Aya Yorgi Monastery, Büyükada
Büyükada, İstanbul, Adalar, Türkiye Christianity
A hilltop Orthodox monastery on Büyükada and one of Istanbul’s best-known Christian pilgrimage destinations.
The World’s Sacred Places
Sacred Places
Discover a curated guide to significant sacred places, pilgrimage traditions, architecture, documented history and practical visitor information across cultures and faith traditions.
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Sacred Places
Browse Sacred Places selected for Templestan’s public collection.
Deyrulzafaran Monastery
Mardin, Artuklu, Türkiye Christianity
A major Syriac Orthodox monastery outside Mardin that served for centuries as a patriarchal centre.
Mor Gabriel Monastery
Güngören, Midyat, Mardin, Türkiye Christianity
An ancient Syriac Orthodox monastery in Tur Abdin, founded in the late fourth century and still central to Syriac Christian heritage.
Sümela Monastery
Altındere, Maçka, Trabzon, Türkiye Christianity
A celebrated Orthodox monastery built into the cliffs of the Altındere Valley above Maçka.
Convent of Santa Teresa of Ávila
Ávila, Castilla y León, Spain Christianity
A major Teresian pilgrimage convent and church built on the site traditionally identified as the birthplace of St. Teresa of Ávila.
San Juan de la Peña Monastery
San Juan de la Peña, Jaca, Huesca, Aragón, Spain Christianity
A major sacred and royal site of medieval Aragón, with its Old Monastery built beneath a vast rock overhang.
Royal Monastery of Las Huelgas
Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain Christianity
A royal Cistercian monastery founded by Alfonso VIII and Eleanor of England, serving as a spiritual foundation and royal burial place.
Monastery of Santa María la Real de Nájera
Nájera, La Rioja, Spain Christianity
A royal monastery on the Camino de Santiago, founded in 1052 and closely linked to the kings of Nájera-Pamplona.
Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain Christianity
Philip II’s vast royal monastery and basilica complex, a major monument of Spanish Renaissance architecture and royal Catholic memory.
Suso Monastery
San Millán de la Cogolla, La Rioja, Spain Christianity
The older of the San Millán monasteries, developed around caves associated with the hermit St. Emilian and preserving Visigothic, Mozarabic and Romanesque…
Yuso Monastery
San Millán de la Cogolla, La Rioja, Spain Christianity
The larger lower monastery of San Millán, paired with Suso in a UNESCO World Heritage property and preserving the saint’s monastic legacy.
Santo Toribio de Liébana Monastery
Santo Toribio, Camaleño, Cantabria, Spain Christianity
A major Cantabrian pilgrimage monastery where a relic venerated as a large fragment of the True Cross is preserved.