List of holy cities

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This is a list of cities that various groups regard as holy. Cities may be considered holy in themselves, important sites for worship or study, or the high seat of particular religions.

The origins of holy cities may have developed from important locations as origins of significant ritual practices, residence of religio-civic rulers and traditional places ascribed to myths, divinities, religious founders or cults. Some holy cities may have developed from locations customarily accepted as places of worship or the formation of settlements around a mythical nucleus that may have had origins in pre-history.

Contents

[edit] Definition

According to standard dictionary definitions, the term holy city is defined as a city that is the center of religious worship and traditions[1] or a city regarded as particularly sacred by the adherents of a religious faith[2].

The concept of holy city has been a fixture of human civilization since time immemorial and is important in the context of being a center of worship, origin of a religion or belief, site of important relics or objects, established traditions, or center of religious, moral, or source of civil authority. The city itself may or may not have been specifically defined as "holy" by those who regard it as holy but is "holy" by virtue of historical or traditional practices or long-standing recognition. Possession of or loss of the city or locations in question have often caused or continue to cause conflict.

Some cities on the list are also disputed in the sense that some adherents of that particular religion or belief do not regard it as "holy" per se.

[edit] Assyro-Babylonian

  1. Babylon, the gate of god, Known as Babilu in Akkadian and Kadingirra in Sumerian.
  2. Ashur, The City of the Patron God of Assyira, the Sky God.
  3. Nineveh, Capital of the Assyrian Empire.
  4. Ur, Also the traditional birthplace of Abraham the religious patriarch of Christians, Jews and Muslims.
  5. Nippur, holy capital city of the Sumerians.

[edit] Ayyavazhi

  1. Swamithoppe - where Vaikundar performed The Great Tavam.
  2. Ambalappathi - where Ayya unified into him, the seven Deities.
  3. Muttappathi - where Ayya was given second as well as third Vinchai.
  4. Tamaraikulampathi - where Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of Ayyavazhi was written down.
  5. Pooppathi - where Ayya unified into him Poomadanthai, the goddess of Earth.
  6. Vakaippathi - Considered Northern entrance of Dwaraka pathi which is inside the sea.
  7. Avatharappathi - where Ayya after the incarnation in the sea, arose in the world.

[edit] Bahá'í

  1. Baghdad, House of Bahá'u'lláh where Bahá'u'lláh lived in from 1853 to 1863.
  2. Shiraz, House of the Báb where the Báb declared his mission to Mullá Husayn.
  3. Acre, Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh.
  4. Haifa, Shrine of the Báb and administrative headquarters of the Bahá'í Faith
See also: Bahá'í pilgrimage

[edit] Buddhism

  1. Lumbini, commonly recognized as the birth site of Gautama Buddha.
  2. Bodh Gaya, where Gautama Buddha's attained Enlightenment.
  3. Sarnath, where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha was founded.
  4. Kushinagar, where Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana, and was cremated.
  5. Anuradhapura, which contains the 2300 year old holy Bo tree relic Sri Maha Bodhi.
  6. Kandy, which is the site of the Dalida Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth.

[edit] Tibetan Buddhism

More important than anything inherent to the places is the presence of the holiest leaders, the highest lamas, who are considered reincarnations of their predecessors.

  1. Lhasa, seat of the Dalai Lama (now in exile in Dharamsala, India) in the Potala palace, also national (and under Chinese rule regional) capital of Tibet.
  2. Shigatse, seat of the Panchen Lama, also the country's second city.
  3. Tsurphu, (later in exile Rumtek in Sikkim, India), seat of the Karmapa Lama, not a proper city, rather a monastic site fairly close to Lhasa.

[edit] Confucianism

  1. Qufu, legendary birthplace of Confucius.

[edit] Christianity

  1. Jerusalem, The site of some of Jesus' teaching and entombment; Christians believe he was crucified on a nearby hill, Golgotha. Nominally the earthly model (under king Solomon) of Heaven, hence old maps in Christian countries were traditionally oriented towards it (and Catholic and Anglican cathedrals point approximately towards it).
  2. Bethlehem, Birthplace of Jesus.
  3. Nazareth, Jesus's hometown and site of many of his acts and miracles.
  4. Antioch, Once the center of Christianity.
  5. Rome, Place of Sts. Peter and Paul's martyrdom. Center of Christianity after Antioch.

