Shrine

Deeply held religious beliefs were, and are, at the heart of many communities. These were not just customs or duties requiring only lip service. Gods and ancestral spirits were real and were important in daily life. Veneration could take many forms, such as offerings to household gods and ancestors through to public festivals and rites. Belief and practice varied from worship of the Greek or Persian gods to Zoroastrianism and included monotheistic beliefs such as Judaism. The common thread was a desire for people to come together and express faith in the divine. Shrines and temples, tombs and mausoleums, were constructed to appease and glorify the relevant heavenly forces.