altars

An altar is a raised place or table used for offerings to a deity, spirit, or ancestor, or for conducting sacred rites. Altars appear in many cultures and religions and vary widely in form, material, and purpose. They commonly feature a raised surface, a chosen location such as a temple, shrine, or home, and the placement of offerings, symbols, or images. Altars may be constructed from stone, wood, metal, or concrete and may include inscriptions, relics, candles, incense, or lamps.

Historically, altars were central to ancient temple practices in civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, where offerings could include animals, grains, and liquid libations. In the Hebrew Bible, the altar, or mizbe’ach, denotes spaces used for burnt offerings; in later Judaism, altars are more often associated with ritual spaces and synagogue life than with animal sacrifices. In Christianity, altars became focal points for the Eucharist, with various forms including high altars, table altars, or sacramental altars, depending on denomination and architectural tradition. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Shinto, both temple and domestic altars bear icons, statues, or ancestral tablets and host daily puja, prayers, and offerings such as flowers and food.

Domestic altars, or household shrines, are common across traditions and serve to honor deities, ancestors, or spiritual ideals. An altar may accompany ritual meals, lighting of lamps, incense, or recitation of prayers. In modern practice, altars can also function as memorials at sites of historical events or tragedies, or as symbolic objects within secular contexts, such as art installations or museums.