Building a Holy City

[johnsontaylor]

Yep, another noob question. How do I build a holy city. I was the first to research a religion and have build both a temple and monastery and I gained a prophet but he can't build any of his special buildings unless in a holy city which I have no idea how to develop one. Anyone want to help me out? Thanks

 

[TheMulattoMaker]

Welcome to CFC!



The Holy City for each religion is assigned by the computer on the turn the religion is founded. It should have given you a message on that turn saying "Buddhism (or whatever) has been founded in [name of city]!" There's at least a couple ways to find out what it is. Go to your Religion Advisor (F7, I think, or click on the praying hands icon) and it'll tell you all the holy cities that you've discovered. Or in the map screen just look at each city- every city that has a religion will have the icon for that religion, but the holy city will have a little yellow star in the corner of its icon.

 

[johnsontaylor]

I founded 2 different religions and got a "great prophet" but he cannot build any of his special building in any of my cities because they weren't "holy cities". Hence, the reason for my question. Are there other buildings that need to be constructed in my cities before one of those special buildings can be constructed?

 

[SamSniped]

You can only build those buildings in holy cities. to get a holy city, you need to get a religous technology (Meditation, Polytheism, Theocracy, Pacifism, Code of Laws, and Divine Right[or something like that]) before all of the AIs. The holy city is the one with the star next to the religion symbol if you look near the city's name.

 

[Ataxerxes]

I founded 2 different religions and got a "great prophet" but he cannot build any of his special building in any of my cities because they weren't "holy cities". Hence, the reason for my question. Are there other buildings that need to be constructed in my cities before one of those special buildings can be constructed?

Welcome to CFC!

If you're not playing a mod, there are no buildings needed to be constructed before the Shrine. The Shrine gives you one gold for every city in the world that has that religion.

First, you have to find the holy city. You could look in the events log in the upper left that will show "Buddhism has been founded in Berlin" or some similar message. Or you can go to the religious advisor (buttons on upper right, two hands clasped together button) and it will tell you in which city the religion was founded. Then you move the Great Prophet to that city. When he's there, one of the options for using the Great Prophet will be to build a shrine. A Shrine can only be built in a holy city.

It actually doesn't matter if you founded the religion, only if you control the holy city. If you capture a holy city (my favorite way) you can then build the shrine in that city (if it isn't already there, 1 shrine per religion). Coversely, if you found the religion and then lose the holy city, you can't build the Shrine because it can only be built in a holy city.

I should note that most players don't try to found early religions. It can mess up diplomacy and alters your tech path to get worker techs, Bronze Working, Writing, Alphabet, etc.

 

[GGracchus]

Welcome to CFC!

What everybody who's posted above me said.

 

[lymond]

Yep, folks above have clearly explained to you, OP, how to find your holy city. It's up to you to find it. You can also click on your Great Prophet and right-click (hold) on each of your cities. If the holy shrine can be built in one of those cities (hence it is a holy city) then the shrine icon will be active. If so, just move your GP to that city and click the icon.

A Holy City is defaulted in one of your cities if you found a religion by reaching the required tech first. A holy shrine can be created in that holy city by a Great Prophet. A holy shrine is the only building the GP can build.

(As a note: Founding early religions is not a recommended "standard" way of playing the game. However, it can be an interesting alternative, at least on lower levels. On higher levels, the odds of beating AIs to early religious techs are low. It is highly recommend to first go for worker techs to improve your land and resources. This provides a much better benefit early game. You can always try for Oracle> COL or a Philo bulb to get your own religion and holy shrine)

 

[jtb1127]

I guess I'll add a helpful tip:

-Use slavery. It's awesome. In the early years (up until medieval and sometimes beyond) most of your cities just grow and get pissed off. Every time they get angry, whip out a new building or unit with the slavery option. Don't whip too much or you'll have "deficit unhappiness". I just made up that word but it's self explanatory.