Holy Sites 551–600

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 beautifully preserved Romanesque church in the Andorran Pyrenees.

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.

A 16th-century Dervish monastery built 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.

Paraguay's most important pilgrimage site, dedicated to the Virgin of the Miracles of Caacupé.

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

A 10th-century lakeside monastery founded by Saint Naum of Ohrid.

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.

A prominent Catholic church reflecting Trinidad's rich multi-faith heritage.

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

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

Singapore's oldest Hindu temple, known for its elaborate gopuram and the annual fire-walking festival.

The sixth-largest cathedral in the world and America's spiritual home for national events.

A Sogdian city with Zoroastrian fire temples and stunning murals, the 'Pompeii of Central Asia.'

Mongolia's largest and most important active Buddhist monastery, in the heart of Ulaanbaatar.

The principal church of the world's oldest republic, housing the relics of its saintly founder.

An early medieval monastic city on the River Shannon, once a great center of Irish learning.

UNESCO World Heritage royal complex of the powerful Dahomey kingdom.

A 12th-century minaret in Bukhara so magnificent that Genghis Khan spared it from destruction.