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{{short description|none}}
{{see also|Sanctum sanctorum|Holy places|Pilgrimage}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
This article provides an '''incomplete list and broad overview of significant religious sites''' and places of [[spirituality|spiritual]] importance throughout the world. Sites are listed alphabetically by [[religion]].
==Abrahamic religions==
[[File:Abraham tomb.JPG|thumb|right|200px|The tomb of [[Abraham]] in 2006]]
[[Abrahamic religions]] are [[monotheism|monotheistic]] [[religion|faiths]] emphasizing and tracing their common origin to [[Abraham]]<ref>
{{Cite encyclopedia
|year=2010
|title=Philosophy of Religion
|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/497132/philosophy-of-religion
|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]
|access-date=24 June 2010
}}</ref> or recognizing a spiritual tradition identified with him.<ref name="Massignon 1949">{{cite journal |last=Massignon |first=Louis |author-link=Louis Massignon |title=Les trois prières d'Abraham, père de tous les croyants |trans-title=The three prayers of Abraham, father of all believers |language=fr |journal=Dieu Vivant |volume=13 |year=1949 |pages=20–23}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Derrida |first=Jacques |author-link=Jacques Derrida |editor-first=Gil |editor-last=Anidjar |title=Acts of Religion |publisher=[[Routledge]] |year=2002 |___location=New York & London |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c_kgAmFbvP0C |isbn=978-0-415-92401-6 |access-date=25 August 2020 |archive-date=5 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405051912/https://books.google.com/books?id=c_kgAmFbvP0C |url-status=live |page=3}}</ref> They constitute one of three major divisions in [[comparative religion]], along with [[Indian religions]] (Dharmic) and [[East Asian religions]] (Taoic).
The three major Abrahamic faiths (in chronological order) are [[Judaism]], [[Christianity]] and [[Islam]]. 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.
===Baháʼí Faith and Bábism===
{{main|Baháʼí World Centre}}
{{See also|Baháʼí World Centre buildings|Baháʼí pilgrimage||Mazra'ih}}
[[File:Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The [[Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh]] at Bahjí, Israel]]
The [[Baháʼí Faith]] is a [[monotheism|monotheistic]] religion founded by [[Baháʼu'lláh]] in 19th century [[Persia]], and consider their religion to progress from or succeed [[Bábism]] or the Bábi Faith ( {{Langx|fa|بابی ها}} {{Transliteration|fa|Bábí há}}) founded by the [[Báb]] earlier in the century – emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}
[[File:Baha'i arc from archives.jpg|thumb|The [[Arc (Baháʼí)|Arc]] gardens and administrative buildings at the [[Baháʼí World Center]] on [[Mount Carmel]], [[Haifa]]]]
[[File:Houseofthebab2008.jpg|thumb|A telephone pole, sidewalk and mosque built over the [[House of the Báb]] in [[Shiraz]], Iran, in 2008]]
[[File:Bahai Terraces.jpg|thumb|The terraced [[Terraces (Baháʼí)|Baháʼí gardens]], with the Shrine of the Báb in the background]]
Located in [[Bahji]], near Acre, Israel the [[Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh]] is the most holy place for Baháʼís and their ''[[Qiblih]]'', or direction of prayer. It contains the remains of Bahá'u'lláh and is near the spot where he died in the [[Mansion of Bahji]]. Baháʼís regard Acre (He.: עַכּוֹ {{Transliteration|he|Akko}}; Ar.: عكّا ''ʻAkkā'') itself as their [[holy 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 the [[House of 'Abbúd]], the [[House of 'Abdu'lláh Páshá]], the [[Garden of Ridván, Akka|Garden of Ridván]] and the [[Baháʼí World Centre buildings#Prison cell of Bahá'u'lláh|Prison 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 remaining [[Azalis]] (post-[[Baháʼí–Azali split]] followers of Bábism, who number just several thousand worldwide) – is the [[Shrine of the Báb]], located on [[Mount Carmel]] in Haifa, Israel. The Báb's Shrine contains within its walls the temporary [[Shrine of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá]].
The BWC also contains the [[Baháʼí World Centre buildings#Monument Gardens|Monument Gardens]] – wherein can be found the graves of some of Bahá'u'lláh's family – as well as [[Baháʼí World Centre buildings#The House of 'Abdu'l-Bahá|a house in which 'Abdu'l-Bahá lived]], and [[Baháʼí World Centre buildings#Resting place of Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khanum|the resting place of]] [[Rúhíyyih 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: the [[Baháʼí pilgrimage#House of Bahá'u'lláh, Baghdad|House of Bahá'u'lláh]] in Baghdad, Iraq and the [[House 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 a [[Persecution of Baháʼís|state-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 the [[Garden of Ridván, Baghdad|Garden of Ridván]], which shares the same name as – though is distinct from – the Garden of Ridván in Acre.
<gallery>
File:Haifa Israel by David Shankbone.jpg|The city of Haifa from the [[Terraces (Baháʼí)|Baháʼí gardens]]
File:MirzaMihdiNavvabMonuments.jpg|The twin graves of [[Ásíyih Khánum]] (Bahá'u'lláh's wife) and [[Mírzá Mihdí]] (his youngest son) in the [[Baháʼí World Centre buildings#Monument Gardens|Monument Gardens]] on Mount Carmel
File:AbdullahPashaStairsGardens.jpg|The [[House of `Abdu'lláh Páshá]] in Acre
File:Garden-of-Ridvan.jpg|Part of the [[Garden of Ridván, Akka|Garden of Ridván]] in Acre
File:Ridvan-garden-baghdad.jpg|The [[Garden of Ridván, Baghdad|Garden of Ridván]] in [[Baghdad]], Iraq, where Bahá'u'lláh declared his mission in April 1863
</gallery>
{{Clear}}
===Christianity===
{{Main|List of Christian pilgrimage sites}}
{{See also|Category:Christian relics|Christian pilgrimage|History of early Christianity|Jerusalem in Christianity|List of Christian holy places in the Holy Land|New Testament places associated with Jesus|Relics associated with Jesus||Tomb of Jesus|Tombs of the apostles|List of Heritage Landmarks of The United Methodist Church}}
[[File:Tomb of christ sepulchre.jpg|thumb|The [[Aedicula|Edicule]] of the Holy Sepulchre (The Tomb of [[Christ]]) in the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem in 2005, with the [[dome]] of the [[rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] visible above]]
[[File:Jerusalem Christian Quarter.jpg|thumb|Map of the Christian Quarter of Jerusalem (click to expand)]]
Located in the [[Christian Quarter]] of the [[Old City (Jerusalem)|Old City]] of [[Jerusalem]], the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre#Rotunda and Aedicule|Edicule]], also known as the 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|Jesus Christ]] [[Passion of Jesus|suffered, was crucified, died]], [[Entombment of Christ|buried]] and [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrected from the dead]] along a temporal pathway known as the [[Via Dolorosa]] (from the [[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 Orthodox|Coptic]], [[Syriac Orthodox|Syriac]], and [[Ethiopian 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: The [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre#Stone of Anointing|Stone of Unction]] (the anointing place of Christ's body), the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre#Catholicon and Ambulatory|Prison of Christ]] (where Jesus was held, incarcerated, before his Passion), a treasure room which holds relics including fragments of the [[True Cross]], and of course [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre#Calvary (Golgotha)|Calvary]] or [[Golgotha]] (where Christ was crucified) and the [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre#Rotunda and Aedicule|Sepulchre]] itself – to name a few.
