On one of our strolls-with-no-plan around Edinburgh, we passed St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral. This cathedral is one of the great church buildings of Scotland. George Gilbert Scott (appropriate last name) designed it and it was dedicated in 1879. St. Mary's is the seat of the Bishop of Edinburgh, central church of the Diocese of Edinburgh in the Scottish Episcopal Church, and a landmark in the city's famous New Town. The central spire is 90m (295 feet) tall, making it the tallest structure in Edinburgh's city center. I enjoy walking through old churches marveling at how these massive structures were constructed hundreds of years ago, and then at the beautiful interiors. It's a treasure trove of art: the tiled floors, the stained glass windows, the massive organ pipes, the carved woodwork, all the arches and stone work, the ornamental metal work, the light as it streams through the stained glass.
Outside of the Cathedral stands the Awda Key sculpture representing the keys to the homes of Palestinian refugees driven from their homes in 1948 and 1967. It stands for the Palestinian refugees’ Right of Return. The key symbolizes the homes they lost, passed through the generations as keepsakes. It's sign of hope, and the hope for today is that the ceasefire in Gaza will stay in place.
Old churches are often worth a wander, for the art and architecture.
ReplyDeleteThe art and architecture in old churches can be a feast for the eyes.
DeleteWhat a beautiful church. I also love to tour these old churches and marvel at how they were constructed without cranes and bulldozers.
ReplyDeleteAll the manpower it took to build these huge buildings without machinery is mind boggling.
DeleteGood thoughts but history tells us otherwise.
ReplyDeleteYes, this is a very tenuous ceasefire and the odds are with history.
Delete