Located in the heart of Athens towards the southeast of the Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus is a Greco-Roman temple also known as the Olympieion. Its construction period ranged from 6th century B.C. until the 2nd century A.D, after which it was regarded as the largest temple in Greece. History Interestingly, I was on a guided tour to this temple when I visited Athens. The guide first told us about its delayed construction by narrating the following brief. With the construction work of the Temple of Olympian Zeus that started in the 6th century by Peisistratos, decreasing wealth and dethrone of the Pisistratus’s son, Hippias 510 B.C was enough to stop it. It took some 700 years to complete the work that happened during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in 131 AD. The main reason behind this delay was that the Classical  [...]

The Ka’ba (Arabic word meaning ‘cube’) is the holiest pilgrimage site of Islam. It is a cube shaped building located within the courtyard of al-Haram Mosque in Mecca in Saudi Arabia. Qibla, the direction towards which the Muslims face during their prayer, is the direction facing the Ka’ba. The Ka’ba houses a mysterious Black Stone, which was highly revered in Mecca during the pre-Islamic days as well. Muslim pilgrims circumambulate (Tawaf) the Ka’ba during Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) while about three million pilgrims circle the holy building on a single day during Haj. The building dates back to pre-Islamic times and according to tradition, the first building at the site was erected by Abraham, the great patriarch known to be the ‘Father of the people of Israel’. The Ka’ba is open mainly for the Muslim devotees. Ka’ba  [...]

Apparently a minor basilica but regarded among the key churches of the Roman Catholic Dominica, the Basilica of Saint Mary above Minerva is the only church in Gothic style in Rome. Located in the Piazza della Minerva, it is the home of the tombs of St. Catherine of Siena and the Dominican painter Fra Angelico (Blessed John). Santa Maria sopra Minerva is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mother Mary and was built over a Roman Temple of Isis, the goddess of wisdom mistakenly said as Minerva. This is evident from some of sections of the Roman temple that still can be seen since the era of Augustus (63 B.C – 14 A.D). Now, you can understand why the church is so named. The Church Just in front of the church, I first saw one of the most peculiar edifices in the nation called the Pulcino della Minerva. With the elephant as the base for  [...]

Imagine the lively poets alluring your hearts, gladiators struggling for life, and musicians captivating your mind within an open-air theatre. Yes! All this form an integral part of the Lyon’s Roman Theater. It is a theater-cum-odeum-cum-temple complex located in a park towards the south of the Notre Dame de Fourviere Basilica. This means that not only it was a cultural centre, but was also important from the religious point of view. This magnificent masterpiece of art and culture in Lyon is the most ancient edifice in France that was constructed by Augustus from 17 to 15 B.C. What attracts visitors at the Roman Theaters of Lyon is not only its antiquity, but also the amalgam of prosperous history and culture with modern structural design and culture. Among the structures, what is unique for the Roman antiquity here is the ruined  [...]

Excavated from the Walbrook Street in London at the time of restoration work after the World War II, the Temple of Mithras is a Roman ruin dedicated to the Persian god of light and sun, whom many look as the real personality of the Christ. Its present site is not its original look; rather it was located underground as a cave wherein Mithras had slain the primeval bull releasing the powers of life and vision on the planet. Acted as the foundation of the traditional Christian church holding long aisles to an altar and apse, the Temple of Mithras was shifted to its current site at Temple Court, Queen Victoria Street. History/Beliefs A local guide told me about this aspect of the Mithraic sect. In the 2nd century A.D., Mithraism posed a severe challenge to Christianity in the Roman Empire with the only men sect in which those they were  [...]

Mount Olga (or the Olgas) or Kata Tjuta(aboriginal name of the Olgas) is a collection of a large dome-shaped rock formations located about 365 km southwest of the city of Alice Springs in Northern Territory in Australia. Kata Tjuta, along with Uluru or the Ayers Rock, located 50 km away, form the two major landmarks within Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The Olgas like the Uluru (Ayers Rock) are sacred sites to the Aborigines since ancient times. Naming of Olgas: Mt. Olga was named by Ernest Giles in 1872 in the honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg. This was done at the behest of Baron Ferdinand von Mueller. Beliefs: The Aborigines regard Mount Olga as the home of the snake Wanambi. The domed rocks on the eastern side, on the other hand, are identified with ancestors known as the mice women while those in the south-west are where  [...]

Uluru (formerly called ‘Ayers Rock’) is a mammoth sandstone rock located in central Australia (south of Northern Territory). Uluru, along with Kata Tjuta (‘the Olgas’) were considered sacred places by the Anangu (aboriginal people). A new sunrise viewing site called ‘Talinguru Nyakuntjaku’ (meaning ‘place to look from the sand dune’) has been recently opened on the eastern side of Uluru. The land here is owned by the Anangu and is jointly managed by the Anangu and the Australian parks and management services. Uluru is a beautiful tourism site and features many caves, waterholes and ancient rock paintings. The rock derives its rust colour from oxidation while the glowing effect at sunrise and sunset is caused by its arkosic sandstone. History: Archaeological evidences suggest that the earliest human settlements that  [...]

Situated at 80 km northwest from Mount Kailash in Western Tibet, the Tirthapuri Hot Springs is the sacred place of power of the Hindu Goddess and Consort of Lord Shiva, Mother Parvati along with the Buddhist Goddesses Bajra Barahi and Tara. Tirthapuri to Hindus and Tetapuri to Tibetans, this is the third and final destination of the pilgrims who first walk around Mount Kailash followed by Lake Mansarovar. Located in the Burang county, the hot spring is the prime holy scene for the pilgrims, which is regarded as the female entity in contrast with the Mount Kailash that is regarded as the male entity. Not only with the Goddesses, but the pilgrim spot of Tirthapuri is also linked with Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche). Here, as the final stage of the pilgrimage, in this one-hour route of pilgrimage, pilgrims bathe in pools filled by the  [...]

Located in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China at the base of the holy Mount Kailash, Lake Mansarovar, called Mapam Yumco in Tibet, is among the highest freshwater lake on the planet. Regarded as the most sacred lake in Asia, the lake is worshipped by three main sects namely, Hindus, Buddhists, Tibetan Bonpas, and Jains for its legendary stories. Being almost round in shape and as deep as 90 m, the lake is connected with its neighboring lake via a natural Ganga Chhu Channel. The lake’s beauty is seen in its twin color waters – from a clear blue on the shores to a deep emerald green in the center, which is more captivating if seen in moonlight. The Mansarovar Lake is the origin of the eastern and large tributary of the River Indus named River Sutlej. Further, close to the lake are also the mouths of the river Brahmaputra,  [...]

Located at 6 miles from Madaba in Jordan facing the Dead Sea at the northern tip, Mount Nebo is sacred mountain with 1000 m of height from where Moses viewed the Promised Land prior to his death. Due to this event, it is of great significance for the Christian pilgrims. Ascending from the Jordan Valley, Mount Nebo is the Biblical site from where you can become Moses and view the magnificent vistas of the Promised Land. Noteworthy remains of an early church and its stunning Byzantine mosaics have been found during the excavations by the Franciscans. On this dug site, a plain, but contemporary shield is built in honor of Moses. In 2000, Pope John Paul II came on his pilgrimage here and planted an olive tree as a sign of peace besides the Byzantine chapel. Mount Nebo Attractions Modern Sculpture: Made by an Italian artist on the summit’s  [...]