I really don't know what to make of this place, it is a shopping mall just a few miles outside of Manchester city center, I've never been there before, I decided it was time I went to have a look for myself. Many centuries ago it was custom to make a sacrifice of a boy to the gods on completion of the building of a temple, I have heard or read something about this but don't know anything much about it. However on the day of its opening a young lad was killed when a statue of a bull fell on him, I've always had my suspicions about this, but I think he became a human sacrifice to the gods for the completion of that building.
When I saw the opening of the Trafford Center, my first impression was My God, they have built a pagan temple, because much of the ornamentation was borrowed from the Egyptians. It is a pagan temple, there can be no doubt about that, and when you get inside it feels uncanny to say the least. The bull that fell on the lad was Babylonian in design. The interior of the Trafford center is ornamented with Egyptian columns throughout, no expense has been spared in the buildings construction, I do not think there is a more lavish shopping mall anywhere in the whole world, its an incredible mind boggling place to be. there is an outside colonaded area called Barton Square, it is filled with statues of Greek, and Roman gods and goddesses, it looks like a re-creation of mount Olympus, the dwelling place of the ancient pagan deities.
Now to the pictures, the first is this sculpture as you enter Barton Square.
[attachimg=#]
The second picture is of this fountain, surrounded by Nereid's and above on the rooflines are statues of the gods, you may be able to see them.
[attachimg=#]
This brightly lit carousel was brought in to the mall for the Christmas period.
[attachimg=#]
One of two Christmas trees close by that fountain.
[attachimg=#]
Moving well within the center is this chandelier about twenty foot in diameter overhanging the most ornate stairwell you have ever seen, everything in the Trafford center seems to be made of marble.
[attachimg=#]
And lastly, and I enjoyed this bit of the Trafford Center, it is a re-creation of the bridge and deck of a ship, it is huge cafe area ornamented by the ships swimming pool, and there are a couple of lifeboats on the balcony across from me. It was a most interesting afternoon out, I don't think I will be visiting it again in the near future, but it certainly satisfied my curiosity in my impressions of what it was, a pagan temple.
[attachimg=#]
That's amazing! I can see why you don't want to visit it again. ;)
Number one, we've just begun,
God should be first in your life.
Number two's the idol rule,
those graven images aren't right!
That is the beginning of the 10 Commandments in song that our girls learned in Vacation Bible School. They have corrected teachers and been proven right on the internet with this song.
Why Oh Why do people insist on the "graven images?" instead of the Saviour we worship and adore? I pray the blinders will be taken off their eyes.
Michael, as usual you have a terrific selection of pictures.
I was glad I went to the Trafford Center today, I wanted to see first hand if my assumptions were right, more than right was my conclusion. Lets look at it from another angle. What was it like in the ancient world of Rome and Greece when Paul was preaching the message of Christ? Very much like this I suppose, beautiful temples built to every pagan god imaginable, Paul would be surrounded with it continually, and yet Christianity flourished at that time. Read in Acts how people came away from paganism and the worship of these false gods, burning their books of magic and sorcery.
The Trafford Center does concentrate this imagery in a very intense way, and it does draw the crowds, unsuspecting of what the reality of it all springs from, it attracts because of its sumptous imagery. God knows how much money has been literally poured into the creation of this place, I guess it was so when they built the temples of old, the finest of craftsmen, the finest materials. Paul went about in this setting, telling of a God that they never imagined existed. A God who is able to deliver the whole of mankind through one supreme sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ.
You go into these places with your eyes open, you are not lulled or deceived by the idolatry, just be like Paul move among it and see the imagery for what it is, false and vain. But todays little excursion has given me the idea for a tract based on the above.
"But todays little excursion has given me the idea for a tract based on the above."
Probably the reason He led you there. :thumbsup:
Pity there wasn't a statue with the inscription, "To an unknown god," in there, might be an idea to have another look.
Love to see the tract when you have is done!
Just been looking through some of the other shots I took in there, most have camera shake but this one is looking along the main gallery, I'm on the first floor, you can see the Egyptian motifs in the pillars and in the balcony rails, here you have the feeling of being in a huge spaceship. Having said that, being Egyptian in theme, we are reminded yet again of Jesus' infancy when, Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt until Herods death. A lot of questions arise when you think about it. Where did they stay, what did they do there, did they see the temples, how much of the glory that was formally Egypt was there left? Jesus would be beginning to walk and talk whilst he was there in exile, I suppose you could make a film about that. The holy family must have been there a year or two before King Herod died. Seems I went to the Trafford center just at the right time.
Of course you went to the Trafford Center at just the right time. That's God's timing! :thumbsup: