Home›Sacred Sites›Practice Status›In active religious useBrowse ByIn active religious useThis page groups sacred sites by whether their sacred status is still actively maintained. Wikipedia notes that Mircea Eliade "argues that while the concept of a sacred space is often associated with religious traditions, it is not exclusive to them," since secular societies can keep treating a place as significant too. Browsing this way lets a visitor tell a site with living religious observance apart from one preserved mainly for its history.FactsLearn MoreIn active religious useConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0)FactsOverviewWhat Defines This GroupingWell-attestedPlaces a tradition itself treats as holy, or as a centre of practice, grouped by the tradition that holds them so. The grounds recorded are the grounds the tradition gives - a theophany held to have happened there, the presence of relics, a landscape feature read as a sign, or long ritual use - and a place sacred to several traditions is recorded under each claim, not assigned to one owner. 1StatusStanding as a Comparative CategoryWell-attestedStandard. Sacred space is a standard analytic category in the study of religion. What is disputed is the explanation of it: whether holiness inheres in a place that discloses itself, or is conferred on a place by ritual and by human choice of where to act. The atlas records the grounds each tradition itself gives and does not settle that question. 1Learn MorePlaces Treated as Holy This category gathers the places traditions hold sacred or treat as centres of practice: temples, mountains, rivers, caves, oracles, stone circles and pilgrimage destinations. Each entry gives a location and the tradition or traditions for which the place is holy, and describes what is done there and why it is revered. Sacredness is attached to places for many reasons (a theophany or miracle held to have occurred there, the presence of relics or a shrine, a striking feature of the landscape read as a sign, or long use as a site of ritual), and the entries record the grounds a tradition itself gives.Layered and Contested Holiness Many of the most important sites have been sacred to more than one tradition in succession or at once, and their history is one of reuse, sharing and sometimes conflict. A temple may stand where an older shrine stood; a single city or mountain may be holy to several religions with competing claims. The atlas records this layered history rather than assigning a place to one owner, and notes contested sites soberly. The sites group by tradition (Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Indigenous and many more), so a browser can narrow from all sacred places to those of one culture.In active religious useFilter Results274 entriesPilgrimage StatusAllMajor pilgrimage destination today (89)Obligatory pilgrimage for the faithful (3)One of a named, enumerated set of pilgrimage places (41)Pilgrimage attested historically; not continuing (5)Pilgrimage gathered on a dated festival (28)UNESCO World Heritage StatusAllInscribed on the World Heritage List (88)Inscribed on the World Heritage List and on the List in Danger (8)Not Inscribed (137)On a National Tentative List (19)Cult Centre OfAllAmaterasu (1)Amun (1)Ayyappan (1)Ganesha (1)Inari (1)Jagannath (1)Kali (1)Krishna (3)Parvati (1)Rama (1)Sati (1)Shakyamuni Buddha (4)Shiva (6)Venkateshwara (1)Vishnu (2)Associated WithAllAvalokiteshvara (1)Ayyappan (1)Baal (1)Brahma (2)Chicomecoatl (1)Durga (1)Ilamatecuhtli (1)Inti (1)Krishna (1)Manjushri (1)Min Mahagiri (1)Obatala (1)Oduduwa (1)Orunmila (1)Oshun (1)Parvati (1)Quetzalcōātl (1)Reve (1)Samantabhadra (1)Shakti (1)Shakyamuni Buddha (4)Shiva (4)Viracocha (1)Vishnu (2)Yemoja (1)Originated InAllArabia (5)Bihar (1)Brazil (1)British Isles (6)British Isles and Gaul (6)Central Asia (3)China (26)East Asia (5)Eastern Europe (5)Egypt (4)England (1)Ethiopia (4)Germany (1)Greece (3)Himalayas (1)Iberia (6)Iberia