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This article provides anincomplete list and broad overview of significant religious sites and places ofspiritual importance throughout the world. Sites are listed alphabetically byreligion.
Abrahamic religions aremonotheisticfaiths emphasizing and tracing their common origin toAbraham[1] or recognizing a spiritual tradition identified with him.[2][3] They constitute one of three major divisions incomparative religion, along withIndian religions (Dharmic) andEast Asian religions (Taoic).
The three major Abrahamic faiths (in chronological order) areJudaism,Christianity andIslam. Some strict definitions of what constitutes an Abrahamic religion include only these three faiths. However, there are many other religions incorporating Abrahamic doctrine, theology, genealogy and history into their own belief systems.
TheBaháʼí Faith is amonotheistic religion founded byBaháʼu'lláh in 19th centuryPersia, and consider their religion to progress from or succeedBábism or the Bábi Faith (Persian:بابی هاBábí há) founded by theBáb earlier in the century – emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind.[citation needed]
Located inBahji, near Acre, Israel theShrine of Baháʼu'lláh is the most holy place for Baháʼís and theirQiblih, or direction of prayer. It contains the remains of Bahá'u'lláh and is near the spot where he died in theMansion of Bahji. Baháʼís regard Acre (He.: עַכּוֹAkko; Ar.: عكّاʻAkkā) itself as theirholy city, mostly due to the fact that it serves as the location of Bahá'u'lláh and his family's many affairs. Within Acre, Baháʼí sites include theHouse of 'Abbúd, theHouse of 'Abdu'lláh Páshá, theGarden of Ridván and thePrison cell of Bahá'u'lláh – where Bahá'u'lláh was incarcerated.
The second holiest site in the Baháʼí Faith – which is also revered by the few remainingAzalis (post-Baháʼí–Azali split followers of Bábism, who number just several thousand worldwide) – is theShrine of the Báb, located onMount Carmel in Haifa, Israel. The Báb's Shrine contains within its walls the temporaryShrine of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá.
The BWC also contains theMonument Gardens – wherein can be found the graves of some of Bahá'u'lláh's family – as well asa house in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá lived, andthe resting place ofRúhíyyih Khánum (8 August 1910 – 19 January 2000; born Mary Sutherland Maxwell; the wife of Shoghi Effendi).
Bahá'u'lláh decreed pilgrimage in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas to two places: theHouse of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad, Iraq and theHouse of the Báb in Shiraz, Iran. While these major pilgrimages were later replaced (at least in terms of religious significance) by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, many Baháʼís still flocked to Bahá'u'lláh's home for pilgrimage until the house was confiscated by Muslim authorities hostile to the Baháʼí Faith in 1922. It has yet to be returned to the Baháʼí community. The House of the Báb was completely destroyed by Iranian Muslims during astate-sponsored persecution of Baháʼís. A road and mosque were built over the house and a telephone pole now marks the spot where the Báb proclaimed his prophethood. The city of Baghdad also includes theGarden of Ridván, which shares the same name as – though is distinct from – the Garden of Ridván in Acre.
Located in theChristian Quarter of theOld City ofJerusalem, theEdicule, also known as the Tomb of Christ, within theChurch of the Holy Sepulchre is the most holy site for many mainstream denominations within Christianity. The area of the Church is regarded as the site, according to their understanding, whereJesus Christsuffered, was crucified, died,buried andresurrected from the dead along a temporal pathway known as theVia Dolorosa (from theLatin; lit. "way of sorrows"). The first eightStations of the Cross can be followed along the route leading up to the Church, inside of which are the final five Stations.
TheGreek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem,Roman Catholic Church, andArmenian Apostolic Church form the custodians of the Holy Sepulchre and collectively control the most holy pilgrimages within the church along with theCoptic,Syriac, andEthiopian Orthodox churches who also hold some chapels. Within the walls of the church are the many traditional locations for the events associated with the Passion and death of Jesus: TheStone of Unction (the anointing place of Christ's body), thePrison of Christ (where Jesus was held, incarcerated, before his Passion), a treasure room which holds relics including fragments of theTrue Cross, and of courseCalvary orGolgotha (where Christ was crucified) and theSepulchre itself – to name a few.
