42 Stunning Sacred Places You Need To Visit Before You Die

Let's go on a spiritual journey!

1. The Church of Hallgrímur; Reykjavik, Iceland

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Iceland's largest church was completed and consecrated in 1986. Its design was inspired by the country's basalt lava columns and its spectacular landscapes. The Lutheran monument is dedicated to Hallgrímur Pétursson, one of Iceland's most celebrated poets.

2. Varanasi, India

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Varanasi, located on the Ganges, is one of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism and attracts more than a million pilgrims every year. As described by Mark Twain, Varanasi "is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together."

3. Angkor Wat; Angkor, Cambodia

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Originally built at the beginning of the 12th century as a Hindu mausoleum, Angkor Wat became a Buddhist temple in the second half of the 12th century. The temple is the world's largest religious monument and is considered a masterpiece of Khmer architecture.

4. The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá; Cundinamarca, Colombia

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The Catholic church was carved in an old salt mine by more than 400 sculptors and miners. The project was completed in 1995.

5. Wazir Khan Mosque; Lahore, Pakistan

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The stunningly beautiful mosque was completed in 1635. Among other things, it is renowned for its exceptional faience tile work.

6. Borgund Stavekirk, Norway

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This wooden church, located northeast of Bergen, in Norway, was completed in the 12th century. It is one of the best preserved stave churches in the country, and an exceptional example of traditional Scandinavian wooden architecture.

7. Taung Kalat; Mount Popa, Myanmar

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Mount Popa is a famous pilgrimage site that attracts thousands of people every year. Perched on top of the volcano, Taung Kalat is a Buddhist monastery only accessible after climbing 777 steps — not an easy walk, but the view once you get to the top is said to be amazing.

8. Chapel of the Holy Cross; Sedona, Arizona

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This gorgeous chapel, nestled in Sedona's buttes, was completed in 1956.

9. The Spanish Synagogue; Prague, Czech Republic

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The Spanish Synagogue, one of Prague's most beautiful synagogues, was completed in 1868. Its name comes from the beautiful Moorish architecture of the building.

10. Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple); Amritsar, Punjab, India

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Harmandir Sahib is the holiest place of worship for Sikhs. It opened in 1604, although much of its gilding dates back to the 19th century. The temple is opened to everyone, regardless of their gender or religion.

11. The Church of the Assumption; Bled Lake, Slovenia

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This beautiful church is located on the only true island in Slovenia, in the middle of Bled Lake. The current church dates back to the 17th century, although the first church on the island was consecrated in 1142.

12. Gloucester Cathedral cloisters; Gloucestershire, England

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The strikingly beautiful cathedral and its cloisters are almost a thousand years old. If the hallways of the cloisters look familiar, it's probably because parts of the Harry Potter movies were filmed there.

13. La Sagrada Familia; Barcelona, Spain

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The world-famous basilica has been in construction since 1866 and could be completed in the first third of the 21st century. In 1883, legendary architect Antoni Gaudí took over the project and decided to adopt a unique and monumental style. He worked on the basilica until his sudden death, in 1926. He is buried in the crypt of the basilica.

14. Thikse Monastery; Ladakh, India

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Located in the Indus Valley at an altitude of 11,800 feet, Thikse Monastery is a beautiful Tibetan Buddhist Monastery founded in the mid-15th century.

15. Shwedagon Pagoda; Yangon, Myanmar

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The Golden Pagoda is Myanmar's most sacred Buddhist pagoda. The date of its construction is debated: Archaeologists say the Mon people built the pagoda some time between the 6th and 10th centuries CE, while legend says it has been around for more than 2,600 years.

16. Las Lajas Sanctuary; Nariño, Colombia

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According to the story, in the 18th Century, an Amerindian woman and her mute and deaf daughter took shelter from a storm in the gorge where the cathedral is now located. There, the Virgin Mary appeared to them and the daughter was suddenly able to hear and speak for the first time. News of the miracle spread quickly and Las Lajas became a place of pilgrimage. The current cathedral was completed in 1949.

17. New Synagogue; Szeged, Hungary

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The Szeged Synagogue, the fourth largest synagogue in the world, was built in 1907. The most breathtaking aspect of the building is its dome, which was designed to symbolize the world.

18. Jama Masjid; Delhi, India

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The biggest mosque in India was inaugurated in 1656. The construction was commissioned by Shah Jahan, the same emperor who built the Taj Mahal.

19. Crater Lake; Oregon

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Crater Lake was considered a sacred place by the Klamath people as well as other Native peoples from the area. According to the Oregon History Project, "while the establishment of a national park has interfered somewhat with both spiritual and subsistence activities, Crater Lake still holds a great deal of religious significance for the Klamath, who continue to use the area for religious and subsistence purposes."

20. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

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The spectacular mosque opened in 2007, after 11 years of work.

21. The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

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The Dome of the Rock is a shrine built in the late 7th century on the site where Muhammad is believed to have ascended to heaven.

22. The Western Wall, Jerusalem

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The Western Wall is the only structure left of the the Second Temple of Jerusalem after it was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. It is a sacred place of prayer and pilgrimage in Judaism.

23. Fushimi-Inari-Taisha; Kyoto, Japan

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Located in Kyoto, Fushimi-Inari-Taisha is the shrine of Inari, the kami of foxes, rice, and businesses, among many things. The shrine is very famous for its vermillion torii (the traditional gates).

24. Uluru; Australia

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The world famous monolith is sacred to the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people.

25. Mount Kailash, Tibet

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Located in Tibet, Mount Kailash is a major Himalayan peak. It is also considered sacred by four different religions (Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Bön) and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year.

26. Glastonbury Tor; Somerset, England

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Mentioned in Celtic mythology, the Tor is described on its website as being "home to Gwyn ap Nudd, King of the Fairies. In the human realm it is managed by The National Trust."

27. Synagogue Salat Al Azama (Marrakech)

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This beautiful synagogue was built in 1492 in Marrakech by Jews who had to leave Spain after the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition and the fall of Grenada.

28. Sultan Ahmed Mosque; Istanbul, Turkey

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Istanbul's breathtaking Blue Mosque was built in the 17th century and remains one of the most beautiful mosques in the world.

29. The Sainte Chapelle; Paris, France

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The Sainte Chapelle was built in the 13th century to house Saint Louis' collection of Passion Relics. The chapel lost its relics during the French Revolution, but the building retained its spectacular stained glass.

30. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

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In addition to being a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture and one of the two biggest churches in the world, St. Peter's Basilica is also believed to be the burial site of Saint Peter, one of Jesus's apostles and the Church's first pope.

31. The Batu Caves, Malaysia

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The caves are one of the most important places of worship for Hindus outside India. The climb to reach them is a bit intense but also completely worth it.

32. The Churches of Göreme, Turkey

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The exceptional troglodyte churches of Göreme are located in the out-of-this-world landscape of Cappadocia. Most of them date back to the 10th and 11th centuries.

33. Mount Sinai, Egypt

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In the Jewish tradition, Mount Sinai is where God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. The site is thus sacred in the Jewish but also Islamic and Christian traditions.

34. Basilica of San Vitale; Ravenna, italy

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Consecrated in 547, the church is one of the most remarkable early Christian monuments of Ravenna, an Italian city on the Adriatic coast. The church is famous for its rich and intricate mosaic art.

35. Church of Saint George; Lalibela, Ethiopia

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Saint George is one of Lalibela's famous monolithic churches. The city, which churches date back to the 13th century, is a site of pilgrimage for members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

36. Taktsang Palphug Monastery, Bhutan

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Taktsang Palphug Monastery is a sacred Buddhist site in the Himalaya, often regarded as the holiest site in Bhutan. The temple, which was built in 1692, is located at an altitude of 3,000 feet.

37. Saint John The Divine, New York

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Saint John the Divine is one of the biggest cathedrals in the world. While its construction started in 1892, the spectacular building is still unfinished.

38. The Cathedral of Vasily the Blessed; Moscow, Russia

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Probably Moscow's most famous landmark, St. Basil's Cathedral was consecrated in 1561. Its construction was commissioned by Ivan the Terrible. The basilica is considered by the Unesco as "one of the most beautiful monuments of Orthodox art."

39. Eldridge Street Synagogue; New York City

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Located in New York City, in the Lower East Side, the Eldridge Street Synagogue opened its doors in 1887. It was the first synagogue built from the ground up by Ashkenazi Jews in the United States.

40. Holy Sepulchre; Jerusalem

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The site of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is believed to the be the place where Jesus was crucified and later buried. The first church on the site was built by Roman emperor Constantine I, but the building as we see it today is mostly the result of a later construction that was consecrated in 1149.

41. Süleymaniye Mosque; Istanbul, Turkey

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Built in the mid-16th century, this mosque was commissioned by Süleyman I the Magnificent.

42. The Mosque–Cathedral of Cordoba; Cordoba, Spain

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The monument's exceptional mix of Moorish and Renaissance architectures is a testimony of the rich religious history of Cordoba. The Grand Mosque of Cordoba was built in the 8th century and represented a bold and unique architectural achievement. The mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral in the 13th century, after the Reconquista.

The world is full of amazing sacred places and this is in no way a definitive list, so let us know in the comments which religious and spiritual places are worth a visit!