In addition, various Christian denominations have separate holy cities:

[edit] Armenian Apostolic

  1. Echmiadzin

[edit] Roman Catholicism

In the Catholic Church, only Jerusalem and Rome have traditionally been called holy cities. All other sites of significance are "holy" by virtue of their importance as location of shrines or places of pilgrimage.

[edit] Jubilee cities

  1. Rome, center of the Catholic Church, and site of the four major basilicas that are required to be visited to gain a Roman Jubilee.
  2. Santiago de Compostela, Site of the tomb of St. James the Greater.
  3. Santo Toribio de Liébana, where the largest single piece of the True Cross is kept.
  4. Caravaca de la Cruz, where it is claimed a piece of the True Cross is kept.
  5. Assisi, Birthplace and site of the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi. Also an important place for pacifism and tolerance between different religions, and the site of two major basilicas.

[edit] Marian shrines

  1. Aparecida, The largest Marian shrine in the world, as well as the most popular pilgrimage site in Latin America. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's patron saint.
  2. Mexico City, Popular pilgrimage site after a 16th century appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
  3. Knock, Popular pilgrimage site after a 19th century appearance of the Virgin Mary.
  4. Lourdes, Popular pilgrimage site after a 19th century appearance of the Virgin Mary.
  5. Fátima, Popular pilgrimage site after a 20th century appearance of the Virgin Mary.
  6. Jasna Góra, Popular pilgrimage site - monastery with an icon of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa.
  7. The Pillar, in Saragossa, Spain, Popular pilgrimage site after a 1st century appearence of the Virgin Mary.

[edit] Eastern Orthodox

  1. Constantinople, today Istanbul, Once the center of the entire Church, and still the spiritual centre, and the cathedral Agia Sofia, now museum.
  2. Mount Athos, Site of 20 monasteries.
  3. Kiev, Origin of East Slavic Christianity, which evolved into Russian Orthodox Church.
  4. Alexandria, Site of Patriarchate, seat of St. Mark, and residence of Jesus Christ.
  5. Ephesus, Site of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, also one of the early church communities established by the Apostle Paul.

[edit] Ethiopian Orthodox

  1. Axum - holiest pilgrimage site as the location of the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion that is said to house the Ark of the Covenant.
  2. Lalibela - pilgrimage site with an extensive complex of monolithic churches.

[edit] Russian Orthodox

  1. Moscow, Capital of Russia.
  2. Sergiyev Posad, The center of the modern Russian Orthodox Church.

[edit] Georgian Orthodox

  1. Mtskheta, The Robe of Jesus is buried here.
  2. Tbilisi, Capital of Georgia.

[edit] Anglicanism

  1. Canterbury, Kent, The center of the Anglican Church.

[edit] Protestantism

Aside from Jerusalem, the following are considered important or historically significant but may not hold under scrutiny by Protestants themselves as "holy cities". The following may thus be safely disregarded or omitted.

  1. Wittenberg, where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses.
  2. Geneva, sometimes called the Protestant Rome, where John Calvin governed and did much of his work during the Reformation.
  3. Plymouth, Massachusetts, landing site of the Mayflower and location of the original settlement of English Puritans in North America.
  4. Nashville, Tennessee (mainly among U.S. Protestants), often called the Buckle of the Bible Belt or the Protestant Vatican, a major center of the Christian publishing (Bibles, books, periodicals) and recording (music) industries, with a history rich of revivalism and heavily influenced by the Evangelical movement.

