shrines

Located at the base of the Capitoline Hill above the Forum, this ancient prison is said to be where St. Peter and Paul were held before their execution in Rome.

Built in the 7th century, this beautiful blue-and-gold shrine houses the rock from which the Prophet took his Night Journey into heaven. The rock is also associated with Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac in the Hebrew Bible.

Often overlooked by non-pilgrims, the Basilica di Santa Croce in Gerusalemme is located just down the road from St. John Lateran in Rome. It includes the private chapel of St.

Dedicated to both John the Evangelist and John the Baptist, St. John Lateran is the cathedral of Rome and one of its four major basilicas. It includes a fine 13th-century cloister.

Monte Sant'Angelo is a sacred cave and popular Catholic shrine near San Giovanni Rotundo in Puglia. Here the Archangel Michael is said to have appeared in 490, 492 and 1656, consecrating the shrine himself.

This popular city shrine features the four-faced Hindu god Brahma. Built to appease evil spirits during the accident-prone construction of the Grand Hyatt in 1956, it still attracts worshippers day and night.

Dura Europos (nicknamed the “Pompeii of the Syrian Desert.”) is an important archaeological site in eastern Syria on the Euphrates river.

This grand Baroque basilica houses the small Porziuncola, a chapel restored by St. Francis and the place where St. Clare took her vows, as well as the humble cell in which St. Francis died.

The Basilica of St. John was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century over the traditional tomb of John the Evangelist. The site became a major pilgrimage destination in the Early Middle Ages.

Shrouded in mystery and legend, Glastonbury Abbey is a highly atmospheric ruin on one of the oldest Christian sites in Britain. Its buildings are fine examples of Norman architecture.

Discovered in a vision by a bedridden German nun in 1812, this stone building is believed by many Catholics and Muslims to be where the Virgin Mary lived her last years. It includes a healing fountain.

Built in the early 1200s, this unique cathedral has a dramatic location atop a steep flight of stairs, an Arab-influenced exterior, and the relics of St. Andrew the Apostle in the crypt.