Sacred Places: 50 Sites of Religious Pilgrimage

Journeys to sacred places or shrines undertaken as acts of veneration or penance have been a feature of religious observance from the earliest times.

Ancient religions had holy sites, temples, and groves, such as Delphi and Dodona in Greece, where oracles and their priestesses were reputed to be able to tell the future. Even older is Stonehenge—those original religious purpose is still shrouded in mystery—and the Pyramids of Giza which stand in the Egyptian desert, defying all attempts to fathom their mysteries. During the medieval period Christian pilgrimage—to Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople and Santiago de Compostela—was a sacred obligation and a trial of faith. On the other side of the Eurasian landmass, the Golden Temple and Dome of the Rock became two of the holiest sites of the Sikh and Islamic faiths, with pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, becoming one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Whether for reasons of divine providence, immemorial tradition, or sheer visual power, certain locations have long been imbued with a sense of spiritual significance. Philip Carr-Gomm tells the stories of more than 50 sacred sites across all five continents, including sites venerated by all of the major religions. Many of the world’s holiest sanctuaries and landscapes are here examined in a series of concise, informative, and lavishly illustrated chapters.

Involving, instructive, and steeped in spiritual insight, Sacred Places offers a dramatic and distinctive perspective on more than six millennia of world history.