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Sacred Spaces

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Tokyo, Japan

Zen’yō-ji Temple

An eclectic temple with Chinese architecture, Korean lion-dogs, an Indian god and a legendary 700-year-old tree.
Lullington, England

Lullington Church of the Good Shepherd

This tiny church is one of England's smallest.
Green Island, Taiwan

Guanyin Cave

Hidden in a cave on a small Taiwanese island, a stalagmite reported to look like the bodhisattva Guanyin.
Kariong, Australia

Bulgandry Art Site Aboriginal Place

Aboriginal artists carved these unique figures into sandstone.
Neo Chorio, Cyprus

Aphrodite's Bath

Legend holds that the Ancient Greek goddess of love once bathed in the waters of this grotto.
Paphos, Cyprus

Agia Solomoni Catacomb

Beneath an ancient wishing tree lies an underground chapel with 12th-century frescoes and catacombs dedicated to a lady saint.
Stockbridge, England

Danebury Hillfort

One of the most studied Iron Age settlements in Europe.
Dunsfold, England

St Mary's and All Saints Church & Holy Well

An ancient yew tree and holy well nestle beside a remarkable 13th-century church.
The seventh-century Omari mosque in Gaza City, shown here in 2022, was largely destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in December 2023.
architecture

The Site of Gaza's Oldest Mosque Has a Rich, Millennia-Old History

The seventh-century Omari Mosque, severely damaged in a recent airstrike, included artifacts of Roman gods, Jewish rituals, and Byzantine and Catholic churches.
Stephennie Mulder January 22, 2024
Khujand, Tajikistan

Friday Mosque

Next to a newer mosque in Khujand’s main square lies the city’s oldest mosque, whose interiors are spectacularly intricate.
The Serpent Mound in Ohio, as beautiful as it is impressive, has endured centuries of misuse and misinterpretation.
earthworks

In Ohio, Ancient Mounds and Earthworks Gain Recognition—But Remain Imperiled

Built by Native Americans, Serpent Mound and other spectacular ancient monuments have endured centuries of abuse and neglect. That's finally changing.
Stephen Warren November 13, 2023
A river winds along paved banks lined with pilgrims.
Haridwar, India

Har Ki Pauri

The Hindu god Vishnu is said to have walked at this Hindu pilgrimage site.
Shanghai, China

Longhua Temple

A temple complex has existed on this site since the third century.
Lava Hot Springs, Idaho

Lava Hot Springs Inn

A former sanitarium where soldiers were sent to recover in the healing waters of hot springs.
paintings

Podcast: Texas Painted Churches

These churches might seem unassuming from the outside, but intricate surprises await within.
The Podcast Team August 15, 2023
Toyohashi, Japan

Mount Ishimaki

A long-worshipped mountain, considered a "power spot" and suspected to be an ancient pyramid by some.
Etna, Maine

Camp Etna

A major spiritual gathering place in central Maine since the mid-1800s.
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Rock Art of Ikh Tengeriin Am

Ancient site of Mongolian Shamanism located near a road leading out of Ulaanbaatar.