[edit] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

  1. Palmyra, New York is the birthplace of the Latter Day Saint movement. Joseph Smith, Jr. received his First Vision in the Sacred Grove and found the Golden Plates in the Hill Cumorah.
  2. Kirtland, Ohio was headquarters of The Church from 1831 to 1838. It is the site of Kirtland Temple where several visions and manifestations occurred.
  3. Independence, Missouri was declared to be the site of the New Jerusalem for the Second Coming of Christ. The Community of Christ, the Restoration Branches and the Church of Christ (Temple Lot) all make their headquarters there. Liberty Jail is not far from Independence.
  4. Adam-ondi-Ahman is the location where Adam, believed to be the Ancient of Days referred to in the Book of Daniel, is expected to visit the earth prior to the Second Coming of Jesus. Smith also used the name Adam-ondi-Ahman in reference to the location where Adam and Eve are said to have lived after being cast out from the Garden of Eden. Joseph Smith Jr. possibly believed these two locations were the same.
  5. Nauvoo, Illinois was a beautiful city built by the Latter-day Saints from 1839-1846. It is the site of the Nauvoo Temple and the Smith Family Cemetery (final resting place for Joseph Sr., Joseph Jr., Hyrum, Lucy Mack and Emma. Carthage Jail is very near Nauvoo.
  6. Salt Lake City, Utah was the refuge for the Saints driven from Illinois. Today it is the administrative headquarters of the largest LDS denomination, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is also the location of the Salt Lake Temple, the Salt Lake Tabernacle, the Seagull Monument and the Beehive House.

[edit] Egypt (ancient)

  1. Abydos - center of worship for several gods connected to death and the dead, including Upuaut, Anhur, Anubis, and Osiris.
  2. Alexandria, Egypt - in the Hellenistic period, the center of worship for Serapis.
  3. Bubastis - site of the primary temple of Bast.
  4. Crocodilopolis - center for the cult of Sobek.
  5. Deir el-Bahri - site of temples to the pharaohs Mentuhotep II, Hatshepsut, and Thutmose III.
  6. Dendera - site of cults of Isis and Hathor.
  7. Heliopolis - major cultic center with temples for Atum and the Ennead.
  8. Leontopolis - a cultic center for the worship of Maahes, Sekhmet and Bast.
  9. Karnak - center for the worship of Amon-Re, Montu, and Mut, as well as, briefly, Akhenaten's god Aten.
  10. Medinet Habu - mortuary temple for Ramesses III.
  11. Memphis, Egypt - cultic center for Ptah and Apis.
  12. Mendes - the center for the Mendes Triad: the ram deity Banebdjed the fish goddess Hatmehit, and their child Har-pa-khered, who were eventually identified with Osiris, Isis and Horus, respectively.
  13. Nekheb - cultic center for Nekhbet, patron-goddess of Upper Egypt.
  14. Tanis, Egypt - the northern center for the worship of the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut, and Khonsu).
  15. Thebes, Egypt - cultic center for the Theban Triad.

[edit] Greece (ancient)

  1. Aegina - A cultic center of Zeus.
  2. Argos - A center of worship for Hera, Zeus and Hermes.
  3. Athens - Major cultic center for Athena.
  4. Corinth - Cultic center for Hera.
  5. Delos - Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis; cultic center for Hera.
  6. Delphi - Site of the Oracle of Apollo.
  7. Dodona - Cultic center and oracle of Zeus.
  8. Eleusis - Cultic center for Demeter and Persephone, site of the Eleusinian Mysteries.
  9. Leuce, center of the cult of the hero Achilles.
  10. Olympia - Hallowed site of the ancient Olympic Games and the Heraea.
  11. Paestum - Cultic center for Athena, Hera and Apollo.
  12. Pheneos in Arcadia was the main center for the cult of Hermes.
  13. Rhodes - Sacred to the sun-god Helios and the sea-god Poseidon.
  14. Samos - Cultic center of Hera.
  15. Samothrace - Cultic center (see Samothrace temple complex) for a cthonic mystery religion worshipping the "Great Mother" as well as Hecate and other fertility gods.
  16. Thebes, Greece - Mythical home of Cadmus; birthplace of Dionysus and cultic center for Heracles.
  17. Tiryns - Birthplace of Heracles; cultic center for Hera.

