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Places of Worship
These sacred spaces span cultures, continents, and time. Some have led many lives, meaning different things to different people at various times. Many are old. Some are brand new. All of them serve as a space to acknowledge a higher power.
Duncan, British Columbia, Canada
Stone Butter Church
What do cannonballs, a priest with a penchant for butter churning, and a headless horseman have in common?
Leipzig, Germany
St. Nicholas Church
This 12th century church played an important role in the reunification of Germany, and once had an extremely famous music director.
Stonington, Connecticut, United States
Enders Island
A look around the island and the services it offers is a testament to the founders' legacy.
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Bangkok, Thailand
Wat Phra Kaew
Hidden within the old temple complex of the Thai royal family lies an object said to hold awesome powers—even protecting an entire country from disease.
San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico
Templo de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción
Want to visit San Cristobal? Just be careful, because many tourists love the city so much they end up living there permanently!
Munich, Germany
Citizens Hall Church
Built in the early 1700s, Citizen's Hall Church is a Jesuit building that doesn't quite appear to be a church from its facade.
Wānaka, New Zealand
Cardrona Hall
Cardrona Hall now serves as a community hall and an occasional church for this tiny town.
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Montreal, Canada
Notre-Dame Basilica
Not only was Notre-Dame the largest place of worship in North America for a half-decade (before New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral), it is perhaps (still) the most impressive church on the continent.
Casablanca, Morocco
Hassan II Mosque
The largest mosque in Morocco was built by King Hassan II in honor of his late father.
Ngong Ping, Hong Kong
Po Lin Monastery
Monastery on the outskirts of Hong Kong, home to one of the largest outdoor Buddhas in the world--111 feet tall, atop a 300-step climb up a mountain.
Porto, Portugal
Igreja do Carmo
Azulejo-adorned Baroque church in Porto is home to a "hidden" next-door neighbor.
Paros, Greece
Kimisis Theotokou
The colorful facade of this Greek church stands out among the traditionally blue and white buildings on the island of Paros.
Bridgetown, Barbados
Nidḥe Israel Synagogue
The British government opened Barbados to many settlers, and so Sephardic Jews from Brazil and Holland sought refuge there from the grips of the Inquisition while they were also drawn to the wealth of the sugar trade.
Val di Funes, South Tyrol, Italy
San Giovanni Church
This church is known for its quiet beauty and remote location, while its patron saint is known for keeping quiet.
Miami, Florida, United States
Ermita de la Caridad
A sanctuary for Cuban refugees whose history includes a little smuggling.
Palermo, Italy
Oratorio del Rosario di Santa Cita
For years, the works of a master artist were known to only those who could enter this important prayer room.
Medina, Saudi Arabia
Dhu al-Hulayfah Mosque
This mosque is believed to be the location where Muhammed prepared for his peaceful pilgrimage to Mecca.
Venice, Italy
Church of San Zaccaria
Nestled on the edge of the famed canal city, this Venetian church attracts visitors with its ornate facade and flooded crypt — but its most interesting story is over a thousand years old, on a night when the church played host to a Pope on the run…
Crestone, Colorado, United States
Crestone Ziggurat
A Ziggurat built millennia after its predecessors, in a town of 141.
Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sulejmanija Mosque
This colorful mosque sits at the heart of the "City of Veziers"
Santa Barbara, California, United States
Old Mission Santa Barbara
Saint Barbara is the patron saint of those who face danger and architects, which is a good thing for the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, California which has been under the control of three countries and has experienced several devastating earthquakes.
Goa, India
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church
This old Portugese-style Church holds clues into Goa's colonial history--and its a movie star!
Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Baiturrahman Grand Mosque
Completed in 1881, this mosque served as refuge during the 2004 earthquake and tsunami.
Praia da Vitória, Azores, Portugal
The Império da Caridade
In order to stave off disaster, many believers on Terceira Island in the Azores go on elaborate processions just as their ancestors did eight centuries ago.
Holmdel, New Jersey, United States
Church of St. Catharine
Don’t let this church’s size fool you — its halls may be small, but the tale of its determined beginnings and its miraculous revival is a grand one.
Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, United States
Dog Chapel
All dogs go to heaven--but we get a Dog Chapel.
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Starnberg, Germany
Kapelle St. Peter
This perfectly picturesque chapel was once the place to go to cure any number of diseases.
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Linh Son Temple
A place of worship and gathering space this spot brings peace to a community fleeing war.