[[File:Gartengrab.jpg|thumb|The entrance to the Garden Tomb in 2005]]
Many [[Protestant]] and [[nontrinitarian]] denominations regard the nearby [[Garden Tomb]] to be the actual crucifixion and resurrection site of Jesus.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}} Still others have claimed that [[Tomb of Jesus|Jesus's tomb]] is in [[Shingō, Aomori#Tomb of Jesus Christ|Japan]], or is really [[Talpiot Tomb|located outside of East Jerusalem]].
[[File:Altar of the Crucifixion in The Church of The Holy Sepulchre.ogv|thumb|The Altar of the Crucifixion (Golgotha or Calvary, the traditional site of the [[Crucifixion of Jesus]] in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem, in 2011]]
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 [[Chapel of the Ascension (Jerusalem)|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]]:
[[File:Christian quarter Jerusalem Crosses.JPG|thumb|The ninth [[Stations of the Cross]] along the Via Dolorosa with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the background, in 2006]]
* [[Bethlehem]]: The ___location of the [[Church of the Nativity]] in [[Manger Square]], where Jesus was born.
* Capernaum: The town, bordering the Sea of Galilee, is cited in the [[Gospel of Luke]] where it was reported to have been the home of the apostles [[Simon Peter]], [[Saint Andrew|Andrew]], [[James, son of Zebedee|James]] and [[John the Apostle|John]], as well as the tax collector [[Matthew the Evangelist|Matthew]]. In the [[Gospel of Matthew]] the town was reported to have been the home of Jesus. According to Luke,<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|4:31–44}}</ref> Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum on [[Biblical Sabbath|Sabbath]]. Jesus then healed a man who had the spirit of an unclean devil and healed a fever in Simon Peter's mother-in-law. According to Luke,<ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|7:1–10}}</ref> it is also the place where a Roman Centurion asked Jesus to heal his servant. Capernaum is also mentioned in the [[Gospel of Mark]],<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|2:1}}</ref> in which it is the ___location of the famous healing of the paralytic lowered through the roof to reach Jesus. According to several Gospels, Jesus selected this town as the center of his public ministry in the [[Galilee]] after he left the small mountainous hamlet of Nazareth.<ref>{{bibleverse|Matthew|4:12–17}}</ref> Capernaum has no obvious advantages over any other city in the area, so he probably chose it because it was the home of his first disciples, Simon ([[St. Peter|Peter]]) and [[St. Andrew|Andrew]].
* Nazareth: The ___location of the [[Basilica of the Annunciation|Church of the Annunciation]] (in the Catholic tradition marks the site where the [[Archangel Gabriel]] announced the future birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary <ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|1:26–31}}</ref>), [[Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation|St. Gabriel's Church]] (an Orthodox alternative site for the Annunciation), the [[Synagogue Church]] (The [[Melkite Greek Catholic Church]] lays claim to this site, which is traditionally that of the synagogue where Jesus preached <ref>{{bibleverse|Luke|4}}</ref>), the Church of St. Joseph's Carpentry (occupies the traditional ___location for the workshop of [[Saint Joseph]]); the [[Mensa Christi Church]] (run by the [[Franciscan]] religious order, commemorates the traditional ___location where Jesus dined with the Apostles after his Resurrection), the [[Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent]] (run by the Salesian religious order, occupies a hill overlooking the city), the Church of Christ (an [[Anglican]] church in Nazareth), and the Church of Our Lady of the Fright (marking the spot where Mary saw Jesus being taken to a cliff by the congregation of the synagogue and felt fear on his account). The "[[Jesus Trail]]" pilgrimage route connects many of the religious sites in Nazareth on a 60 km walking trail which ends in Capernaum.
Other important locations identified with the life of Jesus include areas around the Sea of Galilee – for instance [[Cana]] and the [[Church of the Multiplication]] in [[Tabgha]] – as well as the [[Mount of Temptation]] (in the [[Judean Desert]]), [[Mount Tabor]], [[Jacob's Well]], [[Bethany (biblical village)|Bethany]] and [[Bethabara]] (on the [[Jordan River]]). The town of [[Sepphoris]] is where the [[Virgin Mary]] spent her childhood.
Still other revered places may exist within or outside the Holy Land, involving localities associated with the lives of the [[Twelve Apostles]], the [[Church Fathers]], the [[Genealogy of Jesus|relatives and ancestors of Jesus]], [[saint]]s, 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.
<gallery>
File:5267-20080122-jerusalem-tomb-of-jesus.jpg|The slab marking the place where Jesus was laid to rest and resurrected in the Tomb or [[Edicule]] of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 2008
File:Garden Tomb Inside1.jpg|The interior of the Garden Tomb, marking the place where many Protestants and other Christians believe Jesus was laid to rest and resurrected, in 2008
File:Holy sepulchre stone of the anoiting.jpg|The [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre#Stone of Anointing|Stone of Unction]] – the traditional site of the anointing of Jesus's body after the crucifixion – in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 2007
File:Church of the Holy Sepulchre-08-Prison of Christ.jpg|The [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre#Catholicon and Ambulatory|Prison of Christ]] in 2007. This prison is where it is believed Jesus was held, incarcerated, before his Passion, and is now located in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
File:Gethsemane.jpg|The Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem in 2006, with the [[Russian Orthodox]] [[Church of Mary Magdalene]] in the background. According to biblical texts, Jesus and his disciples are said to have prayed here the night before his crucifixion.
File:5035-20080122-jerusalem-mt-olives-ascension-edicule.jpg|The [[Chapel of the Ascension (Jerusalem)|Chapel of the Ascension]] in 2008, on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The Mount of Olives is where Jesus preached the [[Sermon on the Mount]] and the chapel the place from which he ascended to [[Heaven]].
File:Nativity Grotto Star.jpg|The Silver Star marking the birthplace of Jesus in the Church of the Nativity in Manger Square, Bethlehem, in 2007
File:Sea-of-Galilee-1900.jpg|A [[lithograph]] of fisherman on the Sea of Galilee in the late 19th century. The Lake and various sites bordering it (such as [[Cana]], Capernaum and [[Tabgha]]) are where Jesus's ministry flourished and where he is supposed to have performed miracles.
File:Jerico3.jpg|A 2008 postcard image of the [[Mount of Temptation]] (or Mount Quarantania) near [[Jericho]] in the [[Judean desert]], where Christ was tempted by [[Satan]]
File:Church of Bir Ya'qub.JPG|The Church of St. Photina near [[Jacob's Well]], a New Testament landmark, in 2008. It is here that Jesus met a [[Samaritan Woman at the Well|Samaritan woman]] and preached to her.
File:Mount_Tabor4.jpg|[[Mount Tabor]] in [[Lower Galilee]], the site of the [[Transfiguration of Jesus]], in 2010
File:Last_Supper_Room_Panoramic.jpg|The Cenacle of [[Mount Zion]] in Jerusalem, the site of the Last Supper and [[Pentecost]], in 2008
File:KasserAlYahud4.jpg|[[Qasr el Yahud]], one of the locations where Jesus was [[baptized]] by [[John the Baptist]] in the [[Jordan River]], in 2007. Other locations associated with Jesus's baptism include [[Bethabara]] (or [[Ænon]]) and [[Al Maghtas]]. All are near to each other along the Jordan.
