Thursday, August 11, 2011

The Most Holy Sites and Edifices in the World


Some remarkable buildings and sites are considered holy by some of the largest and major religions in the world. Here are the most sacred places of different religions in the world.

For Christianity
Church of the Holy Sepulchre


The Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the most holy site for many mainstream denominations within Christianity. This is the site where Jesus Christ was crucified, died, buried and resurrected from the dead. It is also called the Church of the Resurrection by Eastern Christian. It is located in Jerusalem, Israel.

For Islam
Kaaba


Kaaba is the holiest place in Islam. The name means “The Cube” in English. This cube-shaped building is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia and has a mosque built around it. Regarded as the most sacred site, all Muslims around the world face Kaaba during prayers wherever they are.

Al-Masjid al-Haram


The most that surrounds the Kaaba is the Al-Masjid al-Harām mosque. The “Sacred Mosque” is the largest mosque in the world and is also known as the Grand Mosque. Millions of Muslims gathers here annually during the Hajj period – one of the largest gatherings in the world.

Judaism
Mount Sinai


Mount Sinai is a holy site for Judaism located near Saint Catherine in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. Mount Sinai is the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments. It is also known by other names such as Mount Horeb, Mount Musa, Gabal Musa and Jabal Musa.

Hinduism
Varanasi City


Vanarasi City, which is located in Ultra Pradesh, India, is the most holy city in Hinduism. The city is considered by many to be the most sacred place of pilgrimage for Hindus irrespective of denomination.

Buddhism
Bodhgaya


Bodh Gaya or Bodhgaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage located in Bihar, India. The site is popular for being the place of Gautama Buddha’s attainment of Enlightenment, known by the Buddhist as Bodhimandala.

Tibetan Buddhism
Jokhang Temple


The Jokhang Temple or simply Jokhang is the holiest and sacred temple for Tibetan Buddhism. It is located on Barkhor Square in Lhasa, the capitak of Tibet. It is also called Jokhang Monastery or Tsuklakang.

Confucianism
Temple of Confucius


For Confucianism, the most sacred places are the Temples of Confucius or Confucian Temples. These temples are devoted to the memory of Confucius and the sages and philosophers of Confucianism. Qufu, the largest and oldest Temple of Confucius, is located in Shandong, China.

Judaism
Kodesh Hakodashim


Kodesh Hakodashim is Judaism Holy of Holies. It was the inner sanctuary of the Tabernacle in the time of Moses and is now refers to the space on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Sikhism
Golden Temple


The Golden Temple or Hamandir Sahib is the most holy site in Sikhism/. This culturally important shrine is located in Amritsar, Punjab, India and regarded as one of the oldest Sikh gurdwaras.

Latter Day Saints
Holy of Holies


The Holy of Holies is the most sacred place for the Mormons or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It is a room in the Salt Lake Temple wherein the church’s president — acting as the Presiding High Priest of the church — enters to act as High Priest of Israel in direct relationship with God, in accordance with the LDS interpretation of the Book of Exodus.

Druzism
Tomb of Jethro


For Druzism, the most holy place is Nabi Shu'ayb or Tomb of Jethro. It is where the tomb of the Islamic prophet Shu’ayb or the Biblical Jethro is located. It is the central figure in the Druze religion. 

Jainism
Pawapuri


Pawapuri is the most holy site in Jainism, a religion that originated in India. It is located in Nalanda, Bihar in India.  Jains consider Pawapuri to be their most important tirtha or pilgrimage site.

Samaritism
Mount Gerizim
The most holy site in Samaritism is Mount Gerizim. It is located near the present-day Palestinian city of Nablus known in Biblical time as Shechem. This is regarded as the “holy of holies” to the Samaritans.

Shintoism


Ise Shrine is the formal home of Amaterasu omikami, the primary deity of Shinto and traditionally believed to be a direct ancestor of the Japanese Imperial Family. This splendid shrine is located in the Ise City in Mie Prefecture, Japan It is officially known simply as Jingu.

Bahai’ Faith


This sacred structure is located in Bahji near Acre, Israel and is known as the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh. This shrine is the most holy place for Baha’is and contains the remains of Baha u llah.



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