Sacred Cities: Anthropology of the Sacred Space Sacred city is not just a populated area with religious buildings. It is a complex culturally-geographical phenomenon where topology is endowed with metaphysical meanings, and space is organized according to the laws of cosmogony. Its emergence and development are subject to universal patterns studied by anthropology, religious studies, and cultural semiotics. Archetypal Foundation: City as Microcosm Practically in all traditions, a sacred city is thought of as a reflection of the heavenly order on earth, the center of the world (axis mundi), and a place of overcoming chaos. Cosmological archetype. Planning often reproduces mandala or mandala — a sacred geometric scheme of the universe. For example: Beijing (the Forbidden City) was built according to the principles of Chinese cosmology with a clear orientation to the cardinal points, where the imperial palace is located at the center of the universe. Moscow (the historical center) radiated concentrically from the Kremlin, perceived as the "central city", the spiritual and political center of Holy Russia. Bagan (Myanmar) — a giant complex of thousands of pagodas on a plain, symbolizing the Buddhist universe. Topography of revelation. The sacred status is established for places where, according to myth, the manifestation of a deity, a miracle, or the foundation of a cult occurred. This is not a choice of people, but the "marking" of the place itself. Jerusalem: the place of Abraham's sacrifice (Mount Moria), the Temple Mount, Golgotha. Mecca: the Black Stone (al-Hajar al-Aswad), given, according to tradition, to Abraham (Ibrahim) by the archangel Gabriel (Jibril). Lourdes (France): the Masabiel cave, where the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in 1858. Functions of the sacred city: from ritual to politicsCenter of pilgrimage (Tirtha). The main practical function is to be the goal of a ritual journey. Pilgrimage (hajj, yatra, kamо) is a body-practice, physical ... Read more