processions

MUBINA KHALID
Ar-026
UZMA ZAFAR
Ar-038
 PROCESSION:
 A procession is, in general, an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial
manner.
 a group of people moving in an orderly state; a regular series; sequence or succession of things
resembling a procession
 The group action of a collection of people or animals or vehicles moving ahead in more or less
regular formation
PROCESSION ELEMENTS:
Many elements may be used to make a procession more significant than just "people walking in
the same direction"

MODE OF TRANSPORT:
A special mode of transport, such as a ceremonial barge elephant howdah, horse drawn
carriage, or a palanquin carried on the shoulders of others.

MUSIC:
Including everything from the choir of a church procession to the marching band of a military
procession. Criers may march before the procession, yelling to clear the way for it. Some high
school homecoming parades include trucks filled with people who do nothing but make as
much noise as possible.

BEARERS:
Banners, fans, icons, treasure, or other eye-catching items, or leading exotic animal.
ORDER OF PRECEDENCE:
Even without showy display, a group of people walking forward may be said to form a
procession if their order and placement clearly visualize a hierarchy or symbiotic relationship.
For instance, one's nearness to the king or others of high rank had important political
connotations when the royal family walked to or from chapel services at the palace of
Versailles. and the stylized movement and hierarchy of marching military units clearly sets up a
formal procession.

SCENT:
Provided by flower bearers or censers of incens.

SKILLED PERFORMERS:
Acrobats or dancer.
SPECIAL COSTUME:
Traditionally, the costumes of acolytes, footmen, ceremonial guards, or slaves help show off the
wealth of the person staging a procession

SPECIAL LIGHTING:
Candlelight vigils for the deceased or to show political solidarity often include a candlelit
procession. Fireworks illuminate such diverse events as coronations, parades, and Thai royal
barge processions.
FUNCTIONS OF PROCESSIONS:
ADVERTISEMENT:

The Petit Doudou actors in the procession of the Golden Car in Mons (Belgium).

CHANGE IN GOVERNMENT:
Processions play an important role in coronations, such as that of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in
1953, the Shah of Iran in 1967, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II of the Ashanti in 1999, and Norodom Sihamoni of
Cambodia in 2004.

DISPLAY OF POWER:
Such as ancient Roman triumphs, the durbar processions of India, and modern reviewing of the troops
by generals and heads of state
ENTERTAINMENT:
Parades arranged purely for fun, such as those of community organizations and friendly
societies

POLITICAL SOLIDARITY:
Religious ceremonies have since prehistory employed the procession of holy objects to inspire
solidarity of belief.
EVENTS
Processions used to mark the beginning or end of an event, such as parades at the beginning of
county fairs or at the Olympic Games, or processions that begin and end funerals, graduations,
and weddings.

RELIGIOUS PROCESSIONS:
Christians – Easter Processions

Hindus / Sikhs / Buddhist

MUSLIM PROCESSIONS:
Ashoura procession

Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession

 PROCESSIONS AT DIFFERENT SCALES:
• COMMUNITY OR A GROUP
Funeral procesions
• NATIONAL LEVEL
Lawyers procession (long march) in Pakistan
• INTERNATIONAL LEVEL
Olympics torch procession
CASE STUDIES:
RELIGIOUS PROCESSIONS:
HOLY WEEK: MUHARRAM:

POLITICAL PROCESSIONS :

JULIUS CAESER:

EVENT PROCESSIONS

OLYMPICS:
CASE STUDY # 1
ROMAN TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION
 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROCESSION:
A Triumph was a ceremonial procession granted to victorious generals (a dictator, consul or a
praetor) in celebration of a great military victory and to offer a public thanksgiving.

ORDER OF TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION:

• A victorious general in a spectacular chariot drawn by four horses.

• The senate

• trumpeters

• The humiliated enemy captives who were often in chains

• The spoils and treasures taken in war

• White bulls for sacrifice and his personal bodyguards (lictors).

