Tazzarat
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| Tazzarat | |
|---|---|
ⵜⴰⵣⵣⴰⵔⴰⵜ | |
 The spiral tower of the Tazzarat | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tamddaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Temple |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Achra, Charnea |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Tamddaist |
| Architectural style | Awakari |
| Founder | Desert Oracle |
| Date established | 1735 CE |
| Completed | 1741 CE |
| Specifications | |
| Minaret(s) | 1 |
| Minaret height | 55 metres (180 ft) |
The Tazzarat (Tamashek: ⵜⴰⵣⵣⴰⵔⴰⵜ, "The First One") is a large religious complex and the holiest site in Tamddaism, located in Achra, Charnea. As its name suggests, it was the first permanent Tamddaist temple to be established, founded by the White Path semi-mythical priestly figure known as the Desert Oracle who doubles as the messianic figure of Tamddaism. It receives roughly 5 million pilgrims and tourists every year, making it one of the most popular destinations in Charnea and a major source of local revenue. The Tazzarat is a protected archeological and cultural heritage site under the supervision of the Ninvite Ministry of Culture, and is also recognized for its significance by international bodies. The temple's iconic spiral tower is a national icon in Charnea, and a common architectural trait of many Tamddiast temples constructed after it.
History
According to tradition, the order to built the Tazzarat came from the Desert Oracle himself, and little evidence exists to disprove this assertion due to the nature of early Tamddaism as a pseudo-secret society. At the time, the site was a remote region of the Ninvite province of Achra, which had not yet undergone the rapid urbanization focused on the city of Agnannet. After its period of decline, the temple was primarily a mortuary field in the Tamddaist tradition of sky burial. During this time, the central courtyard and the secondary towers were used to scatter the bodies of the dead, believed to be empty vessels, prepare them for excarnation and offered up to the religiously significant vultures and other carrion birds. Pilgimage to the temple in this period manifested mainly through the travel of Tamddaists bearing the bodies of dead relatives to be offered up at the site, while prayer was conducted through the walk of the tower as it is today, and the deposition of offerings at the top of the tower.
