This article provides a comprehensive alphabetized list of significant religious sites and places of spiritual importance throughout the world.
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Abrahamic religions are the monotheistic faiths emphasizing and tracing their common origin to Abraham [1] or recognizing a spiritual tradition identified with him.[2][3][4] They are one of the three major divisions in comparative religion, along with Indian religions (Dharmic) and East Asian religions (Taoic). As of the early twenty-first century[update], it was estimated that 54% of the world's population (3.8 billion people) considered themselves adherents of the Abrahamic religions, about 30% of other religions, and 16% of no religion.[5][6]
The three major Abrahamic faiths (in chronological order of revelation) are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Samaritanism is a religion related to Judaism, as Druzism or Alevism is to Islam. The Bahá'í Faith considers itself a succesor to the traditional Abrahamic religions. Somewhat related to Christianity are many Gnostic sects, as well as Mandaeism. Kurdish religions such as the various Yazdani faiths, Alawi and Ahl-e Haqq are quasi- or post-Abrahamic and syncretic.
Generally speaking, sites significant to most, if not all Abrahamic religions include Mount Sinai, the Tomb of Abraham in the Cave of the Patriarchs, as well as many other places within the "Promised Land" region of the Eastern Mediterranean. Many of these locations are featured in the history of the Jewish people and the various Abrahamic sacred texts such as the Judaic and Samaritan Pentateuch, the Torah and Talmud, the Christian Bible, the Qur'an, Bahá'í literature, the Druze Kitab Al Hikma, as well as Yazdani, Alevi, Alawi and Ahl-e Haqq texts and lore.
Located in Bahji near Acre, Israel, the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh is the most holy place for Bahá'ís and their Qiblih, or direction of prayer. It contains the remains of Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith and is near the spot where he died in the Mansion of Bahji. The second holiest site is the Shrine of the Bab in Haifa. Jerusalem is also considered a holy place.[7]
Christianity (from the Ancient Greek: Χριστός Khristos – "Christ", lit. "anointed one") is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus (Hebrew-Aramaic: יֵשׁוּעַ Yēšûă‘, lit. "God saves"; /ˈdʒiːzəs/; 7–2 BC/BCE to 30–36 AD/CE) as presented in the canonical gospels and other New Testament writings. Adherents of the Christian faith are known as Christians. The term "Christian" (Greek: Χριστιανός) was first used in reference to Jesus' disciples in the city of Antioch [Acts 11:26] about 44 AD, meaning "followers of Christ". The name was given by the non-Jewish inhabitants of Antioch, probably in derision, to the disciples of Jesus. In the New Testament the names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren", "the faithful", "elect", "saints", "believers". The earliest recorded use of the term "Christianity" (Greek: Χριστιανισμός) was by Ignatius of Antioch, around 100 AD.
Scripturally, Christians follow the Christian Bible containing the Jewish Old Testament and the New Testament of the Synoptic Gospels and other writings.
Located in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem, the Ædicule (Tomb of Christ) within the Church 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, where Jesus Christ was crucified, died, buried and resurrected from the dead along a temporal pathway known as the Via Dolorosa (Latin: lit. "way of sorrows"). The first eight Stations of the Cross can be followed along the route leading up to the Church, inside of which are the final five Stations.
The Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, Roman Catholic Church, and Armenian Apostolic Church form the custodians of the Holy Sepulchre and collectively control the most holy pilgrimages within the church along with the Coptic, Syriac, and Ethiopian Orthodox churches who also hold some chapels.
Many Protestant denominations regard the nearby Garden Tomb to be the actual crucifixion and resurrection site of Jesus.
Other holy sites and shrines of pilgrimage exist in the Holy Land. In Jerusalem the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount Zion Cenacle of the Last Supper and the Mount of Olives, as well as the Church of the Ascension prove spiritually important. Outside Jerusalem are pilgrimage places including the Sea of Galilee, as well as locations in Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Capernaum:
The Roman Catholic Church (from the Greek: καθολικός katholikos, lit. "universal" or "general") is the largest Christian denomination in the world, an early form of Christianity which, like many other churches regards its own institution as Apostolic and infallible as the "true church" dating to the life of Jesus. It was formally organized through the East-West Schism and the processes of various ecumenical councils during the first and early second millenia CE.
Catholics maintain faith in the Bible as well as in the traditions and hierarchy of their church. More recently the Catechism of the Catholic Church was introduced to the faithful as a standard of doctrine.
