Cultural Landscapes

     In the Olmec art forms there is evidence of ritual importance of the natural landscape. Mountains symbolize an entrance to the upper world. Caves symbolize and entrance to the under world. “Water symbolizes the precious essence of life” (Evans 2004:135). These theological themes may have been precursors to following cultural belief systems; the Aztecs also shared similar beliefs about their environment.

Montreal has various cultural landscapes. Each neighbourhood in the city brings out its diversity because of how many different ethnic groups can be found. The city of Montreal is renown for its variety. For example, step into China town and see their way of living and experience their cuisine. If you want a little taste of Italy, visit Saint-Laurent Boulevard between Jean Talon Street and St. Zotique Street.

The sacred places of Hawaii have religious, historical and cultural significance. They have seen the births of numerous kings and have been the sites of many events throughout the island's history. Many sacred sites include shrines or temples (heiau), petroglyphs (ki'i pohaku), stacked stone (pohaku) and other historical remains. One such site is the Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site in Hawaii.

Culture landscapes are features that make up one common culture. Landscapes are transformed culturally which affect how an environment is seen. The range of landscapes can be affected through different cultures, which always will depend in what environment a person is

The belief of a sacred space has been a highly contested concept since the beginning of mankind. Each individual may have a different perception or opinion on whether a particular place is truly sacred. However, many of these places have a close and personal connection to certain individuals, due in large part to having experienced a supernatural occurrence or witnessed a miracle of life. Often times, these places become associated with a divine presence, and are ultimately labeled as sacred for a particular religion. In The Sacred and the Profane, Mircea Eliade describes the key elements that define a space as sacred rather than profane. He stresses his belief that not all space is homogenous, and that there are certain places that hold

This declaration focuses on cultural landscapes in terms of the ' interaction of people and nature over time' .3 The majority of World Heritage listed cultural landscapes are ' evolved continuing landscapes, where people and nature dwell together' . Most cultural landscapes fit into this category: they are living landscapes, changing as the culture, climate and natural surroundings change within and around them. The character of the landscape thus reflects the values of the people who have shaped it, and who continue to live in it. The culture itself is the shaping force. Landscape is a cultural expression that does not happen by chance but is created informally or by

The cultural landscape of a house of worship reflect the beliefs and practices of a particular religion. Houses of worship have similarities and differences which are evident in the landscape that are reflective of their similarities and differences in beliefs. I found that of all the houses of worship we visited on our field trip, St. Michael’s Antiochian Orthodox Church and St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church seemed to be strikingly similar yet different.

Every culture is different and perceives the world differently. Cultures are inherited and a learned behavior. Everyone has a cultural heritage. This heritage assessment tool is helpful in understanding the different practices, distinctness and traditions of each individual.

1.) After watching the video clip of one pilgrimage site and reading the background essay, include a 100+ word description of the sacred place. The Church of Holy Sepulchre also known as the Church of the Resurrection, is the sacred site for Christian in the religious pilgrimage city of Jerusalem, in Israel. Jerusalem has many visitors every day because it is sacred to half of the world religious beliefs, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

The piece I will be writing today is a journal in response to the prompt ‘Ultimately our ties to our landscape shapes our identity’. This piece will appear in an anthology of student writings on the context Imaginative Landscape published by VCAA in order to give other VCE students studying imaginative landscape insight into the ways they can creatively approach a context prompt. The piece is intended to show the reader that our landscape does shape who we are but what we make of our experience is what ultimately builds our identity. Life is going to have it ups and downs. Going through bad times or even good things in life, it doesn’t define you, but what you perceive of it decides whether you grow or shrivel under stress. Our level of connectedness

The word "culture" derives from a French term, which in turn derives from the Latin "colere," which means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture. (Zimmerman 1) This can also lead to one concluding that culture changes as civilization is changed and advancements occur. I am culturally Arab. Specifically from around Jerusalem and many other farmer civilations. The cuisine, historical significance of the area, and it’s religions are some of the most distinct differences the region has culturally.

I chose to research the Muslim religion for my site visit. I wanted to have in depth experience with this religion since I did my group project about Sikhism and during class we went into great detail about every other religion. I did not know what to expect when visiting a mosque, it was a pretty nerve-wracking experience for me being a non-Muslim. I have been raised with Christian morals my whole life even though I have only gone to church a few times in my whole life. Almost all religions have a house of prayer; Jews have synagogues, Buddhists/Hindus have temples and Catholic and Christians have churches and cathedrals. Muslims have mosques; each religious center has their own different rules, rituals and services that need to be followed. A mosque is a place of prayer for Muslims within the Islamic belief. Another word for mosque in Arabic is Masjid. Kind of like a church, a mosque is where Muslims worship and bow before Allah to declare their obedience and loyalty. Mosques date back till the time of the prophet. In order to find a mosque, I went on the Internet and stumbled upon Masjid Beit El-Maqdes.

In Nature & Landscape: An Introduction to Environmental Aesthetics, Allen Carlson proposes that scientific knowledge can enhance our aesthetic appreciation of the natural world. He draws a connection between technical know-how used in the context of natural landscapes and art history or criticism in the context of conventional art forms. In either case, the viewer would find relatively more meaningful experiences of aesthetic appreciation than if one looked at a painting or landscape without any prior knowledge about it. Carlson endorses this point within his larger Natural Environmental Model, which asserts that though the environment is not entirely of our creation, it does not mean that we have to approach it without any prior understanding.

In North America, the classic voice of the colonizing person’s connectedness to nature and a has been the romantic individualist writing of wilderness.

the “county has an amazing array of art and culture” (TDY Press Release 12). Associating the region with intellectualism and arts is a common technique in regional branding. It implies the idea of a region inhabited by “individuals who enjoy the finer things in life” (Danesi 2006: 95). Anholt (2003) argues that by giving Yorkshire the identity of an artistic region the campaign team determined the most compelling vision for the region that is most likely to succeed in the pursue of recognition. The cultural aspect of the region is especially important due to Yorkshire’s association with mining and a labourer background. By presenting it as a region with fine arts the Tour de Yorkshire campaigns adds another layer to Yorkshire’s image.