ManyProtestant andnontrinitarian denominations regard the nearbyGarden Tomb to be the actual crucifixion and resurrection site of Jesus.[citation needed] Still others have claimed thatJesus's tomb is inJapan, or is reallylocated outside of East Jerusalem.
Other holy sites and shrines of pilgrimage exist in theHoly Land. In Jerusalem theGarden of Gethsemane, theMount ZionCenacle of theLast Supper and theMount of Olives, as well as theChurch of the Ascension prove spiritually important. Outside Jerusalem are pilgrimage places including theSea of Galilee, as well as locations inBethlehem,Nazareth, andCapernaum:
Other important locations identified with the life of Jesus include areas around the Sea of Galilee – for instanceCana and theChurch of the Multiplication inTabgha – as well as theMount of Temptation (in theJudean desert),Mount Tabor,Jacob's Well,Bethany andBethabara (on theJordan River). The town ofSepphoris is where theVirgin Mary spent her childhood.
Still other revered places may exist within or outside the Holy Land, involving localities associated with the lives of theTwelve Apostles, theChurch Fathers, therelatives and ancestors of Jesus,saints, or other figures or events featured in both the Old Testament (sharing religious significance with Judaism or other Abrahamic faiths) and New Testament. The reverence held for these sites may vary depending on denomination.
Catholics, like many otherChristians, regards the Sepulchre in Jerusalem to be the holiest of places. It also places emphasis on Nazareth, Bethlehem, Capernaum, and other parts of the Holy Land as sacred sinceapostolic times, and notes as places of special sanctity the sanctuaries built on the tombs of the Apostles.
Mainstream Catholicism as a whole is represented by theHoly See (Latin:Sancta Sedes, "holy chair") of theVatican City state[10] (Italian:Stato della Città del Vaticano),[11] a walled enclave withinRome, Italy. Inside the Vatican the largest church in history,St. Peter's Basilica (L.:Basilica Sancti Petri), is the location of the Papal office and the living quarters of thePope (in theApostolic Palace), as well asVatican Hill – atop which areSaint Peter's tomb and place of crucifixion,his throne, and hisbaldachin. Outside St. Peter's Square are many more churches throughout the Vatican and outlying Rome. One important landmark is theSistine Chapel (L.:Sacellum Sixtinum;I.:Cappella Sistina), in which thePapal conclave takes place.
Rome is the place from which Catholics believe theone, holy, catholic and apostolic church was formally founded and begun bySaint Peter (whom they consider to be the "Prince of the Apostles") as the appointed successor and firstvicar of Christ. Thus while the Holy Sepulchre is still the most sanctified of places for Catholics, the Vatican is an extremely sacred place to the faithful (those of theLatin Church, as well as the Churchessui iuris) as the seat of their supreme authority on Earth. Important papal territories include the fourmajor basilicas (L.:Basilica maior, pl.-es; excluding St. Peter's) – namely theArchbasilica of Saint John Lateran (the ecumenical Catholicmother church), St. Peter's Basilica, theBasilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls (containing the tomb ofPaul the Apostle), and theBasilica di Santa Maria Maggiore.
Other locations of reverence for ardent Catholics includeMarian shrines, particularly the localities ofFátima andLourdes, wheremiracles orapparitions attributed to theVirgin Mary took place.
Orthodox or Eastern Christians, like many other Christians, regard the Sepulchre in Jerusalem to be the holiest of places. They place emphasis on Nazareth, Bethlehem, Capernaum and other parts of the Holy Land as sacred since apostolic times, and note as places of special sanctity the sanctuaries built on the tombs of the apostles and other saints. There are many shrines with therelics ofChristian saints andmartyrs which are sacred pilgrimage sites for Orthodox Christians as well.
Historically, four of the five majorepiscopal sees of the Roman Empire (thePentarchy) represent the modernpatriarchal centers of the majority of Orthodox churches. These are, namely,Alexandria,Antioch,Constantinople andJerusalem – excludingRome.