and Southern France (6)India (52)Indian Subcontinent (46)Italy (7)Japan (13)Maharashtra (2)Mesoamerica (1)Mesopotamia (4)Mexico (1)North Africa (3)North America (22)Oceania and Australia (4)Persia (4)Punjab (1)Salt Lake Valley (1)Southeast Asia (9)Tamil Nadu (2)The Andes (2)The Caribbean (8)The Levant (20)Tibet (2)Turkey (4)United States (32)Uttar Pradesh (2)Uttarakhand (2)Vietnam (1)West Africa (9)West Africa and the Caribbean (8)Western Europe (10)Holds ElementAllAir (1)Earth (1)Fire (1)Water (3)Wood (1)Origin Period Start YearAll-3100 (1)1400 BCE (1)-800 (3)-531 (1)-450 (1)-288 (1)-20 (1)-4 (1)100 (3)142 (1)325 (1)327 (1)330 (1)400 (2)439 (1)441 (1)470 (1)495 (1)500 (1)502 (1)530 (1)537 (1)548 (1)563 (1)593 (1)597 (1)622 (2)635 (1)640 (1)652 (1)659 (1)700 (1)706 (1)708 (1)711 (1)745 (1)780 (1)816 (1)850 (2)868 (1)900 (1)934 (1)942 (1)946 (1)970 (1)976 (1)981 (1)995 (1)996 (1)1000 (2)1010 (1)1031 (1)1044 (1)1051 (1)1061 (1)1088 (1)1089 (1)1100 (2)1101 (1)1108 (1)1113 (1)1119 (1)1130 (1)1135 (1)1148 (1)1151 (1)1159 (1)1163 (1)1181 (1)1194 (1)1200 (1)1201 (1)1228 (1)1231 (1)1235 (1)1262 (1)1270 (1)1325 (1)1327 (1)1337 (1)1382 (1)1389 (2)1400 (2)1403 (1)1405 (1)1412 (1)1447 (1)1469 (1)1491 (1)1500 (2)1517 (1)1522 (1)1531 (1)1550 (1)1563 (1)1568 (1)1588 (1)1600 (2)1606 (1)1609 (1)1625 (1)1665 (1)1675 (1)1692 (1)1696 (1)1698 (1)1699 (1)1705 (1)1708 (1)1722 (1)1763 (1)1780 (1)1782 (1)1801 (1)1804 (1)1809 (1)1810 (1)1816 (1)1830 (1)1839 (1)1853 (1)1858 (1)1869 (1)1877 (2)1893 (1)1894 (1)1910 (1)1911 (1)1917 (1)1920 (1)1923 (1)1926 (1)1930 (1)1931 (1)1954 (2)1956 (1)1959 (1)1964 (1)1970 (1)1978 (1)1986 (1)2002 (1)Site TypeAllApparition or vision site (5)Cave sanctuary (natural) (4)Ceremonial centre or precinct (1)Church, cathedral or chapel (45)Fire temple (2)Gurdwara (11)Megalithic monument (2)Monastery or monastic community (38)Monumental sacred image (1)Mosque (17)Necropolis, cemetery or burial ground (5)Palace with a sanctuary (2)Pyramid or stepped platform (1)Religious settlement or planned community (7)Ritual house or compound (3)Rock-cut or underground sanctuary (2)Sacred city or quarter (9)Sacred grove or forest (5)Sacred landscape or country (12)Sacred mountain, hill or peak (41)Sacred river, lake, spring or sea (11)Sacred rock formation or outcrop (6)Sanctuary or oracle complex (2)Shrine (20)Stupa or pagoda (9)Synagogue (5)Temple or temple complex (47)Tomb or grave of a holy figure (24)TraditionAllAncient Egyptian Religion (1)Australian Aboriginal Religion (3)Aztec Religion (1)Bahá’í Faith (3)Bon (2)Buddhism (37)Candomblé (1)Cao Đài (1)Chinese Folk Religion (4)Christianity (51)Confucianism (2)Diné (Navajo) Religion (2)Dogon Religion (1)Druidry (1)Haitian Vodou (2)Hinduism (38)Inca Religion (2)Islam (38)Jainism (7)Judaism (18)Lakota Religion (3)Latter Day Saint Movement (4)Mijikenda Religion (1)Native American Religion (1)Native Hawaiian Religion (1)New Age (1)Polynesian Religion (1)Rastafari (1)Roman Religion (1)Samaritanism (1)Santería (Lucumí) (2)Satsana Phi (Lao Spirit Belief) (1)Shinto (10)Shona Traditional Religion (1)Sikhism (11)Spiritualism (2)Taoism (9)Taos Pueblo Religion (1)Vodun (West African) (2)Western Apache Religion (1)Yorùbá Religion (Ifá) (3)Zoroastrianism (3)CountryAllAfghanistan (1)Australia (3)Belgium (1)Benin (2)Brazil (1)Bulgaria (1)Cambodia (2)China (26)Cuba (2)Czech Republic (1)Egypt (4)Ethiopia (4)France (6)Germany (3)Greece (3)Haiti (2)India (51)India (originally Tibet) (1)Indonesia (2)Iran (4)Iraq (4)Ireland (2)Israel (13)Italy (5)Japan (13)Jordan (1)Kazakhstan (1)Kenya (1)Laos (1)Mali (3)Mexico (2)Myanmar (3)Nepal (4)Netherlands (1)Nigeria (2)Pakistan (4)Palestine (4)Palestinian Territories (West Bank) (1)Peru (1)Peru and Bolivia (1)Poland (1)Portugal (1)Russia (1)Saudi Arabia (7)Spain (4)Sri Lanka (3)Syria (1)Thailand (2)Tunisia (3)Turkey (3)Turkiye (1)Ukraine (2)United Kingdom (7)United States (32)Uzbekistan (3)Vatican City (1)Vietnam (1)Zimbabwe (1)Sacred ToAllBahá’í Faith (1)Buddhism (2)Christianity (1)Hinduism (6)Judaism (1)Latter Day Saint Movement (4)Shinto (1)Sikhism (1)Show ResultsBrowseCompareSelect all 274Abuna Yemata GuhIn active religious useAdam Peak (Sri Pada)In active religious useAjmer SharifIn active religious useAl-AzharIn active religious useAmarnath CaveIn active religious useAnandpur SahibIn active religious useAngelus TempleIn active religious useAngkor ThomIn active religious useAngkor WatIn active religious useAnuradhapura (Sri Maha Bodhi)In active religious useAtsuta Shrine (Atsuta Jingu)In active religious useAyodhyaIn active religious useBadrinathIn active religious useBaganIn active religious useBahauddin Naqshband Shrine ComplexIn active religious useBandiagaraIn active religious useBasilica di Santa Croce in GerusalemmeIn active religious useBasilica of Our Lady of Charity, El CobreIn active religious useBasilica of Saint-Denys, ArgenteuilIn active religious useBears EarsIn active religious useBighorn Medicine WheelIn active religious useBlue Lake, Taos PuebloIn active religious useBodh GayaIn active religious useBorobudurIn active religious useBoudhanathIn active religious useBrihadishvara TempleIn active religious useCanterbury CathedralIn active religious useCassadagaIn active religious useCathedral of Our Lady of the AngelsIn active religious useCathedral of San Salvador, OviedoIn active religious useChak ChakIn active religious useChartres CathedralIn active religious useChi'chil Bildagoteel (Oak Flat)In active religious useChurch of Our Lady Mary of ZionIn active religious useCroagh PatrickIn active religious useCusco and the QorikanchaIn active religious useData DarbarIn active religious useDexter Avenue Baptist ChurchIn active religious useDilwara TemplesIn active religious useDook'o'oosliid (The San Francisco Peaks)In active religious useDurham CathedralIn active religious useDwarkadhish Temple, DwarkaIn active religious useEbenezer Baptist ChurchIn active religious useEinsiedeln AbbeyIn active religious useEmanuel African Methodist Episcopal ChurchIn active religious useErawan ShrineIn active religious useFamen Temple (Famensi)In active religious useFátimaIn active religious useFushimi Inari TaishaIn active religious useGangotriIn active religious useGethsemaneIn active religious useGirnarIn active religious useGovardhan HillIn active religious useGreat Divine Temple (Tay Ninh Holy See)In active religious useGreat Mosque of DjenneIn active religious useGreat Wild Goose PagodaIn active religious useGurdwara Darbar Sahib KartarpurIn active religious useGurdwara Tuti Gandi Sahib, MuktsarIn active religious useGur-e AmirIn active religious useGuruvayurIn active religious useHagia SophiaIn active religious useHarar JugolIn active religious useHarmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple)In active religious useHaw Pha Bang (Royal Temple, Luang Prabang)In active religious useHe Sapa (The Black Hills)In active religious useHemkund SahibIn active religious useHerrnhutIn active religious useHill CumorahIn active religious useHoly Trinity-St Sergius LavraIn active religious useHsi Lai TempleIn active religious useIle-IfeIn active religious useIonaIn active religious useIse Grand ShrineIn active religious useIslamic Center of WashingtonIn active religious useItsukushima ShrineIn active religious useIzumo TaishaIn active religious useJagannath Temple, PuriIn active religious useJasna GóraIn active religious useJokhangIn active religious useKadhimiyaIn active religious useKalighat Kali TempleIn active religious useKamakhyaIn active religious useKashi Vishwanath TempleIn active religious useKata TjutaIn active religious useKedarnathIn active religious useKhoja Ahmed Yasawi MausoleumIn active religious useKildareIn active religious useKoyasanIn active religious useKumano Sanzan and the Kumano KodoIn active religious useKurukshetraIn active religious useKushinagarIn active religious useKyaiktiyo PagodaIn active religious useKyiv Pechersk LavraIn