What is the 'temple district', anyway?

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>>55187251
>What is the 'temple district', anyway?
I'd say it's not the district where all the temples are, but the district surrounding the biggest temple in the city. Like how in medieval cities the largest cathedral would have a huge square in front of it where festivals and the like would be organized.

By that logic Île de la Cité could be considered the "temple district" of Paris.

>>55187251
It's a lot easier when drawing a game map for the sake of the designer and the player to say 'religious stuff goes here ' 'trading stuff goes here' 'nobles go here' 'poor people go here' etc than it is to map out an actual city which would in reality be an incredibly complex web of interconnected buildings, people and places.

But temple districts were a thing in mesopotamian cities. It's a combination of often several buildings of worship, be it temples and a ziggurat, with living quaters for probably the priests, who also were bureaucrats. These were also economic disctricts, pottery was made here and exported across the land.

>>55187421
Yeah, there's definitely a precedent for things like "the Cathedral quarter" in a city, and if you look at very early civilisations, say, Egypt you had large temple complexes (though that had other reasons, temples had extra roles), but much more than that is more of a narrative or game convenience

>>55187251
The Acropolis of Athens was essentially a temple district. I'm reasonably certain Rome and other ancient cities had simillar (if not as clearly defined) arrangements. A space where different places of worship are concentrated is not an unheard of idea, however it makes more sense when you worship more than one God. If every church you have fullfills the same basic function, temple districts are pointless.

>>55187251
Tons of cities have grand temples, and the area therearound is usually dedicated to their upkeep and the sale of temple junk. Rome and one. Most greek city states had one.

a temple distric is usually the district where the dominant faith or faiths have their largest temples/cathedrals aswell as dwellings for all their priests, monks, clerics, holy warriors, acolytes, choir boys, clergy and so on. most of these faiths have their own semi standing armies, mercenaries or heroes who undertake holy missions. these district usually also care for large amounts of pilgrims coming to visit some of the most holy places. aswell as productions and manufactiring areas for holy scrolls, books, potions, holy symbols whatever really. as a gods power is usually quite tangible in these settings, they get more leway. these temple districts almost operate as a smal city inside a city.

>>55187251
well, in a temple district you could have one or two main temple, and the assorted monastery and /or graveyard. you could also have some minor cult chapel, like hero cult in greece/rome or the saint cult in Catholicism. you should also have relic, charm and amulet vendors, public predication, some charity work for the poor, and of course most of the religious festival should take place here. everything related to religion should take place here too, such as knights orders.

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>>55187251
It could very well have become a thing thanks to Fritz Lieber's Lankhmar, which in turn was based on Greek city-states from the classical era (Swords in the Mists has Fafrd and the Grey Mouser wander into another reality and spend time in the city state of Tyre, which was the original setting of the stories before it was rewritten into Lankhmar). The Street of the Gods, where hundreds of different faiths compete and try to advance Westward toward the city's centre is quite the mini-setting in itself.

>>55187251
>Googling it makes it seem like it only exists in fantasy
In the ancient world temples would be a central spot for High Priests which actually had wide authority, power, and resources. Lots of goods, services, people, knowledge, bureaucracy, and civic activity would take place there.
So having a district where the different High Priests would have their seats of power and resources seems like a perfect adventure plot hook area.