The Catholic Church, like many other Christian churches, regards the Sepulchre in Jerusalem to be the holiest of places. It also places emphasis on Nazareth, Bethlehem, Capharnaum and other parts of the Holy Land as sacred since apostolic 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 the Holy See (Latin: Sancta Sedes, "holy chair") of the Vatican City state (i/ˈvætɨkən ˈsɪti/; [8] Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano (pronounced [ˈstaːto della t͡ʃitˈta del vatiˈkaːno]) [9]), a walled enclave within Rome, 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 the Pope, as well as Vatican Hill – atop which are allegedly Saint Peter's tomb and place of crucifixion, his throne, baldachin and many other sacred places.
Rome is the place from which Catholics believe the "one, holy, apostolic church" was formally founded and begun by St. Peter as the appointed successor of Christ. Thus while the Holy Sepulchre is still the holiest of places for Catholics, The Vatican is an extremely sacred place in that to the faithful it is the seat of divine authority.
Other places of reverence for many ardent Catholics include marian shrines, particularly the localities of Fátima and Lourdes, where miracles are alleged to have happened.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (known as the "LDS Church" or, colloquially, the "Mormon Church") is the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement, a Christian primitivist movement begun in the United States by the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844) during the American Protestant Second Great Awakening (approx. 1800–1870). Mormonism as a distinct ideology is often regarded by other Christians to be apart from traditional (particularly Trinitarian) Christianity, and thus its own faith. However the vast majority of Mormons view their church as being a restoration of the true Christian religion as Jesus conveyed it. Some consider the Mormon church pseudo-Christian.
Mormon's consider both the Bible and the later Book of Mormon, translated by Joseph Smith, to be the verbatim "Word of God". These texts, when combined with the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants form the so-called "Standard Works" of the Latter-day Saints.
While many Mormons, like some Protestants, revere the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem, the most holy place for members of the mainstream LDS Church may be considered a room in the Salt Lake Temple designated as the "Holy of Holies". The Temple is located on a site known as Temple Square, within the confines of which is also located the Mormon Tabernacle, in Salt Lake City, Utah in the Western United States.
Latter-day Saints, however, may regard LDS temples in general to be their most holy place. The Bible Dictionary in the LDS 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" [1].
Other sacred sites for Latter-day Saints are Mormon historical locations across the US: examples include the Sacred Grove (Palmyra, New York), the Kirtland Temple (Kirtland, Ohio) and Adam-ondi-Ahman (Daviess County, Missouri). Other sites are considered sacred by Christianity in general, such as the Garden of Gethsemane and the aforementioned Garden Tomb.
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Mormon breakaway sects, sub-sects and fundamentalist groups sometimes hold the belief that their particular church alone can claim true authority and succesion 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, the YFZ Ranch in Eldorado, Texas represents the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (FLDS) and the Apostolic United Brethren (AUB) base themselves in Bluffdale, Utah.
Christian Orthodoxy (from the Greek: orthos – "right", "true", "straight" + doxa, lit. "opinion" or "belief") is the predominant form of Christianity in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and many other places outside of the Occident. It is an early form of Christianity which, like many other churches regards its own institution as Apostolic and infallible as the "true church" dating to the life of Jesus. It was formally organized through the East-West Schism and the processes of various ecumenical councils during the first and early second millenia CE.
Orthodox Christians maintain faith in the Bible as well as in the traditions and hierarchy of their church.
Orthodox Christianity, like many other Christian denominations, regards the Sepulchre in Jerusalem to be the holiest of places. It also places emphasis on Nazareth, Bethlehem, Capharnaum and other parts of the Holy Land as sacred since apostolic times, and notes as places of special sanctity the sanctuaries built on the tombs of the Apostles and other saints.
Also of particular importance to the Eastern Orthodox Church and many Eastern Christians is the peninsular Mount Athos (Greek: Όρος Άθως, Oros Athos; English pronunciation: /ˈæθɒs/, Greek pronunciation: [ˈaθos]), where the most masses in the world are celebrated daily in the Byzantine Rite.
Rastafarians regard Ethiopia as the holy, Promised Land.
Islam (English /ˈɪzlɑːm/; Arabic: الإسلام al-ʾislām) is the Abrahamic monotheistic religion articulated by the Qur’an, a text considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Arabic: الله Allāh), and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of Hadith) of Muhammad, ( /mʊˈhæməd/ or /muːˈhɑːməd/; Arabic: محمد,[n 1] Muḥammad Arabic pronunciation: [mʊˈħæmmæd];[n 2] c. 26 April 570 – 8 June 632;[10], also transliterated Mohammed[n 3] /moʊˈhɑːmɨd/ or /moʊˈhæmɨd/) considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim.