active religious useLake TiticacaIn active religious useLakewood ChurchIn active religious useLily DaleIn active religious useLindisfarneIn active religious useLingguang Temple (Badachu)In active religious useLoccum AbbeyIn active religious useLoma LindaIn active religious useLotus TempleIn active religious useLourdesIn active religious useLumbiniIn active religious useLuxor TempleIn active religious useMahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga TempleIn active religious useMar SabaIn active religious useMasjid al-Haram and the KaabaIn active religious useMathuraIn active religious useMato Paha (Bear Butte)In active religious useMato Tipila (Devils Tower)In active religious useMauna KeaIn active religious useMedinaIn active religious useMeenakshi Amman TempleIn active religious useMeiji ShrineIn active religious useMelk AbbeyIn active religious useMenri MonasteryIn active religious useMeronIn active religious useMeteoraIn active religious useMinaIn active religious useMont Saint-MichelIn active religious useMonte CassinoIn active religious useMount AthosIn active religious useMount CarmelIn active religious useMount EmeiIn active religious useMount FujiIn active religious useMount GerizimIn active religious useMount Heng (Beiyue)In active religious useMount Heng (Nanyue)In active religious useMount Hiei (Enryaku-ji)In active religious useMount HiraIn active religious useMount HorIn active religious useMount HuaIn active religious useMount JiuhuaIn active religious useMount KailashIn active religious useMount KuramaIn active religious useMount LonghuIn active religious useMount NeboIn active religious useMount Nyangani and the Nyanga TerracesIn active religious useMount of OlivesIn active religious useMount PutuoIn active religious useMount SinaiIn active religious useMount SongIn active religious useMount TaborIn active religious useMount TaiIn active religious useMount WutaiIn active religious useMount ZionIn active religious useNanhua Temple (Baolin Temple)In active religious useNankana SahibIn active religious useNeuburg AbbeyIn active religious useNiujie MosqueIn active religious useNizamuddin DargahIn active religious useNotre-Dame de ParisIn active religious useOsun-Osogbo Sacred GroveIn active religious useOuidahIn active religious useOur Lady of GuadalupeIn active religious useOyotunji African VillageIn active religious usePalitana and ShatrunjayaIn active religious usePashupatinathIn active religious usePatmosIn active religious usePlaine-du-NordIn active religious usePoblet MonasteryIn active religious usePortuguese SynagogueIn active religious usePrambananIn active religious useQingcheng ShanIn active religious useQuba MosqueIn active religious useRachel's TombIn active religious useRamanathaswamy Temple, RameswaramIn active religious useRanakpurIn active religious useRanganathaswamy Temple, SrirangamIn active religious useRegla and the Sanctuary of the VirginIn active religious useReims CathedralIn active religious useRila MonasteryIn active religious useSabarimalaIn active religious useSafedIn active religious useSaint Bavo's Cathedral, GhentIn active religious useSaint Catherine's MonasteryIn active religious useSaint Peter's Basilica and the Vatican NecropolisIn active religious useSalt Lake TempleIn active religious useSammed ShikharjiIn active religious useSantiago de CompostelaIn active religious useSarnathIn active religious useSaut-d'EauIn active religious useScheyern AbbeyIn active religious useSea of GalileeIn active religious useSedonaIn active religious useSenanque AbbeyIn active religious useShah-i-ZindaIn active religious useShaolinIn active religious useShashamaneIn active religious useShravanabelagolaIn active religious useShri Sai Baba Temple, ShirdiIn active religious useShrine of Hazrat AliIn active religious useShrine of Lal Shahbaz QalandarIn active religious useShwedagon PagodaIn active religious useSiddhivinayak Temple, MumbaiIn active religious useSixteenth