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MYSTICAL AND SACRED SITES IN THE MIDDLE-EAST
Bamiyan, Afghanistan
This area is famous for the site of two huge Buddha statues, one 38 meters and the other 55 meters, carved in the steep cliffs and was a significant Buddhist centre until the ninth century when Islam became the dominant religion. The statues were destroyed on 5th March 2001.
Castle of the Jews / Wadi Kharrar, River Jordan
This Greek Orthadox monastery is less than half a mile from the Jordan river and is said by the Israelis to be the site where John the Baptist baptised Jesus.
Chapel of the Nativity, Bethlehem, Israel
A cave-site held to be the birth place of Jesus but archaeologists suggest that the site was originally a sacred site dedicated to Adonis. The present church was built on this site was built after the original church was destroyed in the Samaritan Revolt of 529 CE making it one of the oldest Nativity churches in Christendom.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Israel
This church is considered to be the most sacred site to Christians as it houses the Grotto of the True Cross of Christ, the place of crucifixation, the place of burial and stone used to seal the tomb of Christ. Interestingly, a temple dedicated to Venus was built atop this site before it was claimed as a Christian site.
Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem, Israel
Excavations on this site revealed that a town, named Ursalim (meaning Foundation of God), once existed on Mount Moriah (also known as temple Mount). The Ark of the Covenant was allegedly brought to this town around 1000 BCE. It was on this site, that had once held two Jewish temples and the Temple to Jupiter, that the Dome of the Rock was built between 687 & 691 CE.
House of the Virgin Mary, Ephesus, Turkey
Ephesus had once been the home of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World but is also the site where Mary is to have lived out her final years.
Jabal Hira, Saudi Arabia
This mountain near Mecca is effectively where the religions of Islam started. The north-east face contains a cave in which Muhammad rested and sought tranquillity and where he had visions that led him to become a prophet.
Kidron Valley, Israel
There are many beliefs and stories about this site which make the Kidron Valley a sacred site for Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Mahram Bilqis, Yemen
The Mahram Bilqis (Temple of the Moon God) lies buries beneath the sands of the southern Arabian desert and is believed to have been used throughout the reign of the legendary Queen of Sheba.
Marduk Ziggurat, Babylon, Iraq
A stepped pyramid honouring the god Marduk can be found don this site today but archaeologists have located the foundations of what may have been a tower called Etemenanki which may have given rise to the fabled Tower of Babel. The site is also thought to have held one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Mecca is the birthplace of the prophet Muhammad.
Medina, Saudi Arabia
Muhammad settled in Medina and established the first mosque in Islam at Quba, a village on the cities outskirts.
Nemrut Dag, Turkey
The ruins on Mount Nemrud include the famous tumulus (burial mound) and hierotheseion (sacred burial precinct of the royal family) of King Antiochoc I who rules Turkey from 69 to 36 BCE.
Petra, Jordan
Petra is effectively a rock carved city and contains many carved caves & ‘buildings’ including the Lion Tomb which features two carved lions.
Quarantal, Israel
The Monastery of the Temptation is regarded as the place where the devil tempted Christ’s faith.
Qumran, Israel
Qumran is believed to have been the centre of a large religious community, probably the Essene tribes (first century BCE break away group from the Jewish faith) and the location of the cave where the Dead Sea Scrolls where discovered.
Suleimaniye Mosque, Turkey
The Suleimaniye is one of the most beautiful and significant mosques in Istanbul.
Wailing Wall, Jerusalem, Israel
What makes the Wailing Wall (or more correctly the Western Wall) so important to the Jewish faith is that it is said to be the closest point to the holist site, the Holy Temple that once stood on the Temple Mount.
Sourced from “The Encyclopaedia of the World’s Mystical and Sacred Sites” by John and Anne Spencer; Headline Book Publishing. 2002. |
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