 JULIUS CEASER

TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION

APRIL 46 BC
 In April 46, Julius Caesar celebrated a quadruple triumph, which became famous for its
extravagance.

The end of four wars was celebrated:

• The war in Gaul,

• The war in Egypt,

• The war against Pharnaces of Pontus

• The war against king Juba of Numidia.

ELEMENTS OF TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION:

STOLEN RICHES
Carriages carried treasures plundered from houses and temples.

DEFEATED EMPEROR IN CHIANS

 The main attraction of the Gallic triumph was the defeated leader of Gaul - Vercingetorix
 Cleopatra's sister Arsinoe walked in parade in chains
SACRIFICIAL OXEN with gold coated horns were led along in parade

EXOTIC CREATURES:

The Egyptian parade featured giraffes which Rome crowds had never seen before

MONUMENTS OF THE DEFEATED STATES:

• Julius Caesar included a model depicting one of the seven wonders of the world, the
pharos lighthouse of Alexandria

• This display inspired the architects and also helped to justify Caesar's plan to erect
similar extravagance in Rome
LIGHT AND MUSIC:

MUSCIAL MARCH:
Musicians played as they marched in the procession

CANDLELIT PROCESSION:
Elephant carrying flaming torches lit the way in the evening on the last day of the parade.
ROUTE OF ROMAN TRIUMPHAL PROCESSION:
Three broad topographic components remained constant in all processions:

• The sorting out in campus martius

• The loop around the palantine

• The terminus at the Capitoline

IMPACT OF TRIUMPHAL PROCESSSIONS ON URBAN FABRIC;
 The rituals of triumphal processions redefined the use of key roman buildings
 Porta Triumphal is: a gate through which a Roman general, who was celebrating a triumph,
passed at the beginning of his march

 Theatre, orchestras and circus tracts became segments of triumphal street in order to
keep large audiences comfortable throughout the event
 The 3 theatres built in campus martius were associated with triumphal processions
  In fact the orientation of the theatre directly respond to the procession

Along the procession route open urban spaces were preserved for
temporary seating and post parade events

Each procession was part of an urban continuum, a street connected in time as well as in space
with the past and future of the Roman state, the triumph ritual, and the topography of Rome.

CASE STUDY # 2
ANCIENT GREEK OLYMPICS PROCESSION
OBJECTIVE OF THE PROCESSION:
• To give an honor to the god ZEUS
• The Games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the
Mediterranean
• A tool for political alliances
ORDER OF PROGRESSION:
• The judges
• The ambassadors from the greek city states that had send athletes
• Athletes
• 100 oxen that were to be sacrified on the great altar of zeus

ROUTE OF THE SACRED WAYPROCESSION:

• In the opening ceremonies, Olympic athletes and Judges paraded for Olympia from the
city of Ellis.

• This 58 kilometre route was known as as the sacred way

THE THIRD DAY PROCESSION:
 The third day was chosen for the procession in alympia and the sacrifice because it was
right in the middle of the games
 When everything was ready a trumpet blared and the processin moved off
THE THIRD DAY PROCESSION ROUTE:

A PAUSE BETWEEN THE PROCESSION:

• THE PROCESSION PAUSED TO THE RIGHT OF ZEUS TEMPLE BEFORE THE GREAT ALTAR
• PRIESTS AND OFFICIALS MADE SPEECHES AND DEDICATE GAMES TO THE JESUS
IMPACT OF OLYMPIC PROCESSSIONS ON URBAN FABRIC:
• IMPORTANT BUILDINGS AND BANKS
• ALL OVER THE OLYMPIC SITE THERE WERE OTHER BUILDINGS, STATUES, ALTARS AND
MONUMENTS
• OTHER BUILDINGS INCLUDE A BANQUETING HALL, A PRIEST’S HOUSEAND A HOUSE FOR
THE IMPORTANT VISITORS TO STAY
• AT THE FOOT OF THE HILLOF KRONOS THERE WAS A ROW OF ELEVEN SMALL
TREASURIES WHICH ACT AS BANK

CASE STUDY # 3
MUHARRAM PROCESSION
OBJECTIVES OF PROCESSION:
 To honor the memory of Imam Hussain (a), and pay tribute to him.

