This page groups sacred sites by the story that first marks them as holy. Wikipedia notes that "as described in the Bible's Book of Exodus, Moses was instructed to remove his shoes before approaching the burning bush, as the ground was considered holy." Browsing this way lets a visitor see the founding story behind why a given site was set apart in the first place.
Facts
Overview
What Defines This GroupingThe three sanctuaries at the centre of Islamic sacred geography, with congregational and teaching mosques and the shrines of prophets and holy figures. Whether a shrine may be venerated at all is disputed within Islam, and some places here have been damaged by movements that reject it; the atlas records both without settling it. The Jerusalem compound is under contested control. 2 Size of the Traditional SetThree: the sanctuaries toward which travel is enjoined in the hadith of the three mosques - the Sacred Mosque at Mecca, the Prophet's Mosque at Medina and the al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem. 2 Learn More
The Holy Places of Islam
This group holds the sacred sites of Islam. Its sacred geography is anchored by the three holiest places, the Sacred Mosque at Mecca with the Kaaba, toward which Muslims pray and to which they make the Hajj; the Prophet's Mosque at Medina; and the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, and extends to the great mosques and the shrines of prophets and holy figures.
The browser will find these central sanctuaries alongside other mosques and revered sites. The entries describe each place's religious significance and history, noting where veneration differs between Sunni and Shia traditions.
Originated In
Sources
1. Divinity Atlas Directory Taxonomy, First Edition Category Tree
2. The Hajj: The Muslim Pilgrimage to Mecca and the Holy Places
Divinity Atlas Directory Prose, First Edition Category Descriptions
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