Holy Sites for Purification

The holiest site in Islam, home of the Kaaba, and the destination for Hajj pilgrimage.

The holiest city in Hinduism, where the Ganges River purifies the soul.

Sacred to four religions, considered the center of the universe.

An autonomous monastic republic with 20 Eastern Orthodox monasteries.

The most sacred Shinto shrine, rebuilt every 20 years for over 1,300 years.

A sacred mountain with a footprint revered by four different religions.

Japan's most sacred mountain, worshipped as a deity for centuries.

A stunning Jain temple with 1,444 intricately carved marble pillars.

One of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva, perched high in the Himalayas.

A sacred Char Dham site where Lord Rama is believed to have prayed before crossing to Lanka.

A hillside temple famous for its wooden stage and sacred Otowa waterfall.

A masterpiece of Ming dynasty architecture where emperors prayed for good harvests.

The sacred mountain where the Khmer Empire was founded, with a riverbed of carved lingas.

Nepal's holiest Hindu temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva on the banks of the Bagmati River.

A sacred site for both Hindus and Buddhists at 3,800 meters in the Himalayas.

A sea temple perched on a rocky offshore islet, one of Bali's most iconic landmarks.

A clifftop temple 70 meters above the Indian Ocean on Bali's southwestern tip.

The holiest and largest Hindu temple complex in Bali, on the slopes of Mount Agung.

A Balinese water temple famous for its sacred purification springs and bathing rituals.

A picturesque lake temple that appears to float on the waters of Lake Beratan.

An ancient cave temple near Ubud with a fearsome carved entrance and bathing pools.

A royal water palace with sacred pools, fountains, and lush gardens in eastern Bali.

One of the oldest and most revered stupas in the Buddhist world, enshrining relics of the Buddha.

The sacred mountain where pilgrims gather for the most important day of Hajj.

A vast tent city where millions of Hajj pilgrims perform the symbolic stoning of the devil.

The first mosque built in Islam, founded by Prophet Muhammad upon his arrival in Medina.

The mythological birthplace of Apollo and Artemis, once the holiest island in ancient Greece.

The ancient world's most famous healing sanctuary, dedicated to the god of medicine.

A monumental Baroque stairway in Braga symbolizing the ascent to heaven.

The first Gothic building in Portugal and a Cistercian monastery of austere beauty.

The marble steps believed to have been climbed by Jesus at Pontius Pilate's palace, ascended on the knees by pilgrims.

A dramatic Maya fortress perched on cliffs above the turquoise Caribbean Sea.

The 'Sistine Chapel of Mexico,' adorned with stunning folk baroque murals.

A Moche pyramid temple with vivid polychrome murals depicting the fearsome god Ai Apaec.

A magnificent temple in the heart of Luxor dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship.

The cult center of Osiris, god of the afterlife, where pharaohs sought eternal life.

An island temple dedicated to the goddess Isis, rescued from the rising Nile waters.

The most sacred Zoroastrian mountain shrine in Iran, set in a cliff face in the desert.

The holiest shrine of the Yazidi people, nestled in a valley in Kurdistan, Iraq.

The UNESCO-recognized site on the Jordan River where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.

UNESCO sites in Dhofar linked to the sacred frankincense trade that shaped ancient worship.

A stunning avenue of mausoleums in Samarkand, known as the 'Street of the Living King.'

A fire temple on the Absheron Peninsula, sacred to Zoroastrian, Hindu, and Sikh worshippers.

A UNESCO-listed medieval monastery partially carved into a cliff, with remarkable acoustics.