Sermet
A Sermet is a building used for Avic religious activities, particularly for worship. Sermets often have a secondary function as a community hall of the city it was built in, and are often used to determine a settlement's city status. Sermets are grouped in tiers, with the Archphitra as the highest-ranked sermet, being the seat of the Midgant.
Compared to (some native Lugid religion) temples, sermets are often distinct through its extensive use of masonry and its incorporation of Ekuosian architectural elements, with Lugid-style Wilic sermets being an exception. Sermets have significantly influenced Lugid architecture during medieval times.
Etymology
The Lithian term sermet—known in Old Lithian as Syërmeeh—was derived from Ser "to call" and Mahera "god", indirectly meaning "the place to call the god". It was historically used to refer to any kind of temples. Widespread Iovic and the succeeding Avic contact across Lugida after Letsatian and Avic rule gradually caused a shift in its meaning to specifically refer to Iovic temples, including sermets whose appearance at the time is similar.
History
Architecture
Architectural style of sermets can vary greatly between each other and no particular style is considered standard. The wood-based Delian architecture was popular for sermets before is popularity declined during the Forian period. Modern-day sermets now mostly adopt Ekuosian or Forian architecture which extensively uses masonry. Typical of Forian sermets are domes and the two front towers, both of which represent the heavens. The complexity of sermets often represent its tier, with Phitras often showing intricate ornaments made by well-known masons and other artists at the time of construction. Before the Forian period tradition restricts any sermets to be larger than the city hall or the palace on which the sermet is built.
Earliest sermets heavily draw elements from their Iovic counterpart, making both hardly distinguishable from each other. This led to the development of Forian architecture, combining elements from Lugid and Ekuosian architecture and is similar to Vaniuan architecture.
Types
Sermets are divided into four tiers, with common sermets being the lowest. The sermet hierarchy partially follows that of the Avic clergy hierarchy.
Zemid
Zemids are sermets that function as the mother sermet of a particular major city, and is the seat of a Kiremi. Zemids co-functions as a community hall for the city in which it was built, where civil assemblies may take place.
Phitra
Phitras are the second highest-ranking sermets, which acts as a mother sermet for a ganda whose area may cover a whole country, effectively making Phitras the mother sermet of a nation. Larger and more populous countries may have more than one Phitra, as observed in Riyana where Phitras are present in Cúbhlgabh and Cuáma for the Gandas of Mereland and Cuáma respectively.
This type of sermet is mostly distinguished from common sermets and Zemids by its architectural complexity, and are not always bigger than Zemids. For example, the Zemid of Kirni is much larger by area than its mother sermet in Melunebet, mainly due to Kirni's higher population.
Archphitra
Archphitra is the highest rank given to only one sermet, also functioning as the seat of Avism's leader known as the Midgant. The first Archphitra is the Archphitra of Fre, built and appointed on around the 8th century CE but was severely damaged in an earthquake, rendering the Archphitra infeasible. Currently serving as the Archphitra is the Archphitra of Midian. Archphitras are almost always located in Kitlimis, with the period of 1735 to 1882 as an exception where it is moved to Melunebet due to Melune rule.