File:Sefurieh - Plain of Buttauf, Palestine, 1859.jpg|An 1859 Palestinian sketch of the site of [[Sepphoris]], where the [[Virgin Mary]] is said to have spent her childhood
File:Brotvermehrungskirche BW 1.JPG|The [[Church of the Multiplication]] in [[Tabgha]] in 2008. The church is built upon the site where Christ [[Feeding the multitude|fed the multitude]].
</gallery>
{{Clear}}
====Catholic Church====
{{See also|Category:Catholic pilgrimage sites|List of extant papal tombs|List of non-extant papal tombs|Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar|Sanctuary of Fátima|Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes}}
{{wide image|Vatican StPeter Square.jpg|500px|alt=Panorama showing the façade of St. Peter's at the centre with the arms of Bernini's colonnade sweeping out on either side. It is midday and tourists are walking and taking photographs.|A panoramic photograph of [[St. Peter's Square]]}}
[[Catholic Church|Catholics]], like many other [[Christianity|Christians]], 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 since [[Apostolic age|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]] ({{langx|la|Sancta Sedes}}, "holy chair") of the [[Vatican City]] state<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/homepage.htm |title=Homepage of Vatican City State |publisher=Vaticanstate.va |access-date=15 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101102133940/http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/homepage.htm |archive-date=2 November 2010}}</ref> (Italian: {{lang|it|Stato della Città del Vaticano}}),<ref>This is the name used in the state's [[Constitution|founding document]], the [http://www.vaticanstate.va/NR/rdonlyres/FBFEA0E8-B43A-452A-AAA0-1AF49590F658/2614/TrattatoSantaSedeItalia.pdf Treaty between the Holy See and Italy] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309093658/http://www.vaticanstate.va/NR/rdonlyres/FBFEA0E8-B43A-452A-AAA0-1AF49590F658/2614/TrattatoSantaSedeItalia.pdf |date=9 March 2012 }}, article 26.</ref> a walled enclave within [[Rome]], Italy. Inside the Vatican the largest church in history, [[St. Peter's Basilica]] ([[Latin|L.]]: {{Lang|la|Basilica Sancti Petri}}), is the ___location of the Papal office and the living quarters of the [[Pope]] (in the [[Apostolic Palace]]), as well as [[Vatican Hill]] – atop which are [[Saint Peter's tomb]] and place of crucifixion, [[Cathedra Petri|his throne]], and his [[St. Peter's baldachin|baldachin]]. Outside St. Peter's Square are many more churches throughout the Vatican and outlying Rome. One important landmark is the [[Sistine Chapel]] ([[Latin|L.]]: {{Lang|la|Sacellum Sixtinum}}; [[Italian language|I.]]: {{lang|it|Cappella Sistina}}), in which the [[Papal conclave]] takes place.
Rome is the place from which Catholics believe the [[Four Marks of the Church|one, holy, catholic and apostolic church]] was formally founded and begun by [[Saint Peter]] (whom they consider to be the "[[Primacy of Peter|Prince of the Apostles]]") as the appointed successor and first [[vicar 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 the [[Latin Church]], as well as the Churches ''[[sui iuris]]'') as the seat of their supreme authority on Earth. Important papal territories include the four [[Basilicas in the Catholic Church#Major and papal basilicas|major basilica]]s (L.: {{Lang|la|Basilica maior}}, pl. ''-es''; excluding St. Peter's) – namely the [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran]] (the ecumenical Catholic [[mother church]]), St. Peter's Basilica, the [[Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls]] (containing the tomb of [[Paul the Apostle]]), and the [[Santa Maria Maggiore|Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore]].
Other locations of reverence for ardent Catholics include [[Shrines to the Virgin Mary|Marian shrines]], particularly the localities of [[Fátima, Portugal|Fátima]] and [[Lourdes]], where [[miracles]] or [[Marian apparition|apparitions]] attributed to the [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Virgin Mary]] took place.
<gallery>
File:Interiorvaticano8.jpg|St. Peter's baldachin in 2005. Beneath is the high altar, built atop St. Peter's tomb.
File:Cathedrapetri+gloria.jpg|The Cathedra Petri, or throne of St. Peter, in 2005
File:VaticanCity Annex.jpg|A map of the territory of the Vatican City state (in dark grey) according to the [[Lateran Treaty]]
File:Musei vaticani, cappella sistina, retro 02.JPG|The interior of the Sistine Chapel in 2010
File:Fatima.jpg|The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fátima in Fátima, Portugal, in 2006
File:Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica.jpg|The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
File:San Giovanni in Laterano 2021.jpg|The Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran in 2021
File:StPaul.jpg|The façade of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in 2007
File:Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore - Roma.jpg|The Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in 2022
</gallery>
{{Clear}}
====Eastern Christianity====
{{Further|Eastern Christianity}}
[[Eastern Orthodox Church|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 the [[Relic#Christianity|relics]] of [[Saint#Christianity|Christian saints]] and [[Christian martyr|martyrs]] which are sacred pilgrimage sites for Orthodox Christians as well.
Historically, four of the five major [[episcopal see]]s of the Roman Empire (the [[Pentarchy]]) represent the modern [[patriarch]]al centers of the majority of Orthodox churches. These are, namely, [[Alexandria]], [[Antioch]], [[Constantinople]] and [[Jerusalem]] – excluding [[Rome]].
Among the Orthodox, there are many [[Monastery#Christianity|monasteries]] and [[convent]]s which are held in high honor and sacred veneration.
=====Eastern Orthodox Church=====
[[File:Mount Athos by cod gabriel 06.jpg|thumb|200px|The coastline of Mount Athos in 2007]]
[[File:Stgeorgeistanbul3.JPG|thumb|right|200px|The exterior of the [[Church of St. George, Istanbul|Church of St. George in Istanbul]] in 2007]]
If the [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople]] is taken to be one of the most prominent leaders in the Eastern Orthodox Communion, then [[St. George's Cathedral, Istanbul|St. 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 the [[Greek Orthodox Church]] is the peninsular [[Mount Athos]], where the most [[Mass (liturgy)|masses]] in the world are celebrated daily in the [[Byzantine Rite]]. Mount Athos arguably comprises the largest community of [[Christian monasticism|Christian monastics]], [[Asceticism#Christianity|ascetic]]s, and [[Christian mysticism|mystics]] (specifically [[Hesychasm|hesychast]]s) in the world. It is home to twenty Eastern Orthodox monasteries under the direct jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarch.
