The world is so full of eye-opening places of worship. Take a look at 10 of the most sacred places on the planet.
There are places in the world that are known as spiritual or holy. When visiting these holy sites, some may feel a connection with the divine, others might simply appreciate the history and some might admire the architecture. When you visit, maybe you’ll find religion, you may feel energy or connection with God.
By traveling, you’re able to experience these interpretations first-hand. You might find beauty, connectedness, knowledge, or inner peace when visiting these highly spiritual places in our world.
I find it fascinating and enlightening to learn about the different cultures on our planet, their beliefs, and their faith. The presence of faith elevates these spiritual places. Take a look at 10 of the most sacred places on the planet.
1. Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities on the planet. It is of massive spiritual significance to three of the world’s biggest religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam - and consequently, has endured a war-torn history, with Israel and Palestine both claiming it as their capital.
According to the Old Testament, King David created Jerusalem as the capital of the Kingdom of Israel and his son King Solomon commissioned the first temple. The New Testament made the city the location of the crucifixion of Jesus, and according to the Qur’an, Muhammad made his night journey to Jerusalem where he ascended to heaven and spoke to God.
2. Mecca, Saudi Arabia
As the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad and the religion he founded, Mecca is the centre of the Islamic world. Positioned in the Sirat Mountains of Saudi Arabia and 45 miles inland from the coast, Mecca is an oasis in the sacred region known as the Hijaz or Hejaz. The Kaaba is here, a cuboid building within Islam’s most sacred mosque Al-Masjid al-Haram, which all Muslims are expected to face when praying. Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the city.
3. Mount Sinai, Egypt
Once again of seminal importance to the Jewish, Christian and Islamic faiths, Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb in Egypt is thought by many to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. Saints, prophets, pilgrims and tourists have been travelling here for thousands of years.
4. Sultan Ahmed Camii, Turkey
Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish is an historical mosque in Istanbul. The mosque is known as the Blue Mosque because of blue tiles surrounding the walls of interior design. Mosque was built between 1609 and 1616 years, during the rule of Ahmed I. just like many other mosques, it also comprises a tomb of the founder, a madrasa and a hospice. Besides still used as a mosque, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque has also become a popular tourist attraction in Istanbul. Besides being a tourist attraction, it's also an active mosque, so it's closed to non-worshippers for a half hour or so during the five daily prayers.
5. GREAT MOSQUE OF ISFAHAN, IRAN
Great Mosque of Isfahan (Ispahan), Persian Masjed-e Jameʿ (“Universal Mosque”), a complex of buildings in Isfahan, Iran, that centres on the 11th-century domed sanctuary and includes a second smaller domed chamber, built-in 1088, known for its beauty of proportion and design. The central sanctuary was built under the direction of Nizam al-Mulk, vizier to the Seljuq ruler Malik-ShāhShah, probably between 1070 and 1075. It stands at the south end of the courtyard. Its large brick dome is supported by 12 heavy piers.
The smaller dome stands at the north end of the courtyard. This single-shelled dome is a structural masterpiece that has survived centuries without damage. The room—made of small, gray, baked bricks—encloses an area approximately 9.1 metres square and 18.2 metres high. The dome rests on a series of arches, with 16 at the top and one broad arch framed between two narrow ones in each wall at room level. The mosque complex, framed by four huge eyvāns, or vaulted niches, includes structures built at various periods from the 11th century to the 18th—among them, private chapels, a school, a library, and a treasury.
6. Dohany Street Synagogue – Budapest, Hungary
Dohány Street Synagogue is also known as the Great Synagogue of Budapest. It is the largest synagogue in all of Europe, seating 3,000 people. It was completed in 1859. Its architecture is of the Moorish Revival style. For instance, the structure features two opulent minarets and is furbished in detailed designs reminiscent of Middle Eastern aesthetics. Interestingly, a Viennese architect, Ludwig Förster is responsible for the synagogue’s design. The synagogue complex consists of multiple cultural and historic buildings, including the Jewish Memorial and Museum. The museum serves as a poignant marker of life for Jews living in Budapest during the Holocaust, as the synagogue itself served as a border for the Budapest Ghetto.
7. Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate - Nice, France
Cathedrale Sainte-Reparate, the oldest and most ornate church in the city, has been in existence since the 1200’s; it was rebuilt and made a Cathedral, and has been the Catholic heart of the city for 400 years. It’s named after a young Palestinian teen, Reparate, who was arrested for her Christian faith in the year 1060, but refused to renounce. Her torturers tried their worst, but nothing could convince her to abandon her faith, and as each of their execution attempts were foiled by angels… Burn her at the stake? Sudden downpour. Drink poison? Cast iron stomach. Finally they went with the foolproof method and just beheaded her. As was the custom after such executions, to deny her a Christian burial, her body was put out to sea on a raft to rot and be desecrated by sea birds …but the angels took over once again and guided her raft across the Mediterranean to the bay of Nice, where her body arrived pristine and untouched, and was declared a miracle. That is how the bay of Nice became named the Bay of Angels and how the young martyr became Saint Reparate, the patron saint of the Cathedral in Old Nice.
8. Vatican
The independent city-state in the middle of Rome and the nexus of the modern Catholic Church has quite the history. According to Christian tradition, in 64 AD Roman officials executed St. Peter (recognized as the Catholic Church’s first pope) upside down on a cross and buried him in a tomb beneath what is now St. Peter’s Basilica. After Christianity went mainstream in the fourth century, this spiritually weighty location became a pilgrimage destination, ultimately giving birth to the Vatican we know today.
Twenty-first century followers travel to the Holy See to receive blessings from newly-selected Pope Francis (he presents an audience each Wednesday he’s in Rome); recite rosaries and light votive candles in the opulent St. Peter’s Basilica; and even pay their respects at the underground site of St. Peter’s tomb (excavation tours are available by request). Art enthusiasts encounter their own breed of worship in the Vatican Museums and Vatican Palaces, which house the stupefying collection of artistic and archeological treasures amassed by five centuries of popes. Of the dizzying assortment – Iron Age urns, Raphael’s famed “School of Athens,” and Leonardo Da Vinci’s “St. Jerome” are all on display – the Sistine Chapel commands the most attention: Wall panels by Renaissance masters Boticelli and Perugino mingle with Michelangelo’s magnificent ceiling frescoes depicting the biblical tales of creation and judgment.
9. Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, Iran
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Iran, is famous for its stunning array of colors—thanks to a unique combination of stained glass windows and mosaics. But when Nasir al-Mulk was built in 1888, it was specially designed to take advantage of morning light, and the sun filtering through the windows creates a rainbow effect, highlighting the jewel-toned tiles and rugs in the interior. If you're able to visit the mosque, make sure you go early for prime viewing.
10. Uluru, Australia
You may know it as Ayer’s Rock, but the Aboriginals of Australia have always called this massive red monolith Uluru. This is the most sacred site in the spirit-worshipping indigenous religion, and it is believed to house the spirits of the tribespeople’s ancestors. Since it is so significant to the local people, it has become a protected cultural site.
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