Among the Orthodox, there are manymonasteries andconvents which are held in high honor and sacred veneration.
If theEcumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is taken to be one of the most prominent leaders in the Eastern Orthodox Communion, thenSt. George's Cathedral in Istanbul – the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch – may perhaps be one of the most important religious sites for Eastern Orthodox Christians.
Also of particular importance to the Eastern Orthodox Church and particularly theGreek Orthodox Church is the peninsularMount Athos, where the mostmasses in the world are celebrated daily in theByzantine Rite. Mount Athos arguably comprises the largest community ofChristian monastics,ascetics, andmystics (specificallyhesychasts) in the world. It is home to twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Oriental Orthodoxy is the faith of thoseEastern Christian churches that recognize only threeecumenical councils – theFirst Council of Nicaea, theFirst Council of Constantinople and theFirst Council of Ephesus. They rejected thedogmatic definitions of theCouncil of Chalcedon (c. 451). Hence, these Oriental Orthodox Churches are also called Old Oriental Churches,Miaphysite Churches, or theNon-Chalcedonian Churches.[12] These churches are generally not in communion with any of the multifarious Eastern Orthodox Churches but they are in dialogue for a return to unity.[13]
Despite the potentially confusing nomenclature (Oriental meaning Eastern), Oriental Orthodox churches are distinct from those that are collectively referred to as theEastern Orthodox Church. The Oriental Orthodox communion comprises five basic groups:Coptic Orthodox,Ethiopian Orthodox,Eritrean Orthodox,Syriac Orthodox, andArmenian Apostolic churches.[14] These churches, while being in communion with one another, are hierarchically independent.[15]
TheMalankara Orthodox Syrian Church or Indian Orthodox church is technically autonomous, but still shares some ties with the Syriac Orthodox church.
This being the case, each of the six communal churches has their own spiritual headquarters which act as the episcopal sees of their respective Popes or Patriarchs:
Latter-day Saints regard with reverence such places as the Garden Tomb and the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, due their connections with the life and ministry ofJesus. Additionally, the most holy place for members of the mainstream LDS Church are the numeroustemples around the world, particularly the "celestial room" located inside each temple. The purpose of theseordinance rooms is to act as a symbolic representation of the presence of God himself. Additionally, a room inside theSalt Lake Temple, designated as theHoly of Holies, is considered highly sacred due its primary function as a private meditation room for thechurch's president.
Mormon homes are also treated as sacred areas due to the church's emphasis on the sacredness of family union and family-based ceremonies performed in LDS temples. On this subject, theBible Dictionary in theLDS edition of the Bible states:
A temple is literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place of worship on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.[16]
Once a Mormon family starts dwelling in a home, a special prayer is given by the head of the family (or a close member of the church) asking for the residence to be a shelter againsttemptation, and dedicating the place to God as long as the family inhabits it.
Other venerated sites for Latter-day Saints include historical locations throughout theUnited States, due to their particular connection to Mormon history and theology. Examples include theSacred Grove (Palmyra, New York),Cumorah, theKirtland Temple (Kirtland, Ohio) andAdam-ondi-Ahman (Daviess County, Missouri). However, no mandatory ceremonies are performed in such places.
Mormon breakaway sects, sub-sects andfundamentalist groups sometimes hold the belief that their particular church alone can claim true authority and succession from Joseph Smith, and that other LDS denominations are therefore incorrect or heretical. Thus many sites throughout the United States represent the spiritual headquarters' of these churches: For example, theYFZ Ranch inEldorado, Texas, at one time represented theFundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) and theApostolic United Brethren (AUB) base themselves inBluffdale, Utah.
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Ethiopia is of considerable importance as the setting of the life and death ofHaile Selassie. Many Rastas consider Ethiopia thePromised Land. The city ofShashamane is particularly significant. In the capital ofAddis Ababa, Haile Selassie is buried in theHoly Trinity Cathedral (often calledKidist Selassie, from the Amharic), which is also a significant religious site for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians (see alsoOriental Orthodox churches), as it doubles as the seat of theprimate of their church.