The Kaaba (Arabic: الكعبة al-Kaʿbah IPA: [ʔælˈkæʕbɐ], the Cube), a cuboid structure located within the Masjid al-Ḥarām (Arabic: المسجد الحرام [ʔælˈmæsdʒɪd ælħɑˈrɑːm], Sacred Mosque) in Mecca (English pronunciation: /ˈmɛkə/ Arabic: مكة Makkah pronounced [ˈmækːɐ]), Saudi Arabia, according to Islamic tradition was rebuilt by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail (Ishmael), and is the holiest place in Islam. During his life the Prophet Muhammad laid the Black Stone (Arabic: الحجر الأسود al-Ḥajar al-Aswad) 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 the Hajj – the fifth and final pillar 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 the Well of Zamzam, Mina and its bridge, Muzdalifah and Mount Arafat.
The second holiest place is the Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, which is where Prophet Muhammad is buried under the Green Dome. Caliphs Umar and Abu Bakr are also said to be buried in the Masjid al-Nabawi. The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem is a sacred place in Sunni traditions as the site from which Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven in the Isra and Mi'raj and was also the first qibla. Mount Sinai also holds significance in Islam.[11] Among Shias, the Imam Ali Mosque and Imam Husayn Shrine also hold high significance.
Other sites in the Arabian Hejaz are associated with Muhammad: near Mecca, on the mountain of Jabal al-Nour the cave Hira is the place of the Prophet's first revelation. Many other former places of devotion that are historically associated with Muhammad were destroyed under the alleged anti-idolatrous policies of the Wahhabi Saudi government.
Druzism is a highly distinguished sect of Shi'a Islam. Many Druze consider themselves Muslims, however most Muslims do not rgard the Druze as practicing Islam.
The Tomb of Jethro, known as Nabi Shu'ayb, near Tiberias in Israel is the most important religious site for the Druze community. The Druze have held religious festivals there for centuries and it has been a place of annual pilgrimage.
Judaism (from Judah, a derivation of the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah) is an ancient Abrahamic religion dating to the Iron Age Levant, which traces its origins (eponymously, along with most other Abrahamic faiths) to the patriarchal prophet Abraham. The history of the Jewish faith is intertwined with much of the course of Western and Middle-Eastern tory through the consequent traditions of Christianity and Islam.
The Kodesh Hakodashim (Biblical Hebrew: קֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדָשִׁים Qṓḏeš HaqQŏḏāšîm), Judaism's Holy of Holies, was the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle in the time of Moses as described in the Torah; the term now refers to the space on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem where this sanctuary was located in the Temple in Jerusalem. (This location is often, but controversially, identified as being inaccessible within the footprint of the Islamic Dome of the Rock.) Historically, it could be entered by the High Priest only on Yom Kippur. Orthodox Judaism and Conservative 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 the Temple Mount by observant Jews.
Today, Jews recognize the Jewish 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 the Western Wall is paramount as the last standing remains of the temple. Along the wall notable featured include the Western Stone and Wilson's Arch. Beneath it a tunnel runs closer toward what was the original Kodesh Hakodashim, ending approximately 150 ft. inward at a place called Warren's Gate. In an alley the Muslim Quarter of the city is a semi-concelead section of the Wall called the Little Western Wall.
The Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron is the second holiest site in Judaism. Other significant sites include a number of temples within the Jewish quarter of Old Jerusalem, namely the Hurva, Belz, Tiferet Yisrael and the Four Sephardic synagogues. The Beit El Synagogue is of special importance to students of Kaballah. The Biblical Mount Sinai is believed to be the place where Moses received the Ten 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" or Mount Seir.)
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Samaritanism is a religion closely related to – or by some considered an early derivative of – Judaism, practiced by the Samaritan (Hebrew: שומרונים Shomronim, Arabic: السامريون as-Sāmariyyūn) ethnoreligious group, who mostly reside in the region of the Levant and claim ancestry to Israelites with connections to the ancient Eastern Mediterranean kingdom of Samaria. The Samaritan ethnoreligious group and the subsequent Samaritan religion are considered to be, demographically, the smallest of their kind in modern times, with the number of Samaritans worldwide totalling at just 712 as of late 2007.
