Holy Sites 201–250

A UNESCO cluster of Byzantine churches in the Troodos Mountains adorned with extraordinary medieval frescoes.

A UNESCO-listed 13th-century fort with integrated mosque in Oman's interior.

A mountain temple on Songnisan, home to Korea's tallest Buddha statue and the unique Palsangjeon pagoda.

The holiest site in Ukrainian Orthodoxy, famous for its underground cave system holding the mummified remains of monks.

A 6th-century hilltop monastery overlooking the confluence of two rivers, a Georgian icon.

A UNESCO-listed Timurid mausoleum in Turkestan, a major Sufi pilgrimage destination.

A masterpiece of Maya Puuc architecture dedicated to the rain god Chaac.

The basilica of Luxembourg's oldest city, famous for its ancient dancing procession on Whit Tuesday.

The 'Manhattan of the Desert,' a 16th-century mud-brick skyscraper city with historic mosques.

The iconic golden-domed shrine over the rock from which Muhammad ascended to heaven.

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

The largest Gothic cathedral in the Benelux, housing four masterpiece paintings by Peter Paul Rubens.

A UNESCO-listed 8th-century Buddhist monastery, one of the largest in the Indian subcontinent.

The best-preserved Roman town in North Africa, with a stunning Capitol temple, a UNESCO site.

A multi-faith pilgrimage site sacred to Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims alike.

The national symbol of Laos, a golden Buddhist stupa said to enshrine a relic of the Buddha.

One of the oldest churches in Egypt, suspended above a Roman fortress gate in Old Cairo.

The haunting ruins of a medieval Armenian capital, once called the 'City of 1,001 Churches.'

A medieval church on the outskirts of Sofia with frescoes that predate the Italian Renaissance.

A dramatic cave monastery carved into limestone cliffs above the Răut River, Moldova's most iconic site.

The national temple of Bangladesh, dedicated to the goddess Dhakeshwari, protector of Dhaka.

The oldest cathedral in the Americas, built in the early 16th century in Santo Domingo's Colonial Zone.

Ecuador's most important Inca ruins, a sacred sun temple built atop earlier Cañari foundations.

A collection of tall-spired wooden churches representing the pinnacle of traditional Maramureș craftsmanship.

Tashkent's spiritual center, housing one of the world's oldest Quran manuscripts.

A masterpiece of Gothic architecture housing the Sancta Camisa, believed to be the tunic of the Virgin Mary.

UNESCO World Heritage megalithic stone circles dating back over 1,000 years.

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

A Camargue town where legend says Mary Magdalene and other saints arrived by boat from the Holy Land.

A 6th-century Byzantine basilica in Istria with magnificent gold-ground mosaics rivaling those of Ravenna.

The underground burial chambers beneath St. Peter's Basilica, final resting place of numerous popes.

A UNESCO-listed Roman colonial town with temples and an early Christian baptistry in the mountains of Algeria.

Namibia's highest mountain, home to the famous 'White Lady' rock painting.

A spectacular hilltop complex of medieval buildings where St. Patrick baptized a king of Munster.

The oldest stone church in the Philippines, a UNESCO-listed Baroque masterpiece in Intramuros.

One of the oldest synagogues in the world on the island of Djerba, a major Jewish pilgrimage site.

The largest ancient stone structure in sub-Saharan Africa, a sacred Shona kingdom capital.

A Romanesque masterpiece in Burgundy, starting point of the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

A serene royal temple surrounded by a moat and gardens, built by the Mengwi kingdom.

The tomb of Fatimah bint Musa in Qom, one of Iran's holiest Shia shrines.

The most important Russian Orthodox monastery, spiritual heart of the Russian church near Moscow.

The iconic Stari Most bridge and surrounding historic area where mosques and churches stand side by side.

The oldest Catholic parish in the Philippines, housing the miraculous Santo Niño figure brought by Magellan.

An 11th-century cathedral with Byzantine mosaics, the spiritual birthplace of Kyivan Christianity.

A UNESCO-listed Roman colonial city in Algeria with a grand temple and early Christian basilica.

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

A UNESCO World Heritage desert mosque and Islam's legendary 'seventh holy city.'

A UNESCO World Heritage island memorializing the transatlantic slave trade.

One of the most important Maya ceremonial centers, famed for its elaborate stelae and hieroglyphic stairway.

The Ethiopian and Coptic chapels within Christianity's holiest site, accessed via the Palestinian quarter.