Temple of Vega
Purpose / Function
Worship of the god of fire
Design
The Temple of Vega is primarily constructed of coconut and palm wood painted in red, orange, black, and white. Support structures such as beams and poles, along with the foundation, are made of volcanic rock carved with inlays and reliefs of boars.
Architecture
The Temple of Vega is an incredible feat of engineering, utilizing multiple different building techniques in order to make the building resistant to the numerous natural disasters Shanai is prone to. Because it is on the summit of Mount Shanai, the temple in particular is prone to earthquakes caused by the volcano. In 19965, a large earthquake caused the temple's main structure to collapse and slide down the side of Mt. Shanai, and different building techniques were looked into by the Fire God's cult, fearing that another tremor could cause even more damage, as debris had made its way all the way to the city proper. The temple was rebuilt using Musha-Gaeshi stone walls for the foundation, a building technique used in Japanese castles as a form of earthquake proofing and allowed many castles to stand through hundreds of years of earthquakes. The light wooden tiles and thatch roofing of the building also heavily contribute to the temple's earthquake resistance, allowing the building to be light enough to not collapse under its own weight, but still flexible so it does not sustain major damage.
The main body of the temple is made of light and flexible woods such as palm, as they are a plentiful tree in the country, but also highly resistant to hurricanes. A technique of weaving palm boards together, particularly for making wooden tiles in the roof, also highly contribute to the building's hurricane resistance, making them incredibly hard to dislodge during high winds and adds protection to the building from rain and leaking. The wooden board tiles are covered in palm thatch, which while easily blown away in a hurricane, does protect the building during ordinary rain.
A particularity about the temple's construction has allowed it to survive the many eruptions of Mt. Shanai, as it is located on an outcropping of the volcano where most lava flows will veer around the temple, rather than flow into it. This has created numerous ridges of volcanic stone, creating a valley around the building. These ridges are often harvested for stone to further build onto the temple and reinforce it.
History
The Temple of Vega has stood for thousands of years, with no part of the temple ever having been completely destroyed. It has suffered major damage over the centuries, and every time is swiftly rebuilt. Numerous hurricanes, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions
Alternative Names
Vega's Temple, Temple of Fire, Shanai Temple
Type
Temple / Church
Parent Location
Related Professions
Owner
Owning Organization
Related Tradition (Primary)
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