My top ten sacred sites
A suggested list of sacred sites from 17 countries to inspire your travels, including Christian and Muslim holy places and world heritage sites. (2 min read)
Innumerable sacred travel experiences exist, including well known pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela, Rome and Canterbury, as well as the hajj to Mecca and the Kumano Kodo in Japan.
Rome, Jerusalem, Lourdes and the Camino to Santiago are the obvious choices for Christian pilgrimage. But there are lesser known sites and experiences that are wonderful for pilgrims.
Leaving aside Assisi, Italy – which is my favourite little town – below are my top recommendations for lesser known Christian holy places to inspire your next journey.
- Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe — Mexico City, Mexico (tilma of St Juan Diego with the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
- Basilica of Bom Jesus — Goa, India (relic of St Francisco Xavier)
- Chapel of the Conversion — Sanctuary of St Ignatius of Loyola, Spain
- Jasna Gora Monastery — Czestochowa, Poland (Black Madonna)
- King’s Way to La Sainte-Baume — France (relics of St Mary Magdalene)
- Chapel of the Miraculous Medal — Paris, France (relics of St Vincent de Paul; St Catherine Labouré)
- Apparition Hill — Medjugorje, Bosnia Herzegovina (apparition of Blessed Virgin May)
- Ermo delle Carceri — Monte Subasio, Assisi, Italy (Cave of St Francis)
- Divine Mercy Sanctuary — Krakow, Poland / Shrine of Divine Mercy — Vilnius, Lithuania (miraculous image of Divine Mercy)
- Convent of St George — Old Cairo, Egypt (relics of St George, including the chains).
(Insider’s Tip: Venerate the Crown of Thorns at Notre Dame de Paris, France).
The UNESCO World Heritage list is the obvious starting point for identifying other sacred sites. There are over 1000 sites on the list and I have visited several of the most extraordinary ones. Of the lesser visited sacred sites, I would revisit:
- The Temple of Luxor and Karnak Temple in Luxor, Egypt
- Naqsh-e Jahan Square, Isfahan, Iran
- Shakhi-Zindi, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- The Registan Square, Samarkand, Uzbekistan
- Qubbatus Saqqara (Dome of the Rock), Jerusalem, Palestine
- Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto, Japan
- Miyajima, Itsukushima, Japan
- The Island of the Sun and the Island of the Moon on Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
- Brú na Bóinne (New Grange), County Meath, Ireland and the Salisbury Plain, England.
(Insider’s Tip: The Chapel of Serapis in Luxor, Egypt)
You might also like:
→ Serapis Bey and the Temple of Luxor
→ I touched the Crown of Thorns
© Paul McCarthy & Iluminar.au
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