MARRAKESH (Morocco)
The Medina (old Arab quarter) of Marrakesh was founded 1070-72 by the Almoravids, a confederation of Berber tribes whose empire included NW Africa and S Spain (Andalusia). It has a major Mosque, a Kasbah, battlements, monumental doors, and gardens from that period. Later additions--and the stalls of vendors--add to the charm. It is today one of Africa's busiest cities, as well as a site of Sufi pilgrimage.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
SOMAPURA MAHAVIHARA (Paharpur, northwest Bangladesh)
This ruins complex (8th-13th century CE) in NW Bangladesh was one of the five great Buddhist universities in the Indian subcontinent. The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang stayed here; Atisha launched his mission to Tibet from here. Today it is one of the most important archaeological sites in the country.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
MOUNT FUJI (southwest of Tokyo, Japan)
At 12,389.2 feet the highest mountain in Japan (and 7th-highest island peak on earth), this active volcano last erupted 1707-1708. A cultural icon of Japan, it is also a sacred peak which has "inspired artists and poets and been the object of pilgrimage for centuries" (UNESCO). It's climbed by around 300,000 hikers and pilgrims yearly.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
CHARTRES CATHEDRAL (Chartres, France)
This 13th-century cathedral, a high point of French Gothic art, is 50 miles southwest of Paris. Its stained glass windows (their size made possible by the flying buttresses that support the walls) and most of the architecture (the mismatched towers, the three riotously-sculpted great facades) are unchanged. Tourists come for the sights; pilgrims for the relics.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
CHRIST THE REDEEMER (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
This Art Deco statue overlooks the harbor and city of Rio de Janeiro, and is said to be the fourth largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world. It was built 1922-1931 and stands 98 feet high on a 26-foot pedestal atop a 2,300-foot peak; its arms stretch 292 feet wide--nearly one American football field, goal to goal.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
THE AJANTA CAVES (Ajanta, India)
The 30 rock-cut Buddhist Caves in Ajanta, India, date back to the 2nd century BCE. They house paintings and sculptures, ancient monasteries and worship-halls, and served as a monsoon retreat for monks as well as stopovers for merchants and pilgrims. Once covered by jungle, they came to Western attention in 1819 as the result of a tiger-hunting party.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
ITSUKUSHIMA (near Hiroshima, Japan)
Popularly called Miyajima--"Shrine Island"--this small island near Hiroshima, Japan, has one main shrine dedicated to the three Shinto goddesses of seas and storms, and numerous other shrines and Buddhist temples. It is most famous for the "floating torii" or shrine gateway seen on approaching the island.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
EL CAMINO DE SANTIAGO (Compostela, Spain)
One of the "Big Three" Catholic pilgrimages (alongside Jerusalem and Rome), this 500-mile network of paths from the French border in the Pyrenees to the supposed burial place of St. James the Apostle at Compostela has been traveled for over 1,000 years. Today the 200,000+ trekkers annually include not only the religious, but also hikers and cyclists.
(Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons; CTTO)
