Religious, Spiritual sights in Africa
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Kibuli Mosque
There are several prominent religious buildings in Kampala that might interest some spiritually inclined travellers, including the gleaming white Kibuli Mosque dominating Kibuli Hill on the other side of the train station from Nakasero Hill.
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Debre Berhan Selassie
Despite the walls of Debre Berhan Selassie hosting the most vibrant ecclesiastical artwork in the nation, it's the ceiling that captures the most visitors' imagination. Think of Mona Lisa's mysterious smile and multiply it 104 times over! Yes, each of the 104 winged Ethiopian cherubs dotting the beamed ceiling seem to have slightly different, but equally quizzical expressions.
Full of all the colour, life, wit and humanity of Ethiopian art at its best, the walls provide a compendium of Ethiopian saints, martyrs and lore. The devilish Bosch-like depiction of Hell has to be our favourite. A close second is the Prophet Mohammed atop a camel being led by a devil. Although…
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Monastery of St Paul
St Paul's monastery dates to the 4th century, when it began as a grouping of hermitages in the cliffs of Gebel al-Galala al-Qibliya around the site where St Paul had his hermitage.
Paul, who was born into a wealthy family in Alexandria in the mid-3rd century, originally fled to the Eastern Desert to escape Roman persecution. He lived alone in a cave here for over 90 years, finding bodily sustenance in a nearby spring and palm tree. According to tradition, in AD 343 the then 90-year-old St Anthony had of vision of Paul. After making a difficult trek through the mountains to visit him, Paul died, and was buried by Anthony's hands.
The heart of the monastery complex is the…
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Hassan II Mosque
The crowning achievement of King