[edit] Hinduism

Kasi (Varanasi) is the oldest living city in the world and is considered as one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage for Hindus irrespective of denomination.[1]
Enlarge
Kasi (Varanasi) is the oldest living city in the world and is considered as one of the most sacred places of pilgrimage for Hindus irrespective of denomination.[1]
  1. Ahobilam
  2. Amarnath (Indian Occupied Kashmir)
  3. Ayodhya
  4. Badrinath
  5. Belur Math
  6. Dakshineswar
  7. Kasi (Varanasi)
  8. Gaya
  9. Gokarna
  10. Haridwar
  11. Kalighat
  12. Kamakhya
  13. Kanchipuram
  14. Kaanipakam
  15. Katra
  16. Kateel
  17. Kolhapur
  18. Madurai
  19. Mathura
  20. Mayapur
  21. Mount Kailash
  22. Navadwip
  23. Pajaka
  24. Palani
  25. Pandharpur
  26. Prayag
  27. Puri
  28. Rameshwaram
  29. Sabarimala
  30. Tarakeswar
  31. Tarapith
  32. Thanjavur
  33. Thiruthani
  34. Thiruparankundram
  35. Thiruvananthapuram
  36. Tirupati
  37. Udupi
  38. Vrindavan
  39. Talapady
  40. srikalahasti

[edit] Seven Sacred Cities

  1. Ayodhya
  2. Mathura
  3. Haridwar (Maya)
  4. Kasi (The Holiest of the Holy)
  5. Kanchi
  6. Ujjain (Avantika)
  7. Dwaraka
  8. Kolhapur

[edit] Jyothirlingams (Shaivism)

  1. Bhimashankar
  2. Deoghar
  3. Dwarka
  4. Grishneshwar
  5. Kedarnath
  6. Omkareshwar
  7. Rameswaram
  8. Somnath
  9. Srisailam
  10. Triambakeshwar
  11. Ujjaini (Avantika)
  12. Kasi (Varanasi)

[edit] 51 Shakti Peethas

See: Shakti Peethas

Satellite image of the largest religious gathering on Earth in Hindu holy city of Prayag. Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in Kumbh Mela on the banks of river Ganga.
Enlarge
Satellite image of the largest religious gathering on Earth in Hindu holy city of Prayag. Around 70 million Hindus from around the world participated in Kumbh Mela on the banks of river Ganga.

[edit] Kumbh Mela sites

  1. Haridwar
  2. Nashik
  3. Prayag
  4. Ujjaini (Avantika)

[edit] Other "Snanam" sites

  1. The Mahamaham at Kumbakonam
  2. The Pushkaram at Rajahmundry

[edit] The Shankara Mathams

The four Peethams established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya

  1. South: Sringeri
  2. West : Dwaraka
  3. North: Jyotirmath (Badrinath)
  4. East : Puri Jagannath Peetham

[edit] Subrahmanya Kshetrams

The six main Subrahmanya Kshetram's {Known as "Aaru Padai Veedugal"):

  1. Tirupparamkunram
  2. Tiruchendur
  3. Tiruvavinankudi (Palani)
  4. Tiruverakam (Swami Malai)
  5. Kundruthoradal (Tiruttani)
  6. Palamuthircholai
  7. Kukke Subramanya

[edit] Ranganatha Kshetrams

The three Ranganatha Swamy kshetrams on islands standing on the river Kaveri -

  1. Adi Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangapatna.
  2. Madhya Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Shivanasamudra.
  3. Antya Ranga: the Ranganathaswamy temple at Srirangam.

[edit] Indigenous Australian

  1. Devil's Marbles Conservation Reserve, A geological site sacred to the Arrernte people of northern Australia. Possibly the oldest continually used by man.
  2. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area, and has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings.
  3. Hindmarsh Island is sacred to the Ngarrindjeri people.

[edit] Islam

See also Ziyarat

The Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca with the Kaaba at the centre
Enlarge
The Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca with the Kaaba at the centre
  1. Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. Location of the Ka'aba - the basis of the Qibla (direction of prayer), focus of the Hajj.
  2. Medina, the second holiest city in Islam, site of Masjid al-Nabawi, where the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad, is buried. Where early Muslims Muhajirun emigrated to following the Hijra.
  3. Jerusalem where Masjid Al Aqsa is where Muslims believe that Muhammad ascended through the heavens to God. Also city of the earlier Israelite Prophets and the Dome of the Rock.

In addition to the cities listed above the following are holy cities for some Islamic sects:

[edit] Sunni

While there are no specific holy cities outside of the above mentioned three for Sunni Muslims, there are several important cities that are respected for their significance to the formation of Sunni islam.