Druze is a religion with between 800,000 and a million followers.[17][18] Most Druzis regardNabi Shu'ayb, or Tomb ofJethro, nearTiberias inIsrael is the most important religious site for the Druze. They have heldreligious festivals there for centuries and it has been a place of annual pilgrimage.
The primarysanctuary of theDruze is atKhalwat al-Bayada,[19] which is the centralsanctuary, andtheological school of theDruze, located inLebanon.[20][19][21] Located nearHasbaya, thekhalwat is the location whereAd-Darazi is supposed to have settled and taught from during the firstDruze call.[22] The Kalwaat provides around fortyhermitages forAl-ʻuqqāl (the initiated) at various times of the year.[23]
TheKaaba, acuboid structure located within theMasjid al-Haram (Sacred Mosque) inMecca,Saudi Arabia, is the holiest site of Islam. According to Islamic tradition, it was rebuilt byIbrahim (Abraham) and his sonIsmail (Ishmael). TheIslamic prophetMuhammad laid theBlack Stone in one of the corners of the building. Many millions of Muslims visit Mecca and the surrounding areas each year during a pilgrimage known as theHajj – the fifth and finalpillar of Islam – during which they circumambulate the Kaaba as part of the ritual.
Other significant areas within or surrounding Mecca include areas in which the Hajj takes place, including theWell of Zamzam,Mina andits bridge,Muzdalifah andMount Arafat.
The second holiest place for Muslims is theMasjid al-Nabawi inMedina, which is where Muhammad is buried, under theGreen Dome.CaliphsUmar andAbu Bakr are also said to be buried in the Masjid al-Nabawi.
The third holiest site in Islam is theAl-Aqsa Mosque compound inJerusalem, which includesJami Al-Aqsa and theDome of the Rock. Its holiness derives from its being the site from whichMuhammad ascended to heaven in theIsra and Mi'raj, and also for having been the firstqibla (the direction towards which Muslims face when praying).
TheUmayyad Mosque in Damascus,Syria, is claimed by some to be the fourth holiest site in Islam, and many Muslims believe it to be the place whereJesus will return.[24]
The city ofHebron, inPalestine, is traditionally considered – along with Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem – one of the "four holy cities" in Islam,[25] due to the presence in the city of theCave of the Patriarchs, the holy site whereAbraham is said to be buried.[24]
Mount Sinai, in Egypt, is another holy place for Muslims.[26]
Other sites in the ArabianHejaz are associated with Muhammad: near Mecca, on the mountain ofJabal al-Nour, the caveHira is the place of Muhammad's first revelation.
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Among Shias, theImam Ali Shrine andImam Husayn Shrine also hold high significance.
Mosque Maryam is the international headquarters of theNation of Islam.
Five Percenters regard theHarlem neighborhood ofManhattan inNew York City as a place of spiritual importance, referring to the neighborhood as "Mecca". They also refer to theBrooklyn borough of New York as "Medina".
Five Percenters hold a special annual event known asShow and Prove every June at theHarriet Tubman Elementary School in Harlem.
Some individuals in theAhmadiyya Muslim community regardRoza Bal inSrinagar,Kashmir, to bethe authentic grave of Jesus.
TheKodesh Hakodashim, Judaism'sHoly of Holies, was the inner sanctuary of theTabernacle in the time ofMoses as described in theTorah; the term now refers to the area on theTemple Mount inJerusalem where this sanctuary was located within theTemple in Jerusalem. Its location is often, but controversially, identified as being inaccessible, within the footprint of the IslamicDome of the Rock, while some Jewish authors claim the Holy of Holies was actually located either to the north or to the east of the Islamic shrine.
Historically, the area of the Holy of Holies, which sat within the Jewish Temple, could be entered by theJewish High Priest and only once a year, onYom Kippur.Orthodox Judaism andConservative Judaism continue to regard the location as retaining some or all of its sanctity despite the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. Entry into sanctified areas has been prohibited in recent times by powerful elements within traditional Judaism, and as a result many religious authorities prohibit or restrict entry into all areas of theTemple Mount by observant Jews.