{{Clear}}
=====Oriental Orthodox churches=====
[[File:Holy Trinity Cathedral Addis Abeba.jpg|thumb|right|200px|A road in [[Addis Ababa]], Ethiopia, leading to the [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]], the patriarchate of the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Church]] and a sacred place for members of the [[Rastafari movement]]]]
[[File:Ejmiadzin Cathedral2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]] in [[Vagharshapat]], Armenia, in 2009]]
[[Oriental Orthodox Churches|Oriental Orthodoxy]] is the faith of those [[Eastern Christianity|Eastern Christian]] churches that recognize only three [[ecumenical council]]s – the [[First Council of Nicaea]], the [[First Council of Constantinople]] and the [[First Council of Ephesus]]. They rejected the [[dogmatic definition]]s of the [[Council of Chalcedon]] (c. 451). Hence, these Oriental Orthodox Churches are also called Old Oriental Churches, [[Miaphysite|Miaphysite Churches]], or the [[Non-Chalcedonian]] Churches.<ref name="first seven">{{cite book|last=Davis, [[Society of Jesus|SJ]]|first=Leo Donald|title=The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787): Their History and Theology (Theology and Life Series 21)|year=1990|publisher=Michael Glazier/Liturgical Press|___location=Collegeville, MN|isbn=978-0814656167|pages=[https://archive.org/details/firstsevenec_davi_1990_000_6702418/page/n345 342]|url=https://archive.org/details/firstsevenec_davi_1990_000_6702418|url-access=registration}}</ref> 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.<ref name="sor.cua.edu">{{Cite web|url=https://syriacorthodoxresources.org/|title=Margoneetho: Syriac Orthodox Resources|website=syriacorthodoxresources.org}}</ref>
Despite the potentially confusing nomenclature (Oriental meaning Eastern), Oriental Orthodox churches are distinct from those that are collectively referred to as the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]. The Oriental Orthodox communion comprises five basic groups: [[Coptic Orthodox]], [[Ethiopian Orthodox]], [[Eritrean Orthodox]], [[Syriac Orthodox]], and [[Armenian Apostolic Church|Armenian Apostolic]] churches.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/ecumenical/ooc-e.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406014259/http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/ecumenical/ooc-e.html|url-status=dead|title=Oriental Orthodox Churches<!-- Bot generated title -->|archivedate=6 April 2010}}</ref> These churches, while being in communion with one another, are hierarchically independent.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pluralism.org/affiliates/student/allen/Oriental-Orthodox/Home.html|title=An Introduction to the Oriental Orthodox Churches<!-- Bot generated title -->}}</ref>
The [[Malankara 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:
* Armenian Apostolic – [[Etchmiadzin Cathedral]] ([[Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin]]), [[Vagharshapat]], Armenia
* Coptic Orthodox – [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo|St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral]] in [[Abbassia]] in [[Cairo]], Egypt (formerly [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Alexandria)|St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral]] in [[Alexandria]], Egypt)
* Eritrean Orthodox – [[Asmara]], Eritrea
* Ethiopian Orthodox – [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]], [[Addis Ababa]], Ethiopia (see also [[#Rastafari movement|Rastafari movement]])
* Indian Orthodox – [[Kottayam]], India
* Syriac Orthodox (includes the [[Malankara Church]] and other [[Saint Thomas Christians]]) – [[Bab Tuma]] borough, [[Damascus]], Syria (formerly [[Antioch]]; temporarily stationed in [[Homs, Syria|Homs]], [[Mardin]], ''et al.'')
** The Syriac Patriarch himself resides in Dayro d-Mor Ephrem, a monastery near Damascus
<gallery>
File:Saint Mark Cathedral, Cairo.jpg|The interior of [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Cairo|St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral]] in [[Cairo]], Egypt, in 2008
File:StMarkCathAlex.jpg|The interior of [[Saint Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral (Alexandria)|St. Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral]] in [[Alexandria]], Egypt, in 2006
</gallery>
{{Clear}}
====Latter-day Saints====
[[File:Salt Lake Temple Holy of Holies.png|thumb|The Holy of Holies as it appeared in the early 20th century]]
[[File:Salt Lake Temple, Utah - Sept 2004-2.jpg|thumb|The Salt Lake Temple]]
{{See also|List of historic sites of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints}}
{{See also|Mormonism and Christianity}}
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 of [[Jesus]]. Additionally, the most holy place for members of the mainstream LDS Church are the numerous [[Temple (LDS Church)|temples]] around the world, particularly the "[[Ordinance room#Celestial room|celestial room]]" located inside each temple. The purpose of these [[ordinance room]]s is to act as a symbolic representation of the presence of God himself. Additionally, a room inside the [[Salt Lake Temple]], designated as the [[Holy of Holies (LDS Church)|Holy of Holies]], is considered highly sacred due its primary function as a private meditation room for the [[President of the Church (LDS Church)|church'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, the ''[[Bible Dictionary (LDS Church)|Bible Dictionary]]'' in the [[LDS edition of the Bible]] states:
{{blockquote|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/eng/scriptures/bd/temple|title=Temple|website=www.churchofjesuschrist.org}}</ref>}}
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 against [[temptation]], and dedicating the place to God as long as the family inhabits it.
Other venerated sites for Latter-day Saints include historical locations throughout the [[United States]], due to their particular connection to Mormon history and theology. Examples include the [[Sacred Grove (Latter Day Saint movement)|Sacred Grove]] ([[Palmyra, New York]]), [[Cumorah]], the [[Kirtland Temple]] ([[Kirtland, Ohio]]) and [[Adam-ondi-Ahman]] ([[Daviess County, Missouri]]). However, no mandatory ceremonies are performed in such places.
=====Other LDS movement sects=====
{{See also|List of sects in the Latter Day Saint movement}}
Mormon breakaway sects, sub-sects and [[Mormon fundamentalism|fundamentalist 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, the [[YFZ Ranch]] in [[Eldorado, Texas]], at one time represented the [[Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (FLDS) and the [[Apostolic United Brethren]] (AUB) base themselves in [[Bluffdale, Utah]].
<gallery>
File:Hill Cumorah 3.JPG|The [[Hill Cumorah]] [[Angel Moroni]] statue in 2005
File:Adam-ondi-Ahman-Tower.jpg|[[Adam-ondi-Ahman]] in Daviess County, Missouri, in 2011
File:Sacred Grove (1907).jpg|The [[Sacred Grove (Latter Day Saints)|Sacred Grove]], where Joseph Smith experienced his first [[theophany]], in 1907
File:KirtlandTemple Ohio USA.jpg|The [[Kirtland Temple]] in 2005
File:JosephSmithBirthplace.JPG|The [[Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial]] in 2009
File:FLDS Eldorado hi.jpg|The main temple of the [[YFZ Ranch]] – [[Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|FLDS Church]] in [[Eldorado, Texas]], in 2006
</gallery>
{{Navboxes
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{{LDSsites}}
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{{Clear}}[[File:Holy Trinity Cathedral Addis Abeba 2.JPG|thumb|left|200px|The [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]] in [[Addis Ababa]], an [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church|Ethiopian Orthodox Tawahedo]] cathedral which is also the burial place of Haile Selassie I]]
====Rastafari movement====
[[Ethiopia]] is of considerable importance as the setting of the life and death of [[Haile Selassie]]. Many Rastas consider Ethiopia the [[Promised Land]]. The city of [[Shashamane]] is particularly significant. In the capital of [[Addis Ababa]], Haile Selassie is buried in the [[Holy Trinity Cathedral (Addis Ababa)|Holy Trinity Cathedral]] (often called ''Kidist Selassie'', from the Amharic), which is also a significant religious site for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians (see also [[#Oriental Orthodox churches|Oriental Orthodox churches]]), as it doubles as the seat of the [[Primate (bishop)|primate]] of their church.
{{Clear}}
=== Druze ===
[[File:Nabi-Shuayb-MT-582.jpg|thumb|right|[[Jethro (Bible)|Jethro]]'s Tomb in Tiberias, Israel]]
[[Druze]] is a religion with between 800,000 and a million followers.<ref>{{cite book|author1=Carl Skutsch|editor1-last=Skutsch|editor1-first=Carl|title=Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities|date=7 November 2013|publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-135-19388-1|page=410|quote=Total Population: 800,000}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Robert Brenton Betts|title=The Druze|date=1 January 1990|publisher=Yale University Press|isbn=978-0-300-04810-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/druze0000bett/page/55 55]|edition=illustrated, reprint, revised|quote=The total population of Druze throughout the world probably approaches one million.|url=https://archive.org/details/druze0000bett/page/55}}</ref> Most Druzis regard ''[[Nabi Shu'ayb]]'', or Tomb of [[Jethro (Bible)|Jethro]], near [[Tiberias]] in [[Israel]] is the most important religious site for the Druze. They have held [[Ziyarat al-Nabi Shu'ayb|religious festivals]] there for centuries and it has been a place of annual pilgrimage.