  1. Baghdad, from where the Caliphate at its height ruled.
  2. Damascus, seat of Umayyad rule.
  3. Timbuktu, especially significant for African Muslims, Capital of the Empire of Mali, and centre of African Islamic learning.
  4. Chinguetti is sometimes said to be 'the seventh holiest city of Islam'. Home to five important manuscript libraries of scientific and Qur'anic texts, and a principal gathering place for pilgrims of the Maghreb to gather on the way to Mecca. It also became a center of Islamic religious and scientific scholarship in West Africa.
  5. Bukhara, seat of the Samanid dynasty, contains numerous ancient Mosques (Po-i-Kalyan, Mir-i Arab Madrasah, Kalyan Mosque)
  6. Samarkand, especially significant for Eastern Muslims, capital of Timurs kingdom.

[edit] Shia

  1. Najaf, site of the tomb of Imam Ali in Imam Ali Mosque, who the Shi'a consider to be their founder. Also site of Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery.
  2. Mazari Sharif, another shrine of the Imam Ali, while the majority of Muslims believe Ali was buired in Najaf, a significant minority believe he is in Mazari Sharif, in Afghanistan.
  3. Karbala, tomb of Husayn bin Ali in the Mashhad al-Husain.
  4. Mashhad, site of burial of Imam Reza Mashhad ur-Reza.
  5. Qom, site of the shrine of Fatima Masoumeh, sister of Imam Reza. Also site of Jamkaran mosque.
  6. Samarra, tombs of Ali al Hadi and Hasan al Askari, and mosque where Imam Mahdi went into occultation.
  7. Kazimain, tombs of Imam Musa al Kazim and Imam Muhammad al Taqi.

[edit] Sufism

The following lines list only a very small number of the innumerable locations throughout the Muslim world that are considered to have religious significance to followers of the Sufi sect.

  1. Ajmer, India, site of the shrine and tomb of Moinuddin Chishti. Considered significant by most, holy by very few Sufis.
  2. Türkistan, Kazakhstan, site of the mausoleum of 12th century Sufi Hodja Ahmed Yassawi. Known as the Second Mecca of the East in mediaeval times. In Kazakhstan, three pilgrimages here seen as equivalent to one Hajj.
  3. Konya, Turkey, site of the tomb of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, a 13th century master of tasawuff.
  4. Delhi, shrine of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.
  5. Lahore, Pakistan, shrine of Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh.
  6. Pakpatan, Pakistan, shrine of Hazrat Baba Fareed Gangj Shakar.

[edit] Jainism

  1. Mount Abu, site of the Dilwara Temples
  2. Shravanabelagola
  3. Palitana, also known as Shetrunjay.
  4. Sammed Shikarji Hills, where 20 of the 24 Tithankaras attained Nirvana.

[edit] Judaism

  1. Jerusalem is the holiest city in the world for Jews. It is the ancient capital of the united Kingdom of Israel and then of the Kingdom of Judah. It is the current capital of the State of Israel. Mentioned repeatedly in the Bible and the site of the Temples in Jerusalem: the First Temple (Solomon's Temple) and the Second Temple.

There are also three other holy cities of somewhat lesser importance to the Jewish people. These cities have played important roles in Jewish history and were, along with Jerusalem, the main centers of Jewish population in Palestine between the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and the 19th century:

While not considered holy cities per se, the following cities had great spiritual significance to Jews through the ages because of their close association with the development of Jewish law and culture:

[edit] Biblical

[edit] Classical antiquity and the Middle Ages

[edit] Hasidism

[edit] Roman religion (ancient)

  1. Rome, within the compound of the pomerium.

[edit] Shintoism

  1. Ise, Site of the Grand Shrine of Ise.
  2. Nagoya, Site of Atsuta Shrine.
  3. Izumo, Site of the Izumo Taisha.
  4. Kyoto, Site of other important shrines, such as Yasaka Shrine, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Iwashimizu Shrine. This was also the old capital where the Emperors once resided.
  5. Kamakura, Site of other important shrines, such as the Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Hase-dera, and hundreds of other sites of religious and cultural importance.

[edit] Sikhism

  1. Amritsar, India, Site of the most holy location in Sikhism, the Golden Temple.
  2. Nankana Sahib, Punjab (Pakistan), The Birth place of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh religion.

[edit] Taoism

  1. Mount Tai, One of the Five Sacred Mountains of China, and the site of a sacred taoist temple.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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