Today,Jews recognize theJewish Quarter of the city, wherein the Mount is located, to be a location of profound spiritual importance. Within the area a stone artifact known as theWestern Wall is paramount as the last standing remains of the temple. Along the wall, notable features include theWestern Stone andWilson's Arch. Beneath ita tunnel runs closer toward what was the originalKodesh Hakodashim, ending approximately 150 ft. inward at a place calledWarren's Gate.
TheCave of the Patriarchs inHebron is said to be the second holiest site in Judaism.
Other significant sites include a number of synagogue within the Jewish quarter of Old Jerusalem, namely theHurva,Belz,Tiferet Yisrael and theFour Sephardicsynagogues.
TheBeit El Synagogue is of special importance to students ofKaballah.
TheBiblical Mount Sinai is believed to be the place whereMoses received theTen Commandments from God – although there is considerable debate as to the location of the mountain. (Scholarly opinion places it at either the mountain historically known as "Sinai" orMount Seir.)
Samaritanism is anAbrahamic religion whose followers, like theJews, claim descent from theIsraelites. TheSamaritanethnoreligious group (Hebrew:שומרוניםShomronim,Arabic:السامريونas-Sāmariyyūn) mostly resides in the areas of present-dayIsrael andPalestine and claim to be the successors of the Israelite Northern Kingdom ofSamaria. Samaritans considerMount Gerizim (Samaritan Hebrew:Ar-garízim, Arabic:جبل جرزيمJabal Jarizīm,T.H.: הַר גְּרִזִּיםHar Gərizzîm,S.H.: הַר גְּרִיזִּיםHar Gərizzim; also romanized asJirziem), a mountain in the immediately know vicinity ofNablus, in theWest Bank, the holiest place on Earth. Mount Gerizim therefore has to Samaritans a role comparable to that theTemple Mount ofJerusalem has toJudaism.
Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, QueenMaya gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in 563 BCE. Lumbini is one of many magnets forpilgrimage that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha.
Bodh Gaya, in the state ofBihar inIndia, is considered by many adherents of Buddhism to be their most holy site. Gautama, who achievedEnlightenment some time around 528 BCE, becamethe Buddha and foundedBuddhism. The Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment while sitting under apeepal tree, called theBodhi Tree, located in Bodhgaya. At this site of his purported enlightenment theMahabodhi Temple now stands. Every year, many Buddhists make pilgrimages from all over the world to visit and meditate at the temple.
The Buddha is said to have identified four sites most worthy of pilgrimage forBuddhists, saying that they would produce a feeling of spiritual urgency. These are:[27]
In the later commentarial tradition, four more sites were added to make Eight Great Places, places where a miraculous event is reported to have occurred:
There are various other locations in India and Nepal associated with the Buddha, and there are holy sites located throughout Asia for each Buddhist tradition, for instance in Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Thailand.Lhasa inTibet contains many culturally significantTibetan Buddhist sites such as thePotala Palace,Jokhang temple andNorbulingka palaces.
Shugendō is a small,syncretic, highlyesoteric andascetic sect or sub-sect of Buddhism (mostly related to, and often considered a distinct branch of theTendai andShingon schools) combining elements ofZen,Taoism,Koshintō, Japanese folkanimism andshamanism. The faith is traditionally believed to have been founded by theśramaṇa andmystic-sorcererEn no Gyōja in the 7th or 8th century. In the same manner as the religion ofShintō, Shugendō is largely relegated toJapan.
The lay practitioners and monks of Shugendō, calledShugenja oryamabushi respectively, veneratemountains as both spiritual areas and, along with nature as a whole, "naturalmaṇḍalas" .
Adherents of Shugendō consider the collectiveThree Mountains of Dewa (consisting of Mount Haguro,Mount Gassan, andMount Yudono), located in the remoteDewa Province of Japan, to be their most sacred of places. The three mountains are also sacred in Shintō.
The Indian cities ofVaranasi,Ayodhya,Tirumala,Srirangam,Mathura,Haridwar,Kanchipuram,Ujjain,Puri[28] andDwarka are some of the more famous pilgrim cities inHinduism. Of these, Varanasi,Uttar Pradesh, is considered the holiest ancient site and it is considered by many to be the most sacred place of pilgrimage forHindus, irrespective ofdenomination.