The primary [[sanctuary]] of the [[Druze]] is at [[Khalwat al-Bayada]],<ref name="Dānā2003">{{cite book|author=Nissîm Dānā|title=The Druze in the Middle East: Their Faith, Leadership, Identity and Status|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2nCWIsyZJxUC&pg=PA38|accessdate=11 September 2012|year=2003|publisher=Sussex Academic Press|isbn=978-1-903900-36-9|pages=38–}}</ref> which is the central [[sanctuary]], and [[theological]] school of the [[Druze]], located in [[Lebanon]].<ref name="Nisan2002">{{cite book|author=Mordechai Nisan|title=Minorities in the Middle East: A History of Struggle and Self-Expression|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=keD9z1XWuNwC&pg=PA98|accessdate=11 September 2012|year=2002|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-1375-1|pages=98–}}</ref><ref name="Dānā2003"/><ref name="Oliphant2010">{{cite book|author=Laurence Oliphant|title=The Land of Gilead - With Excursions in the Lebanon.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iJmZgS3y8coC|accessdate=11 September 2012|date=28 May 2010|publisher=Read Books Design|isbn=978-1-4460-0407-4}}</ref> Located near [[Hasbaya]], the [[Khalwat al-Bayada|khalwat]] is the ___location where [[Ad-Darazi]] is supposed to have settled and taught from during the first [[Druze call]].<ref name="(Firm)Socin1912">{{cite book|author1=Karl Baedeker (Firm)|author2=Albert Socin|author3=Immanuel Benzinger|author4=John Punnett Peters|title=Palestine and Syria, with routes through Mesopotamia and Babylonia and the island of Cyprus: handbook for travellers|url=https://archive.org/details/palestineandsyr01petegoog|accessdate=11 September 2012|year=1912|publisher=K. Baedeker}}</ref> The Kalwaat provides around forty [[Hermitage (religious retreat)|hermitage]]s for [[Al-ʻuqqāl]] (the initiated) at various times of the year.<ref name="Boulanger1966">{{cite book|author=Robert Boulanger|title=The Middle East, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2a8LAQAAIAAJ|accessdate=11 September 2012|year=1966|publisher=Hachette}}</ref>
===Islam===
{{Main|Holiest sites in Islam|3 = Kaaba|4 = Masjid al-Haram|5 = Mecca|6 = }}
{{See also|Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|Medina|Al-Aqsa Compound|Jerusalem}}
The ''[[Kaaba]]'', a [[cuboid]] structure located within the ''[[Masjid al-Haram]]'' (''Sacred Mosque'') in [[Mecca]], [[Saudi Arabia]], is the holiest site of Islam. According to Islamic tradition, it was rebuilt by [[Abraham|Ibrahim]] (Abraham) and his son [[Ishmael|Ismail]] (Ishmael). The [[Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] laid the [[Black 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 the ''[[Hajj]]'' – the fifth and final [[Five Pillars of Islam|pillar of Islam]] – during which they circumambulate the Kaaba as part of the ritual.
[[File:Great Mosque of Mecca1.jpg|thumb|[[Great Mosque of Mecca]]]]
Other significant areas within or surrounding Mecca include areas in which the Hajj takes place, including the [[Well of Zamzam]], [[Mina, Saudi Arabia|Mina]] and [[Jamaraat Bridge|its bridge]], [[Muzdalifah]] and [[Mount Arafat]].
[[File:Makkah Al-Mukarramah -Kaaba- Ramadan 2016.webm|right|300x300px|Pilgrims circumambulating the [[Kaaba]].]]
The second holiest place for Muslims is the [[Al-Masjid an-Nabawi|Masjid al-Nabawi]] in [[Medina]], which is where Muhammad is buried, under the [[Green Dome]]. [[Caliphate|Caliphs]] [[Umar]] and [[Abu Bakr]] are also said to be buried in the Masjid al-Nabawi.
The third holiest site in Islam is the [[Al-Aqsa|Al-Aqsa Mosque compound]] in [[Jerusalem]], which includes [[Qibli Mosque|Jami Al-Aqsa]] and the [[Dome of the Rock]]. Its holiness derives from its being the site from which [[Muhammad]] ascended to heaven in the [[Isra and Mi'raj]], and also for having been the first ''[[qibla]]'' (the direction towards which Muslims face when praying).
The [[Umayyad 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 where [[Jesus in Islam|Jesus]] will return.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Dumper |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC&q=%22fourth+holiest%22&pg=PA121 |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2007 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-919-5 |language=en}}</ref>
The city of [[Hebron]], in [[Palestine]], is traditionally considered – along with Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem – one of the "four holy cities" in Islam,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dumper |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3SapTk5iGDkC&q=%22holiest%20cities%22 |title=Cities of the Middle East and North Africa: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2007 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-919-5 |language=en}}</ref> due to the presence in the city of the [[Cave of the Patriarchs]], the holy site where [[Abraham]] is said to be buried.<ref name=":02"/>
[[Mount Sinai]], in Egypt, is another holy place for Muslims.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.touregypt.net/mountmoses.htm|title=Mount Sinai (Mount Moses) in the Sinai of Egypt|website=www.touregypt.net}}</ref>
Other sites in the Arabian [[Hejaz]] are associated with Muhammad: near Mecca, on the mountain of [[Jabal al-Nour]], the cave [[Cave of Hira|Hira]] is the place of Muhammad's first revelation.
<gallery>
File:The Kabah in the Grand Mosque of Makkah, Saudi Arabia (52501405646).jpg|[[Kaaba]] at [[Masjid al-Haram]] in Mecca
File:Al-Masjid An-Nabawi (Bird's Eye View).jpg|[[Masjid al-Nabawi]]. Muhammad's tomb is located beneath the [[Green Dome]].
File:Entrance of Hira cave.jpg|The [[cave of Hira]] on [[Jabal al-Nour]]
File:Pilgrims cover Arafat's roads, plains and mountain - Flickr - Al Jazeera English.jpg|[[Mount Arafat]] during the Hajj
File:Zamzamwill.JPG|Pilgrims at the [[Well of Zamzam]]
File:Mina's tents.JPG|[[Hajji]] tents at [[Mina, Saudi Arabia|Mina]]
File:Stoning the devil in Mina - Flickr - Al Jazeera English (1).jpg|The [[Stoning of the Devil]] at [[Jamaraat Bridge]]
File:Madina trip 194.jpg|Muhammad's tomb
File:Dome of the Rock from the North.jpg|The [[Dome of the Rock]] in Jerusalem, part of the [[Al-Aqsa|Al-Aqsa Mosque compound]], the third holiest site in Islam
</gallery>
{{Clear}}
==== Shia ====
Among Shias, the [[Imam Ali Shrine]] and [[Imam Husayn Shrine]] also hold high significance.<gallery>
File:ImamAliMosqueNajafIraq.JPG|Imam Ali Mosque in [[Najaf]]
File:Flag of Imam Hussain's Holy Shrine.jpg|[[Imam Husayn Shrine]] in [[Karbala]]
</gallery>
==== Nation of Islam ====
[[Mosque Maryam]] is the international headquarters of the [[Nation of Islam]].
