Ancient Religions of the World
The gods of the pharaohs, the oracles of Greece, the sky gods of the steppe and the sun temples of the Andes. These faiths shaped civilizations, and their sanctuaries still welcome travelers today.
Dharmic
Indigenous
Ancient Near East
Classical Mediterranean
European Pagan
Mesoamerican and Andean
Gnostic and Dualist
Prehistoric
Ancient sacred sites you can visit
Abu Simbel Temples
Visit Abu Simbel, Ramesses II's rock cut temples on Lake Nasser, where twice a year sunlight reaches the gods in the inner sanctuary.
Acropolis and Parthenon, Athens
Visit the Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon, the marble temple of Athena Parthenos and the most celebrated sacred site of ancient Greek religion.
Ahu Tongariki
See Ahu Tongariki on Rapa Nui, the largest ceremonial platform on Easter Island, where fifteen restored moai face inland as guardians of the ancestors.
Ancient Olympia, Sanctuary of Zeus
Visit ancient Olympia in the Peloponnese, sanctuary of Zeus and birthplace of the Olympic Games, where athletic contests were acts of worship.
Avebury Henge and Stone Circles
Wander through Avebury, the largest stone circle in Britain, a Neolithic sacred landscape in Wiltshire where Druids still gather for seasonal rites.
Baalbek
Baalbek in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley holds some of the largest Roman temples ever built, on a sacred hill once devoted to Canaanite gods. Visit tips here.
Babylon and the Ziggurat of Ur
Explore Babylon, city of the god Marduk, and the Ziggurat of Ur dedicated to the moon god Nanna, two great sacred sites of ancient Mesopotamia.
Basilica of San Clemente and its Mithraeum
Descend beneath Rome's Basilica of San Clemente to a 2nd century Mithraeum, a layered sacred site of Mithraism and early Christianity.
Bhimbetka Rock Shelters
Explore the Bhimbetka Rock Shelters near Bhopal, prehistoric caves with paintings up to 10,000 years old showing early ritual, plus visiting tips.
Brahma Sarovar, Kurukshetra
Visit Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra, the Vedic land of the Bhagavad Gita, with eclipse bathing, Jyotisar and travel tips for this sacred site.
Byblos
Byblos on the Lebanese coast is among the oldest continuously inhabited towns, with Phoenician temples to Baalat Gebal and the Obelisk Temple.
Cahokia Mounds
Visit Cahokia Mounds near St. Louis, the largest pre-Columbian city north of Mexico, with Monks Mound and Woodhenge. A sacred Mississippian site.
Cao'an Temple, Jinjiang
Visit Cao'an Temple near Quanzhou, the last known Manichaean temple on Earth, where Mani is honored as the Buddha of Light. A rare pilgrimage.
Cape Arkona and Jaromarsburg
Visit Cape Arkona on the island of Rügen, site of the last great temple of the Slavic god Svantevit, destroyed in 1168 and honored by modern Rodnovers.
Carnac Stones
Walk among the Carnac stones in Brittany, thousands of Neolithic standing stones in long alignments, one of Europe's great prehistoric sacred sites.
Château de Montségur
Climb to Montségur in the French Pyrenees, the last great Cathar stronghold, where more than 200 Cathar believers were burned in 1244.
Chichen Itza
Visit Chichen Itza in Yucatan, the Maya city of El Castillo, the Sacred Cenote and the equinox serpent of light, one of the great sacred sites of Mexico.
Copan Maya Ruins
Visit Copan in Honduras, the Maya city of carved stelae and the Hieroglyphic Stairway, set in a green valley with scarlet macaws. A sacred travel gem.
Croagh Patrick
Climb Croagh Patrick, Ireland's holy mountain in County Mayo where St. Patrick fasted for forty days, on the Reek Sunday pilgrimage or any clear day.
Ephesus
Visit Ephesus, home of the Temple of Artemis and an early Christian center linked to Paul and John. Walk marble streets and the House of the Virgin Mary.
Etruscan Necropolis of Tarquinia (Monterozzi)
Explore the painted Etruscan tombs of Tarquinia's Monterozzi necropolis, revealing Etruscan beliefs about banquets, dance and the afterlife.
Gamla Uppsala (Old Uppsala)
Visit Gamla Uppsala in Sweden, royal burial mounds and site of the famed pagan temple of Thor, Odin and Freyr, a key place for Norse heritage travel.
Göbekli Tepe
Göbekli Tepe near Şanlıurfa holds megalithic enclosures 11,000 years old, among the oldest known monumental sacred sites. Plan your visit here.
Great Zimbabwe
Explore Great Zimbabwe, the stone city of a medieval Shona kingdom, with the Hill Complex, Great Enclosure and the soapstone Zimbabwe Birds.
Ħaġar Qim Temples, Malta
Visit Ħaġar Qim on Malta, a megalithic temple older than Stonehenge, part of a Neolithic sacred tradition known for its corpulent figurines.
Hattusa and Yazılıkaya
Explore Hattusa, capital of the Hittite Empire, with its Great Temple, Lion Gate and the rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya carved with a procession of gods.
