The Most Beautiful Religious Sites in the World

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Places of worship are some of the grandest buildings, pieces of architecture or pieces of nature ever created. Located all over the world, these places are not just sites to worship, but sites to see for their majestic beauty and striking features. Many places of worship draw enormous crowds that awe in the beauty of such masterpieces.

These beautiful places span continents, timelines and religions. They are all uniquely different but are vital to their respective religions, weather it hold a sacred text or be a burial site for a beloved leader. These religious sites have so much culture and are great learning tools. Through visiting these places we are giving ourselves knowledge about other people in the world, which helps us to have a more open and inclusive mindset.

From the Hindu Batu Caves to the Bahá’í Gardens, here are some of the most beautiful religious sites in the world.

Lotus Temple, India

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The Lotus Temple, located in Delhi, India, is a Bahai House of Worship that was dedicated in December 1986, having been completed for a total cost $10 million. It serves as the Mother Temple of India. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Bahai Houses of Worship, the Lotus Temple is open to all, regardless of religion or any other qualification. The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides, with nine doors opening onto a central hall with height of slightly over 40 meters and a capacity of 2,500 people. The Lotus Temple has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

Crater Lake, Oregon

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Crater Lake is located in the south-central part of Oregon in the western United States. The lake partly fills a nearly 2,148-foot deep caldera that was formed around 7,700 years ago by the collapse of the volcano Mount Mazama. The Klamath tribe of Native Americans, whose ancestors may have witnessed the formation of the lake, have long regarded the lake as a sacred site. Their legends tell of a battle between the sky god Skell and the god of the underworld Llao. Mount Mazama was destroyed in the battle, creating Crater Lake. The Klamath people used Crater Lake in vision quests, which often involved climbing the caldera walls and other dangerous tasks. Those who were successful in such quests were often regarded as having more spiritual powers.

The Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem

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The Dome of the Rock is an Islamic shrine located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was initially completed in 691 CE and at its core one of the oldest works of Islamic architecture. Its architecture and mosaics were patterned after nearby Byzantine churches and palaces, although its outside appearance has been significantly changed, notably with the addition of the gold-plated roof. The site's great significance for Muslims derives from traditions connecting it to the creation of the world and to the belief that the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey to heaven started from the rock at the center of the structure. The rock also bears great significance for Jews as the site of Abraham's attempted sacrifice of his son.

St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City

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The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, or simply St. Peter's Basilica, is an Italian Renaissance church in Vatican City, the territory within the city of Rome. Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world. It is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines, and tradition holds that the Basillica is the burian site of Saint Peter, one of Jesus’ Apostles. St. Peter's is one of the four churches in the world that hold the rank of Major Basilica, all four of which are in Rome.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

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Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world, on a site measuring 402 acres. It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple of god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire, gradually transforming into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), India

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Sri Harmandir Sahib, informally referred to as the Golden Temple, is the holiest Gurdwara of Sikhism, located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. Amritsar was founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das. The fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, designed the Golden Temple to be built in the center of this holy city. Upon its construction he installed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, inside Golden Temple. The construction of Harmandir Sahib was intended to build a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to worship God equally. The four entrances (representing the four directions) to get into the Harmandir Sahib also symbolize the openness of the Sikhs towards all people and religions. Over 100,000 people visit the holy shrine daily for worship, and also partake jointly in the free community kitchen and meal (Langar) regardless of any distinctions, a tradition that is a hallmark of all Sikh Gurdwaras.

The Bahá’í Gardens, Israel

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The Bahai Gardens reach close to a kilometer in length, comprised of 19 terraces of flowers, waterworks and small sculptures. The Bahai Gardens contains nine concentric circles each filled with flowers, small trees, small sculptures, water fountains and pools. Many of the gardeners in the Bahai Gardens are actually Bahais on a unique worker’s visa, serving their faith working the land. The Bahai World Centre in Haifa, part of the Bahai Gardens but off-limits to tourists, is where the faith’s international collective body makes its decisions, in the hands of nine elected leaders. The Bahai faith is a relatively new one, started under 200 years ago by a Persian of the name Siyyid Ali Muhammad Shirazi who revealed himself as the prophet Bab (meaning “gate” in Arabic) who sought out to spread his beliefs.

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