===== Five Percent Nation =====
[[Five Percenter]]s regard the [[Harlem]] neighborhood of [[Manhattan]] in [[New York City]] as a place of spiritual importance, referring to the neighborhood as "Mecca". They also refer to the [[Brooklyn]] borough of New York as "Medina".
Five Percenters hold a special annual event known as [[Show and Prove]] every June at the [[Harriet Tubman Elementary School]] in Harlem.
==== Ahmadiyya ====
Some individuals in the [[Ahmadiyya]] Muslim community regard [[Roza Bal]] in [[Srinagar]], [[Kashmir]], to be [[Jesus in Ahmadiyya Islam|the authentic grave of Jesus]].
===Judaism===
{{main|Jerusalem|Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem)|Temple Mount|Holy of Holies|Western Wall}}
[[File:Jerusalem Jewish Quarter map.svg|left|thumb|200px|Map of the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem]]
[[File:Tabernacle.gif|thumb|left|200px|A modern diagram of the Kodesh Hakodashim, or the tabernacle at [[Solomon's Temple]]]]
The ''[[Kodesh Hakodashim]]'', 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 area on the [[Temple Mount]] in [[Jerusalem]] where this sanctuary was located within the [[Temple in Jerusalem]]. Its ___location is often, but controversially, identified as being inaccessible, within the footprint of the Islamic [[Dome 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 the [[High Priest of Israel|Jewish High Priest]] and only once a year, 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 all areas of the [[Temple Mount]] by observant Jews.
Today, [[Jew]]s recognize the [[Jewish Quarter (Jerusalem)|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 features include the [[Western Stone]] and [[Wilson's Arch (Jerusalem)|Wilson's Arch]]. Beneath it [[Western Wall Tunnel|a tunnel]] runs closer toward what was the original ''Kodesh Hakodashim'', ending approximately 150 ft. inward at a place called [[Warren's Gate]].
[[File:P6070038.JPG|thumb|right|200px|Aerial view of the Western Wall in 2008]]
The [[Cave of the Patriarchs]] in [[Hebron]] 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 the [[Hurva Synagogue|Hurva]], [[Belz Great Synagogue|Belz]], [[Tiferet Yisrael Synagogue|Tiferet Yisrael]] and the [[Four Sephardic Synagogues|Four Sephardic]] [[synagogue]]s.
The [[Beit El Kabbalist yeshiva|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 "[[Mount Sinai|Sinai]]" or [[Mount Seir]].)
{{Holy sites in Judaism}}
{{Clear}}
===Samaritanism===
{{Main|Samaritans|Mount Gerizim}}
[[File:Samaritans on Mount Gerizim, West Bank - 20060429.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Samaritans atop [[Mount Gerizim]] in 2006]]
[[Samaritanism]] is an [[Abrahamic religion|Abrahamic]] religion whose followers, like the [[Jews]], claim descent from the [[Israelites]]. The [[Samaritans|Samaritan]] [[ethnoreligious group]] ({{Langx|he|שומרונים}} {{Transliteration|he|Shomronim}}, {{Langx|ar|السامريون}} {{Transliteration|ar|as-Sāmariyyūn}}) mostly resides in the areas of present-day [[Israel]] and [[Palestine]] and claim to be the successors of the Israelite Northern Kingdom of [[Samaria]]. Samaritans consider [[Mount Gerizim]] ([[Samaritan Hebrew]]: ''Ar-garízim'', {{Langx|ar|جبل جرزيم|links=no}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|Jabal Jarizīm}}'', [[Tiberian Hebrew|T.H.]]: הַר גְּרִזִּים ''Har Gərizzîm'', [[Standard Hebrew|S.H.]]: הַר גְּרִיזִּים ''Har Gərizzim''; also romanized as ''Jirziem''), a mountain in the immediately know vicinity of [[Nablus]], in the [[West Bank]], the holiest place on Earth. Mount Gerizim therefore has to Samaritans a role comparable to that the [[Temple Mount]] of [[Jerusalem]] has to [[Judaism]].
{{Clear}}
==Dharmic religions==
{{main|Indian religions}}
===Buddhism===
{{Main|Kapilavastu (ancient city)|Lumbini}}
[[File:Mahabodhitemple.jpg|thumb|150px|The [[Mahabodhi Temple]] is an important [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] pilgrimage site.|alt=The Mahabodhi Temple towering above its surroundings like a skyscraper carved of stone]]
{{See also|Buddhist pilgrimage}}
[[File:Birthplacebuddha.jpg|thumb|right|Purported birthplace of the Buddha in [[Lumbini]], [[Nepal]], a holy shrine also for many non-Buddhists]]
[[File:Mahabodhitree1.jpg|thumb|right|The Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple in [[India]]. The tree was initially propagated from the [[Sri Maha Bodhi]], which in turn is propagated from the original Bodhi Tree at this ___location.]]
Lumbini is a Buddhist pilgrimage site in the Rupandehi District of Nepal. It is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen [[Maya (mother of the Buddha)|Maya]] gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama in 563 BCE. Lumbini is one of many magnets for [[pilgrimage]] that sprang up in places pivotal to the life of the Buddha.
[[Bodh Gaya]], in the state of [[Bihar]] in [[India]], is considered by many adherents of Buddhism to be their most holy site. Gautama, who achieved [[Enlightenment in Buddhism|Enlightenment]] some time around 528 BCE, became [[Gautama Buddha|the Buddha]] and founded [[Buddhism]]. The Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment while sitting under a [[Sacred fig|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.
[[Gautama Buddha|The Buddha]] is said to have identified four sites most worthy of pilgrimage for [[Buddhists]], saying that they would produce a feeling of spiritual urgency. These are:<ref>The Buddha mentions these four pilgrimage sites in the [[Mahaparinibbana Sutta]]. See, for instance, Thanissaro (1998)[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.5-6.than.html#pilgrim] and Vajira & Story (1998)[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.16.1-6.vaji.html#t-42].</ref>
* [[Lumbini]], [[Nepal]], where [[Queen Maya]] gave birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautama.
* [[Bodh Gaya]], [[India]], the most important religious site and place of pilgrimage, the [[Mahabodhi Temple]] houses what is believed to be the [[Bodhi Tree]] where the Buddha realized enlightenment and Buddhahood.
* [[Sarnath]], India, the deer park where the Buddha first taught the [[Dhamma]] after realizing enlightenment.
* [[Kushinagar]], India, where the Buddha attained [[Parinirvana]] after his death.
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:
*[[Sravasti]]: Place of the Twin Miracle, showing his supernatural abilities in performance of miracles. Sravasti is also the place where Buddha spent the largest amount of time, being a major city in ancient India.
*[[Rajgir]]: Place of the subduing of Nalagiri, the angry elephant, through friendliness. Rajgir was another major city of ancient India.
*[[Sankassa]]: Place of the descending to earth from [[Tusita]] heaven (after a stay of three months teaching his mother the [[Abhidhamma]]).
*[[Vaishali (ancient city)|Vaishali]]: Place of receiving an offering of honey from a monkey. Vaishali was the capital of the Vajjian Republic of ancient India.
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]] in [[Tibet]] contains many culturally significant [[Tibetan Buddhism|Tibetan Buddhist]] sites such as the [[Potala Palace]], [[Jokhang]] temple and [[Norbulingka]] palaces.