Adherents of Samaritanism consider a formation known as the Holy Rock, atop the summit of Mount Gerizim (Samaritan Hebrew: Ar-garízim, Arabic: جبل جرزيم Jabal Jarizīm, T.H.: הַר גְּרִזִּים Har Gərizzîm, S.H.: הַר גְּרִיזִּים Har Gərizzim; also romanized as Jirziem), to be their "holy of holies". This is comparable with the Temple Mount of Jerusalem as idealized and revered by mainstream Jews – however Gerizim is located near the Samaritan village of Kiryat Luza (الطيبه), adjacent to the Palestinian city of Nablus (present-day Biblical Shechem), in the West Bank.
Bodhgaya, in the state of Bihar in India, is considered by many adherents of Buddhism to be their most holy site. Gautama Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment while sitting under a peepal tree, called the Bodhi tree, located in Bodhgaya. At this site of his purported enlightenment the Mahabodhi temple now stands. Every year, many Buddhists make pilgrimages from all over the world to visit and meditate at the temple.
Shugendō is a small, syncretic, highly esoteric and ascetic sect or sub-sect of Buddhism (mostly related to, and often considered a distinct branch of the Tendai and Shingon schools) combining elements of Zen, Taoism, Koshintō, Japanese folk animism and shamanism. The faith is traditionally believed to have been founded by the śramaṇa and mystic-sorcerer En no Gyōja in the 7th or 8th century. In the same manner as the religion of Shintō, Shugendō is largely relegated to the East Asian country of Japan.
The lay practitioners and monks of Shugendō, called Shugenja or yamabushi respectively, venerate mountains as both spiritual areas and, along with nature as a whole, "natural maṇḍalas" .
Adherents of Shugendō consider the collective Three Mountains of Dewa (consisting of Mount Haguro, Mount Gassan, and Mount Yudono), located in the remote Dewa Province of Japan, to be their most sacred of places. The three mountains are also sacred in Shintō.
The Indian cities of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, Tirupati (city), Andhra Pradesh and Sabarimala, Kerala are said to be the most major Pilgrim cities in Hinduism. Of these Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh is considered the most Holiest ancient site and tt is considered by many to be the most sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus irrespective of denomination.
Shaivites in Southern India (especially Tamil Nadu) consider Chidambaram as the heart of the world and temple of temples. Although all temples are referred to as kovil, the holy city of Chidambaram is the true kovil. All recitations of the Thirumurai (12 holy scriptures of Shaivism) begin and end with the phrase "Thirucchittrambalam" (the auspicious holy of holies: chidambaram). Vaishnavites on the other hand consider Sri Rangam as the holiest city and refer to it as the earthly Vaikunta.
The "garbha griha" (literally womb-house or womb-chamber), the shrine inside a temple 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 garbha griha usually contains the murti (idol or icon), the primary focus of prayer. In temples with a spire or vimana, 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 through Mount Meru. The garbha griha 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.
Jainism (Hindi: Jain Dharma, Tamil: சமணம் Samanam, Pali (archaic): Nirgrantha Dhamma) is a Dharmic religion similar in belief and practice to other Indian traditions, especially Buddhism as well as Hinduism – the former to which it shares many comparable ties and some near-identicalities philosophically, doctrinally and historically. (Particularly the notions of nontheism, nirvana, and nonviolence.)
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 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)) make up 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. His 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 put in the temple in 1678 A.D.
Archaeologists believe some of the existing temple edifices on Parasnath Hill date from 1765 A.D. 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.
Harmandir Sahib, or Darbar Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple), is culturally the most important shrine in Sikhism, considered the spiritual and cultural centre of Sikhs. Located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It is one of the oldest Sikh gurdwaras. It is located in the city of Amritsar, India, which was established by Guru Ram Das, the fourth guru of the Sikhs 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 of Sikh Empire, Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Another significant place is the village of Nankana Sahib in Pakistan,the birthplace of Guru 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.
Confucianism is often regarded as either a religion, philosophy or quasi-religious system of beliefs based upon the teachings of the ancient Chinese sage Confucius. Confucius's philosophy stresses a firm sense of ethical and political order and how to achieve these ends in order to benefit society.
While Confucianism is no longer as organized of an ideology as it once was, it still continues as a quasi-religious tradition and temples of Confucius exist throughout China. The most important temple is the complex in Confucius's hometown of Qufu – where he lived, taught and died.
Ise Shrine is the formal home of Amaterasu ōmikami, the primary deity of Shinto and traditionally believed to be a direct ancestor of the Japanese Imperial Family. It is located in the city of Ise in Mie 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 the Sacred Mirror.
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