Shaivas inSouth India, especiallyTamil Nadu, considerChidambaram as their holiest site.Vaishnavas of the region regardSrirangam as their holiest city and refer to it as the earthly abode of Vishnu,Vaikuntha.
The "garbhagriha" (literally womb-house or womb-chamber), the shrine inside atemple complex where the main deity is installed in an area that is in a separate building by itself inside the complex, is the most sacred site within the temple complex.
The garbhagriha usually contains themurti (idol or icon), the primary focus of prayer. In temples with a spire orvimana, this chamber is placed directly underneath it, and the two them form a main vertical axis of the temple. These together may be understood to represent the axis of the world throughMount Meru. The garbhagriha is usually also on the main horizontal axis of the temple which generally is an east–west axis. In those temples where there is also a cross-axis, the garbha griha is generally at their intersection. TheTirumala Venkateswara Temple is a Hindu temple in the hill town ofTirumala, nearTirupati in theChittoor district ofAndhra Pradesh.
The Tirumala Hill is 853 m (2,799 ft) above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles (27 km2) in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven heads ofShesha, thus earning the nameSeshachalam. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple is onVenkatadri (also known as Venkatachala or Venkata Hill), the seventh peak, and is also known as the "Temple of Seven Hills". The presiding deity of the temple isVenkateswara, a form of the Hindu godVishnu. Venkateswara is known by other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, aholy water tank. The temple complex comprises a traditional temple building, with a number of modern queue and pilgrim lodging sites.
It is most-visited place of worship in the world.[citation needed] The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily (30 to 40 million people annually on average),[citation needed] while on special occasions and festivals, like the annualbrahmotsavam, the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000.
There are yearly pilgrimage gatherings such asKumbh Mela Pilgrimage (3-year or 12),[29][30]Shabarimala Pilgrimage,[31][32]Kottiyoor Vysakha Pilgrimage[33] where in thousands of people gather in a certain period of a year for pilgrimage.
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ThePalitana temples onMount Shatrunjaya, located by the city ofPalitana, inBhavnagar district,Gujarat, India, are considered one of the holiest places for Jains. Jains believes that a visit to this group of temples is essential once in a lifetime to achieve nirvana or salvation, although many Jains frequent it many times in their lifestyle.
Shikharji or Śrī Sammed Śikharjī (श्री सम्मेद शिखरजी), also known as the Parasnath Hill, located in Giridih district in Jharkhand, India, is a major Jain pilgrimage destination and is one of the most sacred place for Jains in the world. According to Jain belief, twenty of the twenty-four Tirthankaras (teachers of the Jains) attained Moksha (Nirvana) from this place. Parasnath Hill, with a height of 1,350 metres (4,430 ft), is the highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand.The number of Tirthankars who attained nirvana at Shri Sammet Shikharji is 20. For each of them there is a shrine on the hill.
The hill is also known as Parasnath, a name derived from Parshva, the 23rd Tirthankara who attained Nirvana there. The present temple is not very old, although the idol in the main temple is ancient. The Sanskrit inscriptions at the foot of the images indicate that they were installed in the temple in 1678 CE.
Archaeologists believe some of the existing temple edifices on Parasnath Hill date from 1765 CE although the place is of greater antiquity. It is certain that the present edifices replace older edifices, which were demolished. Jain temples are often pulled down and re-built.
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Harmandir Sahib, orDarbar Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple), is culturally the most important shrine inSikhism, considered the spiritual and cultural centre of Sikhs. Located inAmritsar, Punjab, India. It is one of the oldest Sikhgurdwaras. It is located in the city ofAmritsar, India, which was established byGuru Ram Das, the fourth guru of theSikhs and the city was also built around the shrine, known as "Guru Di Nagri" meaning city of the Sikh Guru. It is made from white marble to keep the ground cool and pleasant. It was later laid with real gold which was provided by the emperor ofSikh Empire,Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Another significant place is the village ofNankana Sahib inPakistan, the birthplace ofGuru Nanak, founder of Sikhism. Each of Nankana Sahib's gurdwaras are associated with different events in Guru Nanak Dev's life. The town remains an important site of pilgrimage for Sikhs worldwide.Punjab province of Pakistan is also the location of many important religious and historical sites for Sikhs, including the place of martyrdom of fifth Sikh Guru,Guru Arjan Dev. Many other important Sikh Shrines are located in the Punjab state of India as well as other parts in India.