 To announce his status to those who may not know him.

  To connect and unify people with each other as they share the same tragedy

ELEMENTS OF MUHARRAM PROCESSION:

ZULJANA:

A decorated horse Which is known as the "Zuljana" (Imam Hussain's loyal horse )

TA'ZĪYA:
To built replicas of Imam Hussein's mausoleum , which they called ta'zīya, and carried them
in processions.

BLACK DRESS:
People dressed black for the respect
MUHARRAM PROCESSION IN KARACHI:

ROUTE MAP OF MUHARRAM PROCESSION:

ROUTES OF MUHARRAM PROCESSION :

On 8th Muharram:
Shia main Muharram procession start from Nishtar Park via the following routes and it
terminate at Hussainian Iranian Imambargah:
Nishtar Park, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Road, Father Jaminis Road, Mehfil-i-Shah-i-Khurasan, M.A.
Jinnah Road,
Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, again M.A. Jinnah Road, Thatai Compound, Adamjee Budha
Bhoy Road, Baba-i-Urdu Road, Nishtar Road, Barah Imam, Altaf Hussain Road (Old Napier
Road), M.A. Jinnah Road,
Boulton Market, Bombay Bazaar, Nawab Mahabat Khanjee Road to Hussainian Iranian
Imambargah.

On 9th Muharram:
Shia procession start from Markazi Imambargah Liaquatabad. This procession first go to Martin
Road, Imambargah and thereafter it come to Nishtar Park where Majalis held. The procession is
start from Nishtar Park for Iranian Hussainian Imambargah, Kharadar via the following route:

Nishtar Park, Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Road, Father Jaminis Road, Mehfil-i-Shah-i-Khurasan, M.A.
Jinnah Road,

Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, again M.A. Jinnah Road

Boulton Market, Bombay Bazaar, Kharadar, Nawab Mahabat Khanjee Road to Hussainian
Iranian Imambargah.

On 10th Muharram:
Majlis is held at Nishtar Park following which a procession start and proceed from Nishtar Park
to Hussainian Iranian Imambargah via Sir Shah Nawaz Bhutto Road, Father Jaminis Road,
Mehfil-i-Shah-i-Khurasan, M.A. Jinnah Road, Mansfield Street, Preedy Street, again M.A. Jinnah
Road, Boulton Market, Bombay Bazaar, Kharadar, Nawab Mahabat Khanjee Road.

CASE STUDY # 4
 HOLY WEEK PROCESSION

OBJECTIVE OF PROCESSION:
Holy Week in Christianity is the week before Easter

It commemorates the last week of the earthly life of Jesus Christ before his crucifixion on Good
Friday and his resurrection on Easter Sunday.

ELEMENTS OF HOLY WEEK PROCESSION:

JESUS STATUE:

Penitents carry the icon Members of the, Christ of the Good Death,

TORCH PROCESSION:
CONCLUSIONS AND ANALYSIS:
URBAN FABRIC AND ROUTE SELECTION

• All procession meant to create a focus on their agenda so busy circulation routes are
normally selected

• The particular building typology or land use of the city

• Religious sacred routes

• Routes having social and political influence

PROCESSION CREATE A NEW URBAN SCENARIO:

For the limited duration of time processions stop the on going urban activity and a new
scenario is created

Each procession is part of an urban continuum, a street connected in time as well as in space
with the past and future

FUTURE CONSIDERATION FOR THE PROCESSIONS:

• Procession is a right of every citizen which one could use by taking a permission in which
the route,time duration and the no. of persons are given ,so a city plan should
incorporate this factor

• If considering processions in a city plan , consideration should be taken regarding the

alternative vehicular circulation of the main roads if any one of the roads is blocked