Places of Worship Archives

Stonington, Connecticut, United States

Enders Island

A look around the island and the services it offers is a testament to the founders' legacy.

AWA visted here

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

From silent processions to burning effigies of infamous figures, the Catedral de San Cristóbal stands at the heart of it all, igniting the spirit of community.

From the Community

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.

From the Community

Wānaka, New Zealand

Cardrona Hall

Cardrona Hall now serves as a community hall and an occasional church for this tiny town.

From the Community

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.

From the Community

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

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.

From the Community

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.

From the Community

Glaumbær, Iceland

Glaumbær Farm & Museum

If you can't build from the land, live within it instead.

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.

From the Community

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.

From the Community

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.