ThePanj Takht are the five gurudwaras which are revered as the seats of power inSikhism. They are all located inIndia – theAkal Takht Sahib inAmritsar,Punjab; theKeshgarh Sahib inAnandpur Sahib, Punjab; theDamdama Sahib inBathinda, Punjab; theTakht Sri Patna Sahib inPatna,Bihar and theHazur Sahib Nanded inNanded,Maharashtra.
Confucianism is often regarded as either a religion, philosophy or quasi-religious system of beliefs based upon the teachings of theancientChinese sageConfucius. Confucius's philosophy stresses a firm sense ofethical andpolitical order and how to achieve these ends in order to benefitsociety.
While Confucianism is no longer as organized of an ideology as it once was, it still continues as a quasi-religious tradition andtemples of Confucius exist throughoutChina. The most important isthe Temple of Confucius in Confucius's hometown ofQufu. Other sites include theCemetery of Confucius and theKong Family Mansion inQufu,Shandong Province of China.
Ise Shrine is the formal home ofAmaterasu ōmikami, the primary deity ofShinto and traditionally believed to be a direct ancestor of the Japanese Imperial Family. It is located in the city ofIse inMie prefecture, Japan.Access is strictly limited, with the public allowed to see merely the thatched roofs of the central structures, hidden behind three tall wooden fences. The Ise Shrine is purportedly the home of theSacred Mirror.
Four sacred mountains of Taoism:
Followers ofTenrikyo believe that creation of the world occurred at a point called theJiba, inTenri City,Nara Prefecture, Japan. A pillar called theKanrodai is erected on the exact point of the Jiba, and a set of worship halls have been constructed around it. A sacred dance is performed around the Kanrodai during the monthly worship services, and the daily prayers of Tenrikyo practitioners are performed while facing the direction of the Jiba. As it is considered that humans were originally created at the Jiba, the greeting "welcome home" (okaeri nasai in Japanese) is commonly used by believers to greet visitors.
Followers of theChurch of World Messianity believe that the physical world transformation in a paradise in Earth will began in the "sacred ground" places that the church built in order to be the prototype of Heaven in Earth. There are actually five of these sacred grounds in the world: three in Japan, in the cities ofAtami,Hakone, andKyoto; one inSaraburi, Thailand; and one inSão Paulo, Brazil.
This section of the article contains a list of religious sites significant tonew religious movements besidesRastafari andTenrikyo, which are listed above in their relevant sections.
Stonehenge is a site of religious significance inNeo-Druidism as Druids perform pilgrimage there. The first modern Druids to perform ceremonies at this site were theAncient Order of Druids.
Sicily
Apulia
Veneto
Thelemites do not normally carry out pilgrimages, but a certain number of adherents ofThelema regardEgypt, andCairo andGiza in particular, to be important. Notable destinations for Thelemites traveling to or in Egypt include the King's Chamber in thePyramid of Khufu, which is part of theGiza Necropolis in Giza, theEgyptian Museum in the Cairo district ofBoulaq, andDowntown Cairo.
Other notable sites of historical or spiritual significance to many Thelemites are the now derelictAbbey of Thelema in the Sicilian city ofCefalu,Italy, andBoleskine House nearLoch Ness inScotland.
Lalish, located in northern Iraq, is the most sacred site in theYazidi religion. The tomb of SheikhAdi ibn Musafir is located in Lalish.
Udvada is a town inGujarat,India renowned for itsZoroastrianAtash Behram. This place of worship is the oldest still-functioning example of its kind, and has established Udvada as a pilgrimage center for Zoroastrians the world over.
Total Population: 800,000
The total population of Druze throughout the world probably approaches one million.
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