iixii_THE WORLD'S MOST RELIGIOUS CITIES_iixii

 MECCA , Saudi Arabia

Mecca (Makkah) in western Saudi Arabia is Islam's holiest city.  Mecca (Makkah) is the birthplace of Mohammad and the place he returned to after his exile to Medina. Five times a day more than one billion Muslims around the world turn towards it to pray to Allah.

 As a result, it is the holiest city in Islam. Every year, millions of Muslims make a religious pilgrimage to Mecca on the eighth through thirteenth days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Muslim year.  This journey, called the Hajj, is one of the Five Pillars of Islam.  All Muslims are expected to make this journey at least once in their lifetime if they are physically and financially able.  Participants in the Hajj join an enormous crowd; plans must be made many months - even years - in advance before participating in the Hajj..  

Lhasa , Tibet

Lhasa literally translates to “place of the gods.” The city was the home of the Dalai Lamas, political leaders of Tibet and religious leaders of Tibetan Buddhism, from the 1600’s until the Chinese invaded and the 14th Dalai Lama fled into exile in 1959. Today you’ll find the Tibetans a minority of the population compared to the Chinese.Lhasa has many sites that are of historical significance including Jokhang Temple, Norbulingka and the Potala Palace, which are all UNESCO World Heritage Sites; and Sera and Drepung Monasteries, and Zhefeng Temple.Over one million people go to Tibet each year. You’ll often see the devout pilgrims in Lhasa kneeling or lying prone with their foreheads on the ground. These pilgrims will be trying to gain spiritual merit by following one of the three concentric pathways that go inside or around Johkhang Temple.                                                           

Varanasi, India

Varanasi City or Benaras is India’s cultural capital, which has been the major pilgrimage destination for Hindus since ages. It is world’s oldest living city and its origins are still not well known. Devotees strongly believe that Ganges River in Varanasi City has the ability to take away the wrongdoings of humankind.

History of Varanasi Varanasi is featuring as an imperative secular centerpiece and focal point of education all the way through history, Varanasi has a long and mesmerizing past. Said to be the just the once domicile of the God Shiva, the city is an imperative pilgrimage centre for Hindus, evidenced by the hundreds of temples and the bring up of the city in the prehistoric Hindu epics Mahabharata and Ramayana.     

Vatican, City                                                  

Tucked in the center of Rome, Italy, this small country is only 110 acres and has a population of just 900 people, but as far as being a religious location, it is huge. It is home to the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church and the residence of all Popes since 1377.Once upon a time (37-41 AD), the area was the site of the Circus of Nero, and the tall obelisk you see standing outside of St. Peter’s Basilica is a remnant from those days. Legend has it that it was in this circus that Saint Peter was crucified upside down. Many other Christians were also martyred here. Up until the 4th century, when the Basilica was constructed, the area was a prominent place for funeral monuments, mausoleums and altars of pagan gods.At one time the church ruled a large portion of the Italian peninsula, but in the mid-19th century the Papal States were seized by the new kingdom of Italy.  A bit of unrest ensued between Italy and the church, but finally in the 1900’s Mussolini signed a treaty between Italy and the Holy See allowing Vatican City to exist in the way you see today.There is a lot to see in Vatican City, including St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Library, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum, which house incredible works of art by Michelangelo, Bernini, Botticelli and Raphael.

 .Haifa, Israel
Haifa (Hebrew Hefa) is a city in northwest Israel overlooking a bay on the Mediterranean Sea. It has been compared by some to the similarly-situated cities of San Francisco or Naples. A ferry service runs between Haifa and Athens. Israel's third largest city, Haifa is a major industrial center and has a population of almost 300,000. According to a popular Israeli saying, "Tel Aviv plays while Jerusalem prays. But Haifa works!" Like most of Israel, Haifa has been populated since ancient times. Elijah is the city's most famous early inhabitant; here he meditated in a cave before defeating the priests of Baal. In April 22, 1948, the Arabs of Haifa surrendered to Israeli forces and the town remains under Israeli rule today. Most of Haifa's Arab inhabitants left after this, but the town still retains a cosmopolitan mixture of Muslim Arabs, Christian Arabs, and Baha'is. Haifa has several important religious sites and attracts many pilgrims and tourists alike each year

Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the state capital and largest city in Utah. Founded in 1847 by religious leader Brigham Young, the city is the world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). From its early days as a mining and railroad town, Salt Lake City has emerged as the commercial and cultural hub for a large area of the western mountain region. The city recently played host to the 2002 Winter Olympics. The nearby mountains, historical and religious landmarks, and the uniqueness of the Great Salt Lake also make the city a prominent tourist attraction.

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