Churches, whether they are synagogues, cathedrals, basilicas, mosques, or temples, hold a special interest to archaeologists.
Hagia Sophia Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey. Photo © Friedemann Vogel / Getty Images
Churches are structures that hold functions that are outside of the day to day requirements of individuals. They represent places built primarily to serve a cultural need, a need that doesn't have anything to do with feeding your family, but rather with the attempt to understand one's place in the universe, what the soul is, what happens after death. As such, they are universal in concept but vastly different in form and function.
So, naturally, I felt that a photo essay of some of these fabulous buildings was a necessary addition to the Archaeology at About.com site.
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