====Shugendō====
[[File:Hagurosan Gohaiden kohai 2006.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Pilgrims ascend the steps leading to the entrance of Sanzan Gosaiden temple in 2006, at the summit of Mount Haguro.]]
{{Main|Sanzan Gosaiden|Mount Haguro|Three Mountains of Dewa}}
[[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 [[mysticism|mystic]]-[[Magician (paranormal)|sorcerer]] [[En no Gyōja]] in the 7th or 8th century. In the same manner as the religion of [[Shintō]], Shugendō is largely relegated to [[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 [[maṇḍala]]s" .
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.
===Hinduism===
{{Main|Hindu pilgrimage sites}}
[[File:Varanasiganga.jpg|right|thumb|Situated on the banks of river Ganges, Varanasi attracts millions of Hindu pilgrims every year.]]
[[File:Kottiyoor temple festival.jpg|thumbnail|The [[Kottiyoor Vysakha Mahotsavam|''Vysakha Pilgrimage'']] of Kottiyoor, the pilgrimage in the hills of Western Ghats in [[Kerala]] commemorating [[Daksha yajna]]]]
The Indian cities of [[Varanasi]], [[Ayodhya]], [[Tirumala]], [[Srirangam]], [[Mathura]], [[Haridwar]], [[Kanchipuram]], [[Ujjain]], [[Puri]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-01|title=Odisha Day 2021: Know the History of the Land of Lord Jagannath on Utkal Divas|url=https://www.news18.com/news/india/odisha-day-2021-know-the-history-of-the-land-of-lord-jagannath-on-utkal-divas-3593303.html|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.news18.com|language=en}}</ref> and [[Dwarka]] are some of the more famous pilgrim cities in [[Hinduism]]. 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 for [[Hindu]]s, irrespective of [[Hindu denominations|denomination]].
[[Shaivism|Shaivas]] in [[South India]], especially [[Tamil Nadu]], consider [[Chidambaram]] as their holiest site. [[Vaishnavites|Vaishnavas]] of the region regard [[Srirangam]] as their holiest city and refer to it as the earthly abode of Vishnu, [[Vaikunta|Vaikuntha]].
The "[[garbha griha|garbhagriha]]" (literally womb-house or womb-chamber), the shrine inside a [[Hindu temple|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 garbhagriha usually contains the [[murti]] (idol or icon), the primary focus of prayer. In temples with a spire or [[Vimana (tower)|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 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. The [[Tirumala Venkateswara Temple]] is a Hindu temple in the hill town of [[Tirumala]], near [[Tirupati]] in the [[Chittoor district]] of [[Andhra Pradesh]].
The Tirumala Hill is {{Convert|853|m|abbr=on}} above sea level and is about 10.33 square miles (27 km<sup>2</sup>) in area. It comprises seven peaks, representing the seven heads of [[Adisesha|Shesha]], thus earning the name [[Seshachalam Hills|Seshachalam]]. The seven peaks are called Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabhadri, Narayanadri, and Venkatadri. The temple is on [[Venkatadri]] (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 is [[Venkateswara]], a form of the Hindu god [[Vishnu]]. Venkateswara is known by other names: Balaji, Govinda, and Srinivasa. The temple lies on the southern banks of Sri Swami Pushkarini, a [[Pushkarini|holy 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|date=February 2024}} The temple is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily (30 to 40 million people annually on average),{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} while on special occasions and festivals, like the annual [[Srivari Brahmotsavam|brahmotsavam]], the number of pilgrims shoots up to 500,000.
There are yearly pilgrimage gatherings such as [[Kumbh Mela]] Pilgrimage (3-year or 12),<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-01-15/hindu-pilgrims-kumbh-mela/4465516|title=Enormous crowd at Kumbh Mela|date=15 January 2013|website=www.abc.net.au}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Kumbh-Mela|title=Kumbh Mela | Significance, Festival, & History | Britannica|date=13 July 2024|website=www.britannica.com}}</ref> [[Shabarimala]] Pilgrimage,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sabarimala-pilgrimage/specialcoverage/10793762.cms | work=The Times of India | title=Sabarimala pilgrimage - News Stories, Latest News Headlines on Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/sabarimala-sees-heavy-rush/article5033447.ece | ___location=Chennai, India | work=The Hindu | title=Sabarimala sees heavy rush | date=18 August 2013}}</ref> [[Kottiyoor Vysakha Mahotsavam|Kottiyoor Vysakha Pilgrimage]]<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/07/stories/2005060710270500.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050618073504/http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/07/stories/2005060710270500.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=18 June 2005 | ___location=Chennai, India | work=[[The Hindu]] | title=Thousands throng Kottiyur temple | date=7 June 2005}}</ref> where in thousands of people gather in a certain period of a year for pilgrimage.
[[File:Tirumala_gopurams.JPG|thumb|alt=The golden gopuram of the Venkateshwara temple of Tirumala Tirupati |The Golden gopuram: [[Ananda Nilayam]] above the garbhagriha of Venkateshwara Temple, Tirumala]]
[[File:Kailash north.JPG|thumb|[[Mount Kailash]] in [[Tibet]] is revered as the holy abode of [[Lord Shiva|Shiva]].]]
{{Hindu holy cities}}
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===Jainism===
[[File:Shikharji Parasnath Giridih.jpg|thumb|Jain Temples at Parasnath Shikharji Hills – a view]]
The [[Palitana temples]] on [[Mount Shatrunjaya]], located by the city of [[Palitana]], in [[Bhavnagar 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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===Sikhism===
[[File:Hamandir Sahib (Golden Temple).jpg|thumb|Harmandir Sahib]]
[[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 [[gurdwara]]s. 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]], [[Ranjit Singh|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, Pakistan|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.
The [[Panj Takht]] are the five gurudwaras which are revered as the seats of power in [[Sikhism]]. They are all located in [[India]] – the [[Akal Takht|Akal Takht Sahib]] in [[Amritsar]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]; the [[Keshgarh Sahib]] in [[Anandpur Sahib]], Punjab; the [[Damdama Sahib]] in [[Bhatinda|Bathinda]], Punjab; the [[Takht Sri Patna Sahib]] in [[Patna]], [[Bihar]] and the [[Hazur Sahib Nanded]] in [[Nanded]], [[Maharashtra]].
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==East Asian religions==
===Confucianism===
[[File:曲阜孔廟大成殿.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The main sanctuary of the Temple of Confucius in Qufu]]
{{Main|Temple of Confucius, Qufu|Temple of Confucius}}
[[Confucianism]] is often regarded as either a religion, philosophy or quasi-religious system of beliefs based upon the teachings of the [[History of China#Ancient China|ancient]] [[Chinese people|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 [[Kong Miao|temples of Confucius]] exist throughout [[China]]. The most important is [[Temple of Confucius, Qufu|the Temple of Confucius]] in Confucius's hometown of [[Qufu]]. Other sites include the [[Cemetery of Confucius]] and the [[Kong Family Mansion]] in [[Qufu]], [[Shandong Province]] of China.
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===Shinto===
{{Main|Ise Shrine}}
[[File:Naiku 01.JPG|thumb|right|"Naikū, Ise Shrine"]]
[[Ise Shrine]] is the formal home of [[Amaterasu|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, Mie|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 [[Yata no Kagami|Sacred Mirror]].
