Sacred Geometry in Architecture
Sacred geometry is also related to religion
But it also applies to science, philosophy, metaphysics, art and architecture.
Why do some buildings make such an impression on us?
In this article, we will focus on the sacred geometry of certain buildings such as the pyramids of Egypt or the Parthenon in Greece.
But before we begin, the term geometry, of Greek origin, etymologically means "measurement of the earth". Long before it was written down, geometry was used in the measurement of land, which today is called topography. At a higher level, geometry allows us to distinguish the sacred from the profane.
Just as numbers were sacred to the Pythagoreans, geometry was sacred to the ancient Greeks because it was both the most concrete and the most abstract mode of reasoning
Most ancient peoples built their temples and shrines with particular attention to correct numbers, geometry and proportions. Geometry governs the movements of celestial bodies and the seasons. The megalithic builders of Britain and the builders of the pyramids in Egypt applied this sacred geometry to the orientation of their buildings
In its purest and simplest form, geometry is sacred; but also in certain ordinary applications as well as in Euclid's figures - circles, triangles and squares - or in proportions and harmonics
Growth is expressed in repetitive patterns, and in the same way, the art and virtuosity of architecture is expressed in harmony
The sacred proportions are governed by certain numbers, such as phi, also known as the golden ratio. They can be found again and again in the work of the ancient Greeks and the architects of the Middle Ages, but also in the growth of living things. The sacred geometry of life and the notion of perspective in art and architecture coincide in these numbers.
What is the role of sacred geometry?
Sacred geometry: the link between man and God
The purpose of a temple, church or mosque is to provide a sacred space for people to praise and communicate with God
When it is sacred, this space is closer to God, facilitates prayer and constitutes a common place for the priests
It is sacred when its structure is of such perfection and purity that the gods agree to reside there.
The primary requirements of a sanctuary have always been an architecture of suitable proportions, a good location, and a good orientation
The sacred geometry of the pyramids
What must be understood above all is that the current data corresponding to the height of the pyramids are sometimes speculative because these buildings have lost their top and much of their envelope.
The most important measurement of a pyramid calculated by the ancient Egyptians is the seked
There is a good possibility that the Great Pyramid was built using seked, a measurement technique that defines the slope of a pyramid in Ancient Egyptian royal cubits as a ratio of the pyramid's half-base to its height.
The seked appears in papyri dealing with ancient Egyptian mathematics, including the famous Rhind papyrus dating back to around 1500 BC. The royal cubit, on the other hand, dates from the 3rd millennium BC and precedes the construction of the Great Pyramid. Modern studies of the Great Pyramid suggest a seked of 5.5
It is estimated that the Great Pyramid of Giza was initially 146.59 m high and 230.33 m wide, which is also a ratio of height to width of the base of 0.636.
We do not know for sure how the pyramid was designed, nor do we know the specific geometric relationships and concepts of the time. We do know, however, that the Egyptians built the pyramids with amazing precision and left nothing to chance, as evidenced by their alignment to within 1/20th of a degree of true north. The builders probably chose approaches that produced geometric relationships virtually identical to those of the pyramids based on phi and pi.
The pyramid of Cheops has been scrutinized and measured as accurately as possible by researchers from different fields since the early 19th century. From these measurements, several hypotheses have been derived about the will of its designers to use some mathematical elements in its proportions
When studying the geometry of the Great Pyramid, it is tricky to distinguish between the intentions of the builders and the properties that arise from the proportions of the building. The golden number φ and the number Pi present in the proportions of the pyramid are often mentioned: the Egyptians often chose a slope for the faces of 14/11.
Concerning the golden ratio, the proportion of 14/11 results in an apothegm/half base ratio equal to
The value of the number π ≃ 3 .14159 3.14159 would be given by the ratio (half base perimeter)/height. This gives the approximate value
Both of these results are the result of the use of a 14/11 slope. If this is a deliberate attempt to include them in the construction, the credit would go to the architect who first used this slope in the pyramid of Meydum, completed during the reign of Snefru. But this proposal is implausible
According to the few rare mathematical documents collected to date, the ancient Egyptians had no knowledge of the number π and only used the substitution number 256/81 = 3.1605 to calculate the area of a disk, a calculation method already mentioned in particular in the Rhind Papyrus dating from the Middle Kingdom
Relations between the pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinus
If we have just seen that the Egyptians had used the golden number and Pi in the construction of some pyramids, we find the same proportions in the position of the Pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos, all 3 located on the plateau of the Giza necropolis.
It can be seen that:
- The average ratio of the distance between the eastern and northern edges of the bases of the pyramids of Cheops and Khephren and the width of the base of the pyramid of Khephren is about 1.618;
- The ratio of the distance between the summits of the pyramids of Cheops and Mykerinus and the north-south distance between the summits of the pyramids of Cheops and Khephren and 1.618;
- The right-angled triangle formed by the height of the pyramid of Cheops, the length of its 4 inclined faces (hypotenuse) and the horizontal distance between its summit and the perimeter of its base (width) produces a ratio between the hypotenuse and the width of 1.618.
And if we go even further, we realize that the Fibonacci spiral is also present on the site of Giza, including the location of the Sphinx.
The vibratory power of the pyramids
The pyramids are part of the objects emitting, as studied by Messrs Chaumery and Belizal, waves of forms. Some of these waves are positive, others are negative
Used without precaution, the pyramids can be very dangerous, whatever their size. A Frenchman, Alfred Bovis (1871-1947), was the first to observe the strange phenomena that took place inside the death chamber of the great pyramid of Cheops.
