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The Great Holy Sites of the World

Where the world's faiths go on pilgrimage.

From Mecca and Jerusalem to Varanasi, Bodh Gaya, and Santiago de Compostela, these are the places the world's religions hold most sacred — the destinations of the Hajj, the Kumbh, the Camino, and millions of quieter journeys every year.

#PlaceWhereWhen
1 Lumbini
The garden in Nepal's lowlands where Buddhists honor the birthplace of the Buddha 		Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini, Rupandehi District, Nepal Ashoka Pillar c. 249 BCE
2 The Western Wall
The surviving retaining wall of the Temple Mount and Judaism's foremost place of prayer 		Old City, Jerusalem Built from c. 19 BCE
3 Ise Grand Shrine
Shinto's holiest shrine, rebuilt from fresh cypress every 20 years 		Naikū (Inner Shrine), Ise, Mie Prefecture, Japan Traditionally founded 4 BCE
4 The Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The Jerusalem church over the places Christians venerate as the crucifixion and tomb of Jesus 		Christian Quarter, Old City, Jerusalem Dedicated 335 CE
5 Bodh Gaya
The place of the Buddha's enlightenment and its towering Mahabodhi Temple 		Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, Bihar, India Present temple c. 5th–6th century CE
6 Medina
The City of the Prophet, burial place of Muhammad and Islam's second-holiest city 		Medina, Saudi Arabia Prophet's Mosque founded 622 CE
7 Najaf
Iraq's shrine city of Imam Ali and the historic center of Shia learning 		Najaf, Iraq Imam Ali buried 661 CE
8 Karbala
The Iraqi shrine city of Imam Husayn and the vast Arbaeen pilgrimage 		Karbala, Iraq Battle of Karbala 680 CE
9 The Temple Mount (Haram al-Sharif)
The walled platform in Jerusalem's Old City, holy to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as al-Haram al-Sharif 		Old City, Jerusalem Dome of the Rock completed 691–692
10 Mount Athos
The self-governing Orthodox monastic peninsula of northern Greece, closed to women for a thousand years 		Mount Athos, Greece Great Lavra founded 963
11 Santiago de Compostela
The Galician cathedral city at the end of the Camino, where pilgrims honor Saint James 		Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain Cathedral begun 1075
12 St. Peter's Basilica
The Renaissance basilica over the tomb of Saint Peter, principal church of the papacy 		Vatican City Built 1506–1626
13 The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Mexico City's great Marian shrine and the most visited Catholic sanctuary in the Americas 		Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Gustavo A. Madero, Mexico City, Mexico Apparition tradition 1531
14 The Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)
The gilded heart of Sikhism, open on four sides and feeding everyone who comes 		Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab, India Completed 1589
15 Lourdes
The Pyrenean grotto where a young girl's visions made a world center of prayer and healing 		Grotto of Massabielle, Lourdes, Hautes-Pyrénées, France Apparitions 1858
16 The Bahá'í World Centre
The shrines, terraced gardens, and governing seat of the Bahá'í Faith in Haifa and Acre 		Haifa, Israel Shrine of the Báb built 1909
17 Fátima
The Portuguese hillside shrine built where three shepherd children reported Marian visions in 1917 		Sanctuary of Fátima, Cova da Iria, Ourém, Portugal Apparitions 1917
18 Mecca
Islam's holiest city, home of the Kaaba and the destination of the Hajj 		Mecca, Saudi Arabia
19 Mount Kailash
The unclimbed peak in western Tibet held sacred by four religions 		Mount Kailash, Burang County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
20 Varanasi
Hinduism's holiest city, where life and death meet on the steps of the Ganges 		Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India

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