Explore the world of sacred sites and spiritual pilgrimage through this website and the book it is based upon: Sacred Places by Philip Carr-Gomm, published by Quercus in the UK & USA, National Geographic in Germany, Editions de l'Oeuvre in France, and Uniscorp in Bulgaria.

"I am really enchanted with this book. As I turn the pages I feel I am actually present at each place. I've not had this experience with a book before."           Francis Cameron, Reviewer for Pentacle Magazine

Journeys to sacred places or shrines undertaken as acts of religious veneration or penance have been a feature of religious observance from the earliest times. Ancient religions had holy sites, temples and groves, such as Delphi and Dodona in Greece, where oracles and their priestesses were reputed to be able to tell the future. Even older is Stonehenge – whose original religious purpose is still shrouded in mystery – and the Pyramids of Giza which stand in the Egyptian desert, defying all attempts to fathom their mysteries.

During the medieval period Christian pilgrimage – to Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople and Santiago de Compostela – was a sacred obligation and a trial of faith. On the other side of the Eurasian landmass, the Golden Temple and Dome of the Rock became two of the holiest sites of the Sikh and Islamic faiths, with pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, becoming one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

Whether for reasons of divine providence, immemorial tradition or sheer visual power, certain locations have long been imbued with a sense of spiritual significance. Philip Carr-Gomm tells the stories of 51 sacred sites across all five continents, including sites venerated by all of the major religions.

Many of the world’s holiest sanctuaries and landscapes are here examined in a series of concise, informative and lavishly illustrated essays.

Involving, instructive and steeped in spiritual insight, Sacred Places offers a dramatic and distinctive perspective on more than six millennia of world history. Read reviews.