🪨 Ancient Marae Sites of Kiribati
Kiribati
About This Sacred Site
Across Kiribati's scattered atolls lie ancient marae — stone temple platforms used for traditional worship, ancestor veneration, and community ceremonies. These sacred sites predate European contact and were central to the spiritual life of the I-Kiribati people. Rituals performed at marae included offerings to ancestral spirits, navigation blessings for ocean voyagers, and seasonal ceremonies. Though many have fallen into disuse, several marae on outer islands remain culturally significant.
Key Facts
- •Marae are traditional stone temple platforms found across Polynesia and Micronesia
- •Used for ancestor worship, offerings, and community ceremonies
- •Some marae on outer islands date back over 500 years
- •Traditional religious specialists called ibonga presided over marae rituals
- •Many marae were abandoned after Christian conversion in the 19th century
Location
Coordinates: 1.8700, 175.5300
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