Street Baptist ChurchIn active religious useSomnath TempleIn active religious useSt. Sixtus' AbbeyIn active religious useStonehengeIn active religious useTakht Sri Damdama SahibIn active religious useTakht Sri Hazur SahibIn active religious useTakht Sri Keshgarh SahibIn active religious useTakht Sri Patna SahibIn active religious useTashilhunpo MonasteryIn active religious useTemple of the Tooth (Sri Dalada Maligawa)In active religious useTemple SquareIn active religious useThe Akal TakhtIn active religious useThe al-Askari Shrine, SamarraIn active religious useThe AltneuschulIn active religious useThe Baha'i World CentreIn active religious useThe Basilica of Saint Francis, AssisiIn active religious useThe Cave of the Patriarchs and the Ibrahimi MosqueIn active religious useThe Church of the Holy SepulchreIn active religious useThe Church of the NativityIn active religious useThe Djinguereber Mosque and the Timbuktu ManuscriptsIn active religious useThe Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa MosqueIn active religious useThe Early Christian Monuments of RavennaIn active religious useThe El Ghriba SynagogueIn active religious useThe First Church of Christ, ScientistIn active religious useThe Great Mosque of KairouanIn active religious useThe Great Pyramid of Cholula (Tlachihualtepetl)In active religious useThe Kathmandu ValleyIn active religious useThe Mezquita of CórdobaIn active religious useThe PantheonIn active religious useThe Paradesi SynagogueIn active religious useThe Plain of ArafatIn active religious useThe Prophet's Mosque and Jannat al-BaqiIn active religious useThe Royal Palaces of AbomeyIn active religious useThe Sacred GroveIn active religious useThe Sacred Mijikenda Kaya ForestsIn active religious useThe Shrine of Fatima Masumeh, QomIn active religious useThe Shrine of Imam Ali and the Hawza, NajafIn active religious useThe Shrine of Imam RezaIn active religious useThe Shrine of Sidi Bou SaidIn active religious useThe Shrines of Husayn and al-Abbas, KarbalaIn active religious useThe SonglinesIn active religious useThe Süleymaniye MosqueIn active religious useThe Sultan Ahmed MosqueIn active religious useThe Temple Mount and al-Haram al-SharifIn active religious useThe Terreiros of Salvador da BahiaIn active religious useThe Tomb of RumiIn active religious useThe Umayyad MosqueIn active religious useThe Vishnupad Temple, GayaIn active religious useThe Western WallIn active religious useTirumala Tirupati Venkateswara TempleIn active religious useTodai-jiIn active religious useTouro SynagogueIn active religious useTremont TempleIn active religious useTrier CathedralIn active religious useTrinity Church Wall StreetIn active religious useTriveni Sangam and the Kumbh MelaIn active religious useTsurphu MonasteryIn active religious useTurin CathedralIn active religious useUdvada Atash BehramIn active religious useUluruIn active religious useUmanIn active religious useVaishno DeviIn active religious useValencia CathedralIn active religious useVaranasiIn active religious useVitthal Temple, PandharpurIn active religious useWalsinghamIn active religious useWashington National CathedralIn active religious useWat Phra Kaew and the Emerald BuddhaIn active religious useWat Si MuangIn active religious useWestminster AbbeyIn active religious useWhite Cloud TempleIn active religious useWittenbergIn active religious useWudang MountainsIn active religious useYamunotriIn active religious useYasukuni ShrineIn active religious useYazd Atash BehramIn active religious useYonghegongIn active religious useYuelu AcademyIn active religious useYunmen MonasteryIn active religious useConnectionsShowing the first 400 of 449 connections.Sources1. Encyclopedia of Religiontier 1Mircea Eliade (ed.); Lindsay Jones (ed., 2nd ed.), Macmillan Reference, 2005s.v. Sacred SpaceView the SourceDivinity Atlas Directory Prose, First Edition Category Descriptionstier 1Comments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.