===Taoism===
Four sacred mountains of Taoism:
*[[Wudang Mountains]], in [[Shiyan]], [[Hubei Province]] of China;
*[[Mount Qingcheng]], in [[Dujiangyan]], [[Sichuan Province]];
*[[Mount Longhu]], in [[Yingtan]], [[Jiangxi Province]];
*[[Mount Qiyun]], in [[Huangshan City|Huangshan]], [[Anhui Province]].
===Tenrikyo===
[[File:Tenrikyo_Headquarter_improved.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Tenrikyo Church Headquarters|Tenrikyo worship hall complex]] surrounding the [[Jiba (Tenrikyo)|Jiba]]]]
Followers of [[Tenrikyo]] believe that creation of the world occurred at a point called the ''[[Tenrikyo Church Headquarters|Jiba]]'', in [[Tenri, Nara|Tenri City]], [[Nara Prefecture]], Japan. A pillar called the ''[[Kanrodai]]'' 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" ({{Transliteration|ja|okaeri nasai}} in Japanese) is commonly used by believers to greet visitors.
===Church Of World Messianity===
Followers of the [[Church 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 of [[Atami]], [[Hakone]], and [[Kyoto]]; one in [[Saraburi]], Thailand; and one in [[São Paulo]], Brazil.
== New religious movements ==
This section of the article contains a list of religious sites significant to [[new religious movement]]s besides [[Rastafari]] and [[Tenrikyo]], which are listed above in their relevant sections.
===Modern paganism===
====Modern Druidry====
[[File:Stonehenge2007 07 30.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Stonehenge]], a site of pilgrimage for [[Neo-Druidism|Druids]]]]
[[Stonehenge]] is a site of religious significance in [[Neo-Druidism]] as Druids perform pilgrimage there. The first modern Druids to perform ceremonies at this site were the [[Ancient Order of Druids]].
====Roman Traditionalism====
[[File:Tempio di Minerva Medica a Pordenone.jpg|thumb|Tempio di Minerva Medica a Pordenone]]
* Temple of Jupiter (''Templum Iovis''), Torre Gaia, [[Rome]]<ref>{{cite web|author=Param Shiva Singh|title=Nulla è tramontato, l'antica Roma è (ancora) viva: costruito un nuovo Tempio di Giove! (a Torre Gaia)|trans-title=Nothing faded, ancient Rome is (still) alive: A new Temple of Jupiter was built! (in Torre Gaia)|website=Oasi Sana|date=29 December 2017|url=https://oasisana.com/2017/12/29/nulla-e-tramontato-lantica-roma-e-ancora-viva-costruito-un-nuovo-tempio-di-giove-a-torre-gaia/}}</ref>
* Aedes of Apollo Pithian Hyperborean (''Templum Apollinis Pithi Hyperborei''), Rome
* Aedes Roma Pietatis, Torre Gaia, Rome<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tradizioneromana.org/templi/index.html|title=Templi|website=tradizioneromana.org}}</ref>
* Aedes Minerva, Torre Gaia, Rome
* Aedes Martis, Torre Gaia, Rome
* Temple of Aegeria (''Templum Aegeria''), Torre Gaia, Rome
* Temple of Venus Verticordia (''Templum Veneris Verticordiae''), Torre Gaia, Rome
* Temple of Neptune (''Templum Neptuni''), Torre Gaia, Rome
* Temple of Mercury (''Templum Mercurii''), Torre Gaia, Rome
* Aedes Martis, Appia Antica, Rome
* Temple of Apollo (''Templum Apollinis''), Ardea<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ereticamente.net/classical-renaissance-a-new-temple-dedicated-to-apollo-is-rising-english-version/|title=Classical Renaissance: a new temple dedicated to Apollo is rising (english version)|date=11 December 2018}}</ref>
Sicily
* Temple of Apollo (''Templum Apollinis''), Palermo<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://greekcitytimes.com/2022/09/06/old-gods-temple-apollo-tarantino/|title=Return Of The Old Gods: Temple Dedicated To Apollo Consecrated In Tarantino, Southern Italy (VIDEO)}}</ref>
* Temple of Neptune (''Temple Neptuni''), Palermo<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wildhunt.org/2022/11/pagan-community-notes-week-of-november-14-2022.html|title=Pagan Community Notes: Week of November 14, 2022 - Europe, News, Pagan Community Notes, Paganism, Religion, The Wild Hunt, TWH Features, U.S., Witchcraft, World|first=The Wild|last=Hunt|date=15 November 2022|website=The Wild Hunt}}</ref>
* Temple of Ceres (''Templum Cereris''), Enna, Leonforte
* Temple of Herakles (''Templum Herculis''), Enna, Leonforte
Apulia
* Temple of Apollo (''Templum Apollinis''), Taranto<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it/video/video/1415466/culto-e-cultura-nel-segno-della-dea-sorge-a-taranto-il-tempio-di-minerva.html|title=Culto e cultura nel segno della dea: sorge a Taranto il tempio di Minerva|first=Leonardo|last=Petrocelli|website=www.lagazzettadelmezzogiorno.it}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://wildhunt.org/2022/10/pietas-builds-a-new-temple-to-apollo-in-italy.html|title=Pietas builds a new temple to Apollo in Italy - Europe, Living, News, Paganism, Spotlight on Tradition|first=Manny|last=Moreno|date=9 October 2022|website=The Wild Hunt}}</ref>
Veneto
* Temple of Minerva Medica (''Templum Minervae Medicae''), Pordenone<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ereticamente.net/eretto-un-tempio-di-minerva-medica-a-pordenone/|title=Eretto un Tempio di Minerva Medica a Pordenone|date=25 August 2018}}</ref>
===Thelema===
Thelemites do not normally carry out pilgrimages, but a certain number of adherents of [[Thelema]] regard [[Egypt]], and [[Cairo]] and [[Giza]] in particular, to be important. Notable destinations for Thelemites traveling to or in Egypt include the King's Chamber in the [[Pyramid of Khufu]], which is part of the [[Giza Necropolis]] in Giza, the [[Egyptian Museum]] in the Cairo district of [[Boulaq]], and [[Downtown Cairo]].
Other notable sites of historical or spiritual significance to many Thelemites are the now derelict [[Abbey of Thelema]] in the Sicilian city of [[Cefalu]], [[Italy]], and [[Boleskine House]] near [[Loch Ness]] in [[Scotland]].
==Iranian religions==
===Yazidism===
{{Main|Yazidism|Lalish}}
[[Lalish]], located in northern Iraq, is the most sacred site in the [[Yazidism|Yazidi religion]]. The tomb of Sheikh [[Adi ibn Musafir]] is located in Lalish.
===Zoroastrianism===
{{Main|Udvada}}
[[File:Udvada Fire Temple 1905.JPG|thumb|right|[[Fire temple]] of [[Udvada]]]]
Udvada is a town in [[Gujarat]], [[India]] renowned for its [[Zoroastrianism|Zoroastrian]] [[Atash 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.
==See also==
* [[List of burial places of founders of religious traditions]]
* [[Holy places]]
* [[Honden]]
* [[List of founders of religious traditions]]
* [[List of religions]]
* [[List of religious texts]]
* [[Sacred language|List of sacred languages]]
* [[List of shrines]]
* [[Pilgrimage]]
* [[Place of worship]]
* [[Religious symbolism]]
* [[Sacred architecture]]
* [[Sacred travel]]
* [[Sacred sites in Mecca]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Religion topics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:List of Significant Religious Sites}}
[[Category:Lists of pilgrimage sites|Religious sites]]
[[Category:Religious places|*]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
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