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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.
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.
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.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Starnberg, Germany
Kapelle St. Peter
This perfectly picturesque chapel was once the place to go to cure any number of diseases.
From the Community
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Linh Son Temple
A place of worship and gathering space this spot brings peace to a community fleeing war.
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Angoulême, France
Angoulême Cathedral
This Cathedral has spiritual roots in pre-Christian France, both in location and architecture.
AWA visted here
Presented with
Athens, Greece
Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens
Athens' largest church began construction on Christmas Day in 1842.
Medan City, Indonesia
Al Mashun Grand Mosque
This beautifully designed mosque is located in the heart of one of the world's largest coffee producing regions.
From the Community
Presented with
Tokyo, Japan
Asagaya Shinmeigu Shrine
Next to one of Tokyo's bustling train stations, this ancient Shinto shrine offers an oasis of tranquility.
Kilternan, Ireland
Our Lady of the Wayside Church
This small Irish church has hosted more than 2,000 weddings.
Morelos, Mexico
Cuautla Church
A Roman Catholic sanctuary where masses are celebrated daily in the neighborhood of “Emiliano Zapata
Herat, Afghanistan
Great Mosque of Herat
Both mosque and nation make evident Afghans’ resilience and determination to overcome challenges and rise again.
Bay of Kotor, Montenegro
Our Lady of the Rocks
Perast’s most famous landmark is this artificial islet, with a curious history, surrounded as much by legend as it is by water.
Najaf, Iraq
Najm Al-imam Religious School
Najaf is being transformed and rebuilt, as evidenced by institutions like Najm al-Imam.
Budapest, Hungary
Matthias Church
The church’s present facade, topped by this one-of-a-kind glazed quilt, blends multiple traditions into a graceful whole.
AWA visted here
King George Island, Antarctica
Holy Trinity Church
Holy Trinity Church was built to accommodate those searching for a more traditional engagement with a higher power.
Vestland, Norway
Undredal Stave Church
Famed for being the smallest stave church still in use in all of Scandinavia, it is just the right size for the village’s inhabitants of around 100 people and 500 goats.
Tallinn, Estonia
Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
This church reaches new heights of aesthetically alluring detail being Tallinn’s largest orthodox cupola cathedral.
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Christ Anglican Church
This lovely 19th-century church was built thanks to a land grant from a militia veteran of the War of 1812.
Lincoln, United Kingdom
Lincoln Cathedral
This cathedral was once the tallest building in the world -- surpassing the Pyramids of Giza.
Milan, Italy
Castello Sforzesco
Leonardo frescoed the walls. Napoleon tore down the fortifications. Michelangelo's last sculpture now rests inside.
AWA visted here
Milan, Italy
Church of St. Maurice in Major Monastery
A beheading fresco allegedly depicts the Countess of Challant, who was executed in 1526 for orchestrating her lover's murder.
AWA visted here
Hofsós, Iceland
Grafarkirkja
Iceland's oldest turf church bears the carvings of a renowned 17th century woodworker.
Grantsville, Maryland, United States
The Village Church
After 90 years in service, this Church was relocated to an artisan's village to continue its vocation.
Awhitu, New Zealand
Kohekohe Church
Built by a Waiuku native, this Presbyterian church was used for prayer services and Temperance meetings until it was decommissioned in 1976.
Selvogur, Iceland
Strandarkirkja
This seaside Icelandic church has mystical beginnings - and a divine legacy.
Faro, Portugal
Igreja do Carmo
It has been said this church was built at a time during Portuguese history where money flowed freely from the colonies and the church was paid for in Brazilian gold, paving way for an interior of gilded altars.