Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife facts for kids
The Historic Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is a special building in the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. It's located on Calle San Lucas. This temple was built between 1899 and 1902 for a group called the Añaza Lodge. It is seen as one of the most important Masonic temples in Spain, and it was the first one in the Canary Islands.
Many people believe it was the most impressive Masonic Temple in Spain until it was taken over by a military group.
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What is a Masonic Temple?
A Masonic Temple is a building where members of a group called the Masons meet. Masons are part of a very old and private organization that focuses on brotherhood, charity, and moral lessons. They often have special ceremonies and traditions.
History of the Temple
The Añaza Lodge, which was the most important Masonic group in the Canary Islands during the 20th century, started on August 8, 1895. This group quickly grew strong. Their growth helped to organize Masonry across the Canary Islands in the early 1900s. The temple building was made specifically for their meetings and activities.
Amazing Design and Symbols
The temple building is full of interesting symbols. Many of these symbols come from the old buildings of ancient Egypt.
Egyptian-Inspired Details
The front of the building has three parts. The middle part has two huge columns. These columns are smooth and have tops shaped like palm leaves. They hold up a large triangular top section called a pediment. In the center of this pediment, you can see a bright, shining ray. This ray stands for the Supreme Being, or the Great Architect of the Universe, which is an important idea in Masonic beliefs.
On each side of the columns, there are two sphinxes. A sphinx is a mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a human. These four sphinxes are lying down and wear a special Egyptian headcloth called a nemes. A sculptor named Compañ Zamorano Guzman carved them.
The main door is made of wood and has patterns carved into it. Above the door, there are decorations of palm leaves and a sun with eagle wings. This sun is a symbol of the Egyptian god Horus. The whole building stands on a raised platform, which makes it look even grander.
A Special Location
The Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is located at a very interesting spot on Earth. It is at the same latitude (28 degrees north) as the Saint Catherine's Monastery near Mount Sinai in Egypt. According to the Old Testament, this monastery was built where Moses received the Tables of the Law.
A Protected Building
Because of its history and unique design, the Government of the Canary Islands officially listed the building as a "Site of cultural interest" in 2007. This means it is protected and recognized as an important part of the region's heritage.
Big Meeting for the Temple
In November 2016, a big international Masonic meeting called Convent of the Order took place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This event happens every year in different parts of the world. It was organized by a group called the Supreme Council of the 33rd Degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite for Spain. One of the main goals of this meeting was to help raise money to fix up and restore the Masonic Temple of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
More than 300 members from 17 different Masonic groups around the world attended the meeting. This showed how important the event was for the global Masonic community. During the meeting at the Masonic Temple, a special agreement was signed to create the Confederación Iberoamericana de Supremos Consejos (which means "Latin American Confederation of Supreme Councils").
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- Fonseca House
See also
In Spanish: Templo Masónico de Santa Cruz de Tenerife para niños
