassana
Pagoda is one of the notable monuments of Mumbai and was inaugurated in the year
2009. This Pagoda was built in gratitude to Buddha and his teachings. The pagoda’s
shape was copied from the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon.
This pagoda holds the world record for the
largest stone dome built without any supporting pillars; the height of the dome
is 29 meters. There are three sub-domes and each of these domes was constructed
at different periods. Global Pagoda has one more crown; it is the largest
structure in the world that contains relics of Buddha. The construction of the
Global Pagoda is still on as they wish to incorporate a museum that will depict
both the life as well as the teachings of the Great Gautama Buddha.
The Eden
Project, Cornwall, United Kingdom
 |
| Eden Project, a modern botanical garden |
Eden Project at Cornwall, United Kingdom is
famous for its largest greenhouse in the world; it contains almost all plants
of the world. There are two huge enclosures with adjoining domes. These domes
consist of hundreds and thousands of hexagonal and pentagonal inflated plastic
cells; these are supported by steel frames.
This is one of the major tourist
attractions of Cornwall. One can witness planted landscapes and vegetable
gardens. This site is also famous for a giant bee and a towering robot made from
old electrical appliances.
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