temples

Dedicated to the Celtic-Roman goddess Sulis Minerva, these ancient Roman baths are still fed by a sacred hot spring. The site museum displays excavations and artifacts from the baths and temple.

This magnificent ancient temple was built by Emperor Hadrian in 125 and converted into a church in 609. It is the oldest intact ancient building in Rome.

This gold-leaf-covered temple is one of the most beautiful sights in Kyoto, nestled in the woods and reflected in the waters of its garden pond.

Baalbeck, also known as Heliopolis, is an ancient Roman city in northeastern Lebanon. It is famed for the magnificent Temple of Jupiter, the largest Roman ruin in the world.

Home to the famous Oracle of Delphi, this mountain sanctuary was the holiest site in Ancient Greece. It was believed to be the center of the world, marked by the sacred Omphalos stone.

The famous Temple of Athena Parthenos, built around 440 BCE, crowns the Acropolis in Athens. It was a major sacred site in Ancient Greece and is considered one of the finest examples of Greek architecture anywhere.

Overlooking the sea from atop the sheer cliffs of Cape Sounion, the Temple of Poseidon was built in 444 BC for the god of the sea.

A series of 29 Buddhist cave temples dating from as early as the 2nd century BCE, the Ajanta Caves contain some of the greatest masterpieces of Buddhist art in India.

The holiest site in Sikhism, the Golden Temple seems to float on the water. It enshrines the holy book, Guru Granth Sahib, which is venerated by pilgrims throughout the day and put to bed at night.

This historic temple in Lhasa is the holiest site in Tibetan Buddhism. It houses a venerated Buddha statue and has been a major pilgrimage destination for centuries.

This is the tallest stone Buddha statue in the world, carved out of a cliff by an 8th-century monk to calm the turbulent confluence of three rivers. Each eyebrow is 18 feet long.