Temple of Dawn
The Temple of Dawn is located on the northern edge of the Announcement Square in Menoubra. It is the national center for medical care for mothers both before and after birth, and hosts the Royal Childbirth tradition whenever a woman of the royal family is about to give birth.
Some of the older noble houses, like House Coventé, also have been granted the privilege of giving birth at the temple, though business as usual does not get interrupted for them, and the temple hosts their birth in a large room with seats arranged around the center in concentric circles, like an amphitheater. This room gets used as a room for teaching on normal days, as the temple also trains midwives and doctors specializing in birthcare.
Behind the main temple is a vast garden growing medical herbs and providing peaceful resting places for mothers staying at the temple. Even commoners may stay here if their doctor or midwife fears for their or the child's health and introduce her at the temple. Ouvezians value female fertility and life, and they do their best to make sure each and every woman gets the care they need. Sometimes a midwife might bring a commoner girl who simply can't afford to eat properly, and the temple will host her and make sure she and her child get the nourishment they need. Both noble donations as well as a generous endowment by the crown keep the temple running.
Spiritually, the celebration of new life is connected to the dawning of the new day for Ouvezians, and the colors of the temple are various shade of pink and rose to mimic the new day announcing itself. Single stars and half-suns make up the decorations inside, often in the form of tiny windows on the walls. Ouvezian architects have spent a lot of time perfecting the technique of trapping sunlight in tiny tunnels with mirrored walls, so that no matter the time of the day and light situations, the single star and the sun in every room always lights up. Often these symbols are found on the eastern walls.
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