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Arts & Communication Culture as a drive for art and architecture

scale, requires exploring it at different scales and their A
interconnections, where different social, cultural, and
epistemological aspects can be understood. This approach
is useful in forming and understanding single forms as well
as urban agglomerations and/or cities. Norberg-Schulz’s
contributions regarding existential space or the spirit of
place – “the concept of genius loci” – are essential in the
understanding of the built form from architectural and
urban perspectives. 3,4

In particular, religious buildings are strong
representations of the social and cultural aspects of any,
but especially Bronze Age, civilizations. The development
of these buildings over time reflects advancements not
only in political, economic, and cultural systems but also
in architectural concepts, principles, and technology. B
The monumental scale of these buildings has a strong
implication for the understanding of the level of the
studied civilization and the cultural and ritual attitudes
of its people. In addition to main temples, which were
central to the city and people’s lives and dedicated to
dominant gods, ancient cities comprised a variety of other
smaller-scale religious buildings (sanctuaries), which were
dedicated to religious as well as social purposes on smaller
urban scale (neighborhood or district). These two types of
5
religious buildings usually come in different architectural
and landscape forms, as they reflect different scales of
people’s lives and religious practices. Therefore, this paper
5
aims to analyze the influence of cultural and religious
dimensions on the religious architecture in Ugarit, a
Bronze Age archeological site in Syria. The study uses Figure 1. Ugarit’s location and discovered areas. (A) Google Maps
archeological excavation reports and analyses to inform illustration showing the location of Ugarit, sourced from Google Maps
the understanding of culture and architecture and to with author analysis added using Photoshop software. (B) Plan of the city
investigate how culture has informed the architecture and of Ugarit showing the locations of the main temples and local sanctuaries
form of both small- and large-scale religious buildings, as in the city, produced by the author using AutoCAD software and based on
well as their landscape and urban settings and connections. the author’s fieldwork in 2013.
Located in northwest Syria (Figure 1), the city of Late Bronze Age religious architecture in Syria. This article
Ugarit is a Bronze Age archeological site of outstanding aims to provide a better understanding of the meanings
significance, due to the implementation of the first alphabet behind the forms and architecture of these buildings.
and alphabetic writing system, not to forget its continuous
history. The site was of great importance due to its highly Despite the influence of surrounding powers, Ugarit’s
strategic location, which facilitated inland commerce activities and links extended beyond its land borders,
between Egypt and Asia Minor and external trade linking reaching international communications with foreign
the East (Persia and the Indus Valley civilization) and the civilizations (for example, in Crete and Cyprus) during
th
West (Greece and Cyprus). This strategic position not the 13 century BC. This informed a unique civic life and
6-8
only enabled Ugarit to establish a unique homogeneity differentiated the city and its associated sites from other
8
with its surrounding cultures but also to develop advanced Syrian cities. Accordingly, the discovery of Ugarit in 1929
architectural principles and techniques for different greatly contributed to the interpretation of religious life in
types of buildings in the city, including the temples and the Middle East (Canaanite, in particular). 9-11 Previously,
sanctuaries. Therefore, the religious buildings of Ugarit, understanding of Canaanite religion was primarily based
particularly the temples that follow a unique tower temple on writings discovered in surrounding cultures, which
form distinct from those of surrounding civilizations, are were insufficient for grasping a clear appreciation of this
considered exquisite and unique examples of Middle and religion and its customs. The Ugaritic discoveries (texts, in

Volume 2 Issue 4 (2024) 2 doi: 10.36922/ac.3132