1- The rats that had ventured there had all died of thirst and hunger in spite of their renowned sense of direction
,2- The corpses in the corridors rotted quickly while those in the death chamber dried up
Alfred Bovis thus establishes a link with mummification and the shape of the pyramid
The pyramid acts as a concentrator of energy, thus functioning like a magnifying glass under the sun. It attracts and concentrates, by its shape, in its inner part, radiations coming from the earth or the sky or both
It was two French radiesthesists, Mr. Chaumery and Mr. de Belizal, who, by using the waves of form, discovered the Negative Green, an extremely powerful radiation, capable of mummifying the bodies
The negative green was found inside the pyramid and according to its authors, it would be the shortest vibration of the universe. It has drying and mummifying properties on living matter, making it almost indestructible
Moreover, for your information, you should know that Mr. Léon Chaumery died in 1957, totally dehydrated by the negative green (which allows to mummify the meat with a simple cardboard pyramid)
The use of the pyramids and the innumerable benefits are to be discovered. However certain rules of positioning must be respected to optimize their effectiveness and to avoid the opposite effect, even neutral
Find out more before using this form in your daily life.
Sacred geometry and the Parthenon
The Parthenon is a sacred enclosure built by the finest minds of the Greek culture that invented geometry, and as such it represents the archetype of sacred geometry applied to architecture.
The complexity of this geometry is known and it is known that it was deliberately used, as the architect Ictinos wrote a book, now lost, in which he explained his work.
It is therefore not surprising to learn that since the end of the Turkish domination of Greece in 1830, many attempts have been made to determine the mathematical rules for the perfection of the proportions of the Parthenon. The golden ratio and phi obviously figure in these attempts, and many books claim that these perfect dimensions are due to the use of phi, as if it were an established fact. But this is unfortunately not the case.
The actual dimensions of the rectangular façade of the Parthenon are 30.86 m wide by 13 m high. Dividing one by the other, we get 2.25, a value that does not come close to that of phi (1.618), but which is equivalent to the square of 3/2 or the quotient of 9:4. In the end we realize that the number 9 plays a much more important role than phi in the dimensions of the Parthenon.
The number 9 is found in all aspects of construction, and it is a number whose proportions are expressed in decimal form by repeating series of "perfect" numbers. For example:
1/9 = 0.111111
2/9 = 0.222222
3/9 = 0.333333
4/9 = 0.444444
10/9 = 1.111111
20/9 = 2.222222
And so on...
The Parthenon has been shown to be inscribed in a golden rectangle, i.e. such that the ratio of length to height is equal to the golden section
What is the golden rectangle?
The golden rectangle is a rectangle whose length is average proportional between the width and the half perimeter. The golden ratio is the proportion thus defined and is represented by the Greek letter phi (φ). A simple calculation gives us its exact value:
If we remove a square from it as shown above, the remaining rectangle is still a golden rectangle. And conversely, if we add a square to it on the length, the resulting rectangle is still a golden rectangle. Aesthetically, halfway between the square and excessively elongated rectangles, the golden rectangle would be particularly harmonious and would embody, if one dares say, a kind of ideal rectangularity.
The golden ratio and architecture
From this fact we can deduce a rather interesting reflection which is to wonder about the fact that phi is a prerequisite in sacred geometry.
Coming back to the Parthenon, we realize that the sacred geometry of this building is based on whole numbers, like 9 and its sub-multiples, and it is really not necessary to want to find the presence of phi at all costs.
What is the most perfect geometric shape?
I understand that you ask yourself this question, it is perfectly legitimate.
Some consider for example the Metatron Cube to be the most powerful symbol. Others swear by the Flower of Life..
But, from my point of view, the question you should ask yourself is: which geometrical shape, or rather which symbol fits me?
Or, what symbol do I need here and now?
Because as soon as the proportions of the symbol are perfectly respected, your symbol is perfect.
So, really listen to your feeling to know which symbol you really need and everything will be perfect, for you!
Knowing that we offer the widest range of symbols on the market, there is no doubt that you will find the one that is in affinity or resonance with you.
To conclude :
The golden ratio is repeated in some of the greatest works of art and architecture created throughout human history. Not everything is based on the golden ratio, but it appears in a truly amazing multitude of places.
It is also sometimes a source of controversy, and perhaps this is also because in some ways phi touches on some of the most fundamental questions of philosophy and the meaning of life.
The golden ratio has another important aspect that arouses a much more universal common reaction: it affects our perception of beauty
And personally I think that the subject goes far beyond and that it is no coincidence that men have always respected certain proportions in the construction of sacred temples or other
Sacred geometry brings a form of protection and especially it has vibratory powers often unsuspected.
And what often strikes me is that we prefer to avoid certain questions because they make us question ourselves.
For example, it is sometimes considered that the Egyptians used the golden ratio by coincidence. In the end, it is considered that our civilization is more evolved. But more evolved from which point of view exactly?
And if the Egyptians of the time had this knowledge which is today hidden or forgotten?
What if they had tried to reveal to us the great mysteries of life and death through their works?
Because in the end, it starts to make a large number of coincidences, all these buildings, edifices and temples structured around the same proportions!
And you, what do you think?
I hope you enjoyed this article
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Sources:
Géométrie sacrée aux Éditions Vega
Le nombre d’or aux Éditions Dervy
Observation mathématique de la pyramide de Khéops
Papyrus de Rhind
Pouvoir des pyramides