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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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

Image Source

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.

Image Source

See also

• The 10 World’s Most Famous and Holiest Cities
• The 12 Most Significant Holy Cities for Hinduism
• Five Holy Caves in the World
• Fascinating Temples:World’s Architectural Wonders
• Historically and Religiously Significant Famous Garden

Notable Ancient Holy Cities From Around the World

Some ancient cities were regarded as holy or sacred cities. Some of these cities still remain as such. Here’s a list of ancient cities of the world considered holy.

Rome, Italy

Image Source

The ancient city of Rome, which is believed to have been founded by Remus and Romulus, is a holy city for the Ancient Roman polytheistic religion. Numerous temples and statues were built in Rome to honor their gods and goddesses.

Constantinople, Turkey

Image Source

Constantinople, a city established by Constantine the Great, is regarded a holy city during the Ancient and Medieval times. The city, which is now known as Istanbul, was the Roman Empire’s imperial capital. It was also the imperial capital of the Byzantine Empire, the Latin Empire and the Ottoman Empire. The city was one of the most significant centers of Christianity during the Medieval Period.

Abydos, Ancient Egypt

Image Source

Abydos was a sacred city in Ancient Egypt. It is located in Upper Egypt and was called Abdju in the ancient Egyptian language which means “the hill of the symbol”. It was the site of many ancient temples which include Umm el-Qa’ab, a royal necropolis for earlier pharaohs. The city is regarded as holy for Ancient Egyptian religion.

Heliopolis, Ancient Egypt

Image Source

Another city considered holy to Ancient Egyptian religion is Heliopolis – “City of the Sun”. It was one of the most ancient cities of Egypt and was the capital of the 13^th Lower Egyptian nome. It is also called the "City of Helios” and the "Eye of the Sun". Many temples have been built in this city during the Ancient times but were destroyed during the Medieval Period. These temples were built to honor and worship their gods and goddesses.

Cuzco, Peru 

Image Source

The City of Cusco in Peru was a holy city for the Ancient Incas of South America. It was the historic capital of the Inca Empire.  Scores of temples have been built by Ancient Incas to honor their gods and goddesses. Presently, the city is the capital of Cusco Region and Cusco Province. It is the country’s most visited tourist attraction receiving around 1.5 million visitors annually. Designated as the Historical Capital of Peru by the nation’s constitution, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Nippur, Mesopotamia

Nippur is a sacred city in Mesopotamia, now known as Iraq. In the Akkadian language, the city is known as Nibbur and in the Sumerian language, it is Nibru. Oftentimes, it is recorded as Enlil City. The city was one of the most ancient of all the Sumerian cities and was the special seat of the worship of the Sumerian god Enlil who is regarded as the “Lord Wind”. The city of Nippur is located in modern Nuffar in Afak, Al-Qadisiyyah Governorate in Iraq.

See also

• The 10 World’s Most Famous and Holiest Cities
• Five Holy Caves in the World
• Fascinating Temples:World’s Architectural Wonders
• Historically and Religiously Significant Famous Garden