erikasanneman's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
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Ridgefield, Connecticut

Watermelons on a Greek Statue

What appears to be an act of fruit vandalism is actually a cultural statement.
lewblank Added by lewblank
Caesarea, Israel

Caesarea Maritima Mithraeum

An ancient underground cultic temple where sunlight penetrates on the summer solstice.
Added by mandelbaum
Luxor, Egypt

Colossi of Memnon

These Egyptian statues have survived for 3,400 years and were an acoustic wonder of the ancient world.
Kerry Wolfe Added by Kerry Wolfe
Zhangye Shi, China

Mati Si

Monks turned this mountain into a temple by digging grottoes, tunnels, and a huge pagoda-like hall.
Max Cortesi Added by Max Cortesi
Izumo-shi, Japan

Izumo-Taisha

What's believed to be the country's first shrine is, in Shintō mythology, the annual meeting place of the gods.
Andrew McCormick Added by Andrew McCormick
Kuta Selatan, Indonesia

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue

It took 28 years to build this massive statue of the Hindu god Vishnu riding a mythical bird.
Tony Dunnell Added by Tony Dunnell
Mexico City, Mexico

Mask of the Bat God

This ancient jade mask depicting the Zapotec bat god was found in the ruins of the pyramids of Monte Alban.
Monsieur Mictlan Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Mexico City, Mexico

Serpents of the Great Temple

These spectacular, symbolic serpents lie within the shadow of the Great Temple.
Monsieur Mictlan Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Malinalco, Mexico

House of the Eagles

The ruins of a former sanctuary for elite Aztec warriors.
Monsieur Mictlan Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Mexico City, Mexico

Xochipilli

The most complete statue of this Aztec god sits a top a throne carved with images of hallucinogenic plants.
Monsieur Mictlan Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Mexico City, Mexico

Monolith of Tlaloc

This colossal ancient sculpture of the monstrous Aztec rain god has a literally stormy history.
Monsieur Mictlan Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Madrid, Spain

Museo de América

This fascinating and poignant museum chronicles every imaginable aspect of Spanish colonialism in the Americas.
Monsieur Mictlan Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Mexico City, Mexico

Ocelotl Cuauhxicalli

This colossal ancient jaguar sculpture was used as a vessel for the hearts torn from sacrificial victims.
Monsieur Mictlan Added by Monsieur Mictlan
Tokyo, Japan

Garden of Unborn Children

Rows of stone statues are dressed up to mourn children that are lost before birth.
Added by jen487
Chiang Rai, Thailand

Tham Tu Pu

This elegant carving of the Buddha guards a small Buddhist temple within a cave.
Max Cortesi Added by Max Cortesi
Jiuquan, China

Mogao Caves

Hundreds of caves filled with thousands of centuries-old statues and murals.
Max Cortesi Added by Max Cortesi
Nachikatsuura-chō, Japan

Fudarakusan-ji

A temple made famous by Japanese Buddhist monks who sacrificed themselves at sea.
Added by YonatanFriis
Colombo, Sri Lanka

Sambodhi Chaithya

This space rocket-like Buddhist stupa sits atop two giant arches and can be seen from out at sea.
Tony Dunnell Added by Tony Dunnell
Qom, Iran

Fatemeh Maasoume Shrine

One of the holiest Shi'i shrines in Iran honors the life and death of a learned noblewoman who became a saint.
Max Cortesi Added by Max Cortesi
Ise, Japan

Ise Grand Shrine

This ancient shrine has been rebuilt every 20 years since the eighth century.
lewblank Added by lewblank
Bangkok, Thailand

Wat Mahabut

A shrine honoring a legendary ghost bride lies within this vibrant temple.
Added by loodie
Mitaka, Japan

Inokashira Park Benzaiten Shrine

Legend says the goddess this shrine honors curses any couples that pass by.
KoinuSensei Added by KoinuSensei
Asturias, Spain

Holy Cave of Covadonga

A historic Christian shrine nestled within a spectacular natural cave.
LeahBee Added by LeahBee
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Wat Phnom

The capital of Cambodia is named after the hill on which this ancient temple complex stands.
Tony Dunnell Added by Tony Dunnell