Hegra (Mada'in Salih)
Hegra near AlUla is Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO site, with more than a hundred Nabataean tombs and a rock sanctuary to the god Dushara.
Hill of Tara
Explore the Hill of Tara, ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland and a sacred landscape of Celtic myth, with the Stone of Destiny and a Neolithic tomb.
Isla del Sol, Lake Titicaca
Travel to Isla del Sol on Lake Titicaca, the Inca birthplace of the sun with ancient terraces, sacred rock and quiet trails. An Andean pilgrimage.
Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church
Visit the Jelling stones in Denmark, 10th century runestones and royal mounds marking the shift from Norse religion to Christianity, a key heritage site.
Karnak and Luxor Temple
Explore Karnak, the vast temple of Amun, and Luxor Temple, linked by the Avenue of Sphinxes, in ancient Thebes, Egypt's greatest religious center.
Kernavė Archaeological Site
Visit Kernavė in Lithuania, a medieval capital of five hillforts above the Neris valley, tied to Baltic pagan heritage and the Romuva revival.
Lejre, Seat of the Skjöldung Kings
Explore Lejre on Zealand, legendary seat of the Skjöldung kings and a Viking cult site of great halls and ship settings, ideal for Norse heritage trips.
Machu Picchu
Visit Machu Picchu in Peru, the Inca sanctuary of the Intihuatana and Temple of the Sun, set among sacred peaks above the Urubamba. A lifetime pilgrimage.
Meroë Pyramids and Jebel Barkal
The Meroë pyramids and the holy mountain of Jebel Barkal preserve the sacred heritage of the Kushite kings of ancient Nubia in Sudan.
Nag Hammadi and Jabal al-Tarif
Travel to Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, where the famous Gnostic library was found in 1945. A key heritage stop for students of early Christianity.
Nan Madol
Explore Nan Madol off Pohnpei, the basalt island city of the Saudeleur dynasty, a ceremonial and royal mortuary center known as the Venice of the Pacific.
Newgrange
Visit Newgrange in Ireland's Boyne Valley, a 5,000 year old passage tomb whose chamber is lit by the winter solstice sunrise, a Neolithic sacred site.
Palace of Knossos
Explore the Palace of Knossos on Crete, ceremonial center of Minoan religion, with its throne room, bull frescoes and the legend of the Labyrinth.
Palenque
Visit Palenque in Chiapas, a jungle Maya city famed for the Temple of the Inscriptions and the tomb of King Pakal, a sacred site of rare beauty.
Pantheon, Rome
Visit the Pantheon in Rome, a Roman temple to all the gods turned Christian church, with the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome and its oculus.
Petra
Visit Petra, the rose red Nabataean city in Jordan, with tombs, temples and the High Place of Sacrifice devoted to the god Dushara.
Philae Temple of Isis
Visit Philae near Aswan, the island Temple of Isis where ancient Egyptian worship continued into the 6th century CE, reached by boat.
Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx
Visit the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, royal tombs and temples of ancient Egypt built to carry the pharaoh to the afterlife.
Qorikancha and Santo Domingo, Cusco
Visit Qorikancha in Cusco, the Inca Temple of the Sun once sheathed in gold, now crowned by a Dominican church. A key stop on any Peru pilgrimage.
Sacsayhuaman and Inti Raymi
Visit Sacsayhuaman above Cusco, the Inca complex of giant zigzag walls where Inti Raymi, the festival of the sun, is staged each June solstice season.
Sanctuary of Apollo, Delphi
Visit ancient Delphi on Mount Parnassus, home of Apollo's oracle and the navel of the Greek world, a sacred site still honored by modern Hellenists.
Serpent Mound
See Serpent Mound in Ohio, the largest serpent effigy mound in the world, coiling along a ridge above Brush Creek. A sacred Native earthwork to visit.
Stonehenge
Visit Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, the prehistoric stone circle aligned to the solstice sun and a gathering place for modern Druid celebrations.
Templo Mayor, Mexico City
Explore the Templo Mayor in Mexico City, the twin shrine of Huitzilopochtli and Tlaloc at the heart of Aztec Tenochtitlan, with ruins and a superb museum.
Teotihuacan, City of the Gods
Visit Teotihuacan near Mexico City, where the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon line the Avenue of the Dead in a sacred city later honored by the Aztecs.
Tikal
Travel to Tikal in Guatemala, a Maya sacred city whose temple pyramids rise above rainforest canopy, alive with howler monkeys and dawn birdsong.
Ukko-Koli Hill, Koli National Park
Visit Koli in North Karelia, whose summit Ukko-Koli is named for the Finnic sky god Ukko, a sacred hill with famous views for nature and heritage travel.
Uxmal
Discover Uxmal in Yucatan, a Puuc Maya city with the oval Pyramid of the Magician and stone mosaics of the rain god Chaak. A calm, rewarding visit.
Valley of the Kings
The Valley of the Kings near Luxor holds painted royal tombs of the New Kingdom, including Tutankhamun's, rich in imagery of the afterlife.
Villa of the Mysteries, Pompeii
Visit the Villa of the Mysteries at Pompeii, whose vivid frescoes depict a Dionysian initiation rite, a rare window into Roman mystery religion.