Long relatively inaccessible to tourism, this kingdom of oil, sand, and Islamic history, steeped in culture and tradition, has in recent years been opening up to and even promoting tourism. And it has much to offer, from the bustling cities o
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Notre Dame in Paris, London's St. Paul, St. Peter's in Rome - some of Europe's greatest cathedrals are justly famous and huge tourist draws. But of course Christian Europe offers myriad other cathedrals which are lesser known but a
From June 30 to July 10, visitors to the lovely "Little Edo" city Kawagoe (population a bit over 353,000) just a half hour north of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture, can experience Chinowa Kuguri. This Shinto ritual, held at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shr
Religious art and architecture at their best aim at the transcendental. But there are a few structures out there in the world that can quite compare to Colombia's Catedral de Sal, in the city of Zipaquirá, situated on a plain less than an hour
It’s that time of year again. In Spain, practically every day is the “feast day” of at least one Catholic saint. But the most famous of all is today, the Feast of Santiago (St. James the Greater), a disciple of Jesus Christ whose relics after his
In these times of stress and uncertainty, it is relieving to know that once we can travel again, there are places in the world that offer the healing qualities of reflection, tranquility and mindfulness. Japan is one of those places.
Practicing
At a height of around 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) up in the Himalaya Mountains, the capital of Nepal (pop. 2.5 million) remains an exotic magnet for travelers from all over the world looking to quench their wanderlust, whether they visit independen
Read more…As in Islam, in the Hindu religion there are pilgrimages (yatra) which each of the faithful should complete once in a lifetime to cleanse themselves spiritually and achieve Moksha (salvation). The greatest is the Char Dham Yatra (Four Abodes Pilgr
Read more…“There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.”
― U.S. novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, & cultural critic Wendell Berry
If you’re a "seeker," who travels in part to
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In the Western Hemisphere, the religions brought over by African slaves have been part of the scene for centuries in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and most famously Haiti. But until not many years ago, they were largely condem
The Duomo Is the World's Fifth Largest Christian Church
The city's main icon is outdone by only St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil, Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York, and the cathedral of Sevil
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With the increasing development of Tibet tourism, more and more people choose this exotic land - a once mysterious "Shangri-La" existing in isolation for nearly 14 centuries - as their dream destination. People who've visited the country or have so
The gemlike Church of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is known to Petersburgers as the Church of the Savior on the Spilled Blood - or even just the Church on the Blood - as it marks the spot where Czer Alexander II was fatally wounded in an assass
The two buildings look across the crowded square at each other. Like Istanbul itself, they both divide and join the citizens and their history. Represented within these two great landmarks is the core of the city’s heritage. If the buildings were pe
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Today on the feast day of St. James it's worth noting that the Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James), the famed mediaeval pilgrimage route from Paris down to Galicia's capital Santiago de Compostela, is famous for not just its spirituality but its
The longest day of the year is today upon us again, and summer-solstice festivals and celebrations break out in numerous countries across the globe. Perhaps no observance has a cooler backdrop and context, however, than the one in Europe's most leg
July 25 is the Catholic feast day of St. James, the biggest date along the Camino de Santiago(Way of St. James), Europe’s most famous religious pilgrimage route, whose endpoint is the majestic cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, believed by the fait
Tucked between West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, the state of Odisha (erstwhile Orissa) is dotted with temples and religious sites, where pilgrims flock from around the country. From the sacred Jagannath Temple of Puri to the magnificent Parsvanath
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They seem awfully young, don't they? Details here.
Today, July 25, is the Catholic feast day of St. James, the biggest date along the Camino de Santiago(Way of St. James), Europe’s most famous religious pilgrimage route, whose endpoint is the majestic cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, believed by
