The Eastern places in Rome - First part: The places of worship

Among the main oriental places of worship in Rome, we first of all mention the Tempio Maggiore (the Great Temple), the most important synagogue in the city, as well as one of the largest in Europe. Built on one of the four plots of land obtained from the demolition of the most run-down areas of the Ghetto, the synagogue was inaugurated in 1904. It is a massive and large building, with a square base, surmounted by an imposing mass in an eclectic style inspired in Assyro-Babylonian forms. The basement houses the rich Museum of the Jewish community of Rome and the Spanish Temple, a small building fitted out with part of the furnishings from the "five scole", the synagogues in the old Ghetto: the Castigliana, the Catalana, the Siciliana, the Nova and the Italian.

Another important oriental place of worship in the capital is certainly the Mosque. Inaugurated in 1995, it stands in the northern area of ​​the city at the foot of the Monti Parioli, perfectly integrated with the surrounding greenery and is the seat of the Islamic Cultural Center of Italy. It is the main place of worship of the Muslim community in Rome and the largest in Europe. Built to a design by the architect Paolo Portoghesi, assisted by the engineer Vittorio Gigliotti and the Iraqi architect Sami Moussawi, it represents a synthesis between Islamic, Italian architecture and the local Roman tradition.

There are also two Buddhist temples of the Chinese community, the Hua Yi Si temple (literally Hua = China, Yi = Italy, Si = temple), and the Putuoshan temple on the Esquiline. The first was built thanks to the offerings of the Chinese population and donations from China and Taiwan, the place of origin of the temple masters, inspired by the imposing structure of Chuang Tai. The shape of the temple is the typical Chinese "pagoda" style, a style not native to China but the result of foreign influence on Chinese architecture. In fact, the pagoda represents an evolution of the Indian Buddhist stupa, a monument in which the relics of the Buddha and sacred religious objects were kept. In the front courtyard, as per tradition, there is a statue of a lion, a symbol of protection and strength; just inside we find the statue of the smiling Buddha, the Bodhisattva Maitreya. The second is known as the "Small Temple" or "Putushan Temple" as it was founded by Chinese from Putuo Island.

Less numerous and little known are the Hindu and Sikh temples, widespread above all in the Roman suburbs where the communities are more present. Worth noting are the Om Hindu Mandir (Om "universe", a whole that relates to the cosmos and the Mandir the "house" of prayer) of Torpignattara and the Sikh Temple of Anagnina in Rome.

Photo credits: courtesy of the Mosque of Rome official site