Holy Sites 501–550

A clifftop fortress near Asenovgrad with a beautifully preserved medieval church.

A richly decorated Gothic church on Budapest's Castle Hill, coronation site of Hungarian kings.

One of the oldest mosques in West Africa, built in the Sudano-Sahelian style.

Mysterious concentric circular terraces believed to be an Inca agricultural laboratory.

The oldest church in mainland Estonia, a medieval Lutheran cathedral on Toompea Hill.

One of the most visited Marian shrines in the Philippines, known for miraculous healings.

The seat of the Primate of Spain, a Gothic masterpiece in the historic 'City of Three Cultures.'

The oldest parish church in North America and the first church elevated to basilica status in the Americas.

Austria's most important pilgrimage destination, venerating a miraculous wooden Madonna.

One of Bhutan's oldest temples, built in the 7th century by the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo.

A hilltop sanctuary above Bogotá at 3,152 meters, venerating a miracle-working crucifix.

One of the earliest churches in Eastern Europe, originally built in the 11th century in ancient Polotsk.

The headquarters of Cambodian Buddhism and the most important monastery in the country.

Bangkok's iconic riverside temple with a towering prang decorated in colorful porcelain.

A modest exterior concealing one of Bulgaria's most lavishly frescoed church interiors.

A stunning blue-tiled mosque believed by many to house the tomb of Imam Ali.

The jungle temple where massive tree roots engulf ancient stone ruins.

Dubai's oldest neighborhood with historic mosques and traditional wind-tower architecture.

A Khmer temple famous for its 216 massive serene stone faces gazing in all directions.

A limestone cave temple complex with a 42.7-meter golden Lord Murugan statue, Malaysia's main Hindu shrine.

A Sabaean temple near the ancient capital of the Queen of Sheba's kingdom.

The most iconic temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The UNESCO-listed mud-brick tomb of Askia Muhammad, founder of the Songhai Empire, in Gao.

UNESCO-listed traditional buildings in the Ashanti Region, centers of Asante spiritual practice.

Oman's principal mosque, a masterpiece of modern Islamic architecture in Muscat.

The world's longest continuing art tradition — Aboriginal rock paintings spanning 20,000+ years.

Site of the oldest known human cremation and ritual burial, dating back 42,000 years.

Africa's longest cave system, sacred to both Muslims and pre-Islamic Oromo spiritual practice.

Qatar's national mosque and largest house of worship, a symbol of modern Qatari identity.

A mysterious 15th-century stone caravanserai high in the Kyrgyz mountains on the Silk Road.

The Privy Chamber of Topkapi Palace houses Islam's most sacred relics, including the Prophet's mantle and sword.

The third-largest mosque in the world, with the tallest minaret ever built, completed in 2019.

A unique star-shaped Baroque pilgrimage church designed by Jan Blažej Santini-Aichel.

UNESCO-listed volcanic peaks on Saint Lucia, held sacred by the island's indigenous Arawak and Carib peoples.

The monastery and tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf, Lebanon's most beloved saint.

A monastery in the Balkan Mountains that served as a fortress during the Bulgarian struggle for independence.

A stunning Dervish monastery built into a cliff face at the source of the Buna River.

Ghent's principal church, home to the Ghent Altarpiece — one of the most important paintings in Western art.

Sacred locations along Lake Malawi where traditional rain-calling and ancestral rituals are performed.

Home to the miraculous Virgin of Zapopan, protectress of Guadalajara.

The 'Citadel of Women,' celebrated for the finest and most intricate stone carvings in Angkor.

The most important pilgrimage site in the Dominican Republic, dedicated to the patron saint of the nation.

A major Marian shrine near the ancient ruins, centered on a miraculous image of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The 'Jewel of the California Missions,' famous for the annual return of the swallows.

A Romanesque cathedral from 1145, seat of the medieval archbishopric that Christianized Scandinavia.

The largest mosque in Central Asia, a gleaming white structure in Kazakhstan's capital.

A sacred temple complex where Guru Rinpoche left his body imprint in a cave wall.

A remote monastery overlooking the glacial Phobjikha Valley, home to endangered black-necked cranes.

A masterpiece of Safavid architecture on Isfahan's Naqsh-e Jahan Square, famed for its dome.

The principal mosque of Djibouti City and a symbol of the nation's Islamic identity.