"Architecture is the expression of the very soul of societies, just as human physiognomy is the expression of the individuals' souls... In fact it is only the ideal soul of society, that which has the authority to command and prohibit, that is expressed in architectural compositions properly speaking. Thus great monuments erected like dikes, opposing the logic and majesty of authority against all disturbing elements: it is in the form of cathedral or palace that the Church or State speaks to the multitudes and imposes silence upon them…"

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From: Georges Bataille, "Architecture" (1929), Translation by: Betsy Wing

Throughout history, holy sites were conceived as representations of authority. The claim that a place obtained a status of sanctity as a result of the rituals performed within it, is only partially true. It is also true that, when a place earned this sanctity it naturally became a symbol, and the architectural elements of these symbolic, prestigious structures were thereafter duplicated elsewhere to articulate the holiness of the new place.

There are many architectural languages ​​that identify with holiness, and most have similar origins and principles. The arrangement of their space dictates the ceremony's nature and the hierarchy among worshipers, while a sense of awe is elicited through impressive building materials and techniques.

Aesthetics of excess and glory differentiate the holy structure from its surroundings and serve as a demonstration of the religious authority’s power and control

Religion and politics have always been intertwined, it can be said that together they "express the desire to force the spirit into an official ideal."Historically, authority's religious and political identity were one. Today, following the secularization of Western civilization, most governments do not hold an official religious identity, but the clarity of this division between the religious and governmental can be hard to ascertain.

Religion has a prominent place in the process of decision making; Its presence is felt through politicians, institutions, legislation, and the distribution of resources. As a result, religious architecture itself takes on new layers of meaning and connotation beyond its religious sanctity. The architecture contains a memory and expresses a complex web of interests.

In other words, the daily experience of religious architecture in the place we live is shaped by the interaction of politics and religion and reflects the broader society’s relationship with power. It is possible to draw geographic and historical lines around a society, to describe its “soul,” by examining this concept of “holy” in the architectural context.