Temple

Kihryuzan Senjo-ji Temple, by Toyota Kokai (1780-1850)

The word temple has different meanings in the fields of architecture, religion, geography, anatomy, and education.

Religion

A temple is a structure reserved for religious worship or sacrifice. Some religions use this generic term:

• Buddhism (Shaolin)
• Temple at Uppsala
• Temple (Greek)
• Temple in Jerusalem
• Temple (Mormonism)
• Temple (Roman)

Some religions refer to their temples by a unique word of their own:

• a Christian temple is called a chapel, or a church, among others.
  • In Western Christianity, some temples are cathedrals.
  • In Orthodox Christianity, a temple is church with base shaped like Greek cross; see orthodox temple.
  • Protestant denominations installed in France in the early modern era use the word "temple" (as opposed to "church", supposed to be Roman Catholic); some more recently installed Christian denominations use "church".
• a Jain temple is called a derasar
• a Hindu temple is variously called (in different languages) a mandir (Hindi), a kovil (Tamil), etc.
• an Islamic temple is called a mosque (masjid in Arabic)
• in Judaism, the temple refers to the Beit HaMikdash, meaning house of the Temple. Some synagogues, especially Reform synagogues, are called temples, but traditional Judaism considers this inappropriate as a synagogue is not a replacement for the Temple in Jerusalem.
• a Sikh temple is called a gurdwara

A Hindu and Buddhist temple in Cambodia and Thailand is known as a wat.

Freemasonry also uses the term temple for some of its meeting-places.

Architecture

In various historical periods, specific architectural styles were maintained strictly for major religious structures. These temple structures, along with military and palace structures, have often been the main surviving studied examples of certain kinds of architecture. In particular, Greek and Roman temple architecture has been a major influence in Western public architecture. See list of ancient temple structures.

Geography

Mount Temple is a major mountain in Alberta and a major part of the scenery near Lake Louise. It was the first mountain over 11,000 feet in Alberta to be climbed, in 1894.

Temple is also the name of some places in the United States of America:

• Temple, Georgia
• Temple, Maine
• Temple, Michigan
• Temple, New Hampshire
• Temple, Pennsylvania
• Temple, Texas

and part of the name of:

• Temple City, California
• Temple Hills, Maryland

Anatomy

The temple is the side of the head behind the eyes. Cladists classify land vertebrates based on the presence of an upper hole, a lower hole, both, or neither in the cover of dermal bone which formerly covered the temporalis muscle. Those with no holes are called Anapsida.

The adjective meaning "pertaining to the temple" is "temporal", not to be confused with "temporal" meaning "pertaining to time". The muscle whose origin is the temple and whose insertion is the jaw is called "temporalis".

Education

• Temple University is an institution of higher learning in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Inner Temple and Middle Temple are places where barristers train in London. The region is sometimes called Temple, and there is a Temple tube station. The area is so called because long ago it belonged to the Knights Templar. There is also a Temple Cafe in the area.

List of temples

See List of Buddhist temples

In Japan:

• Horyu-ji
• Sensoji
• Ryōanji

External links

• Mount Temple Climbing Information
• A Hindu Site Providing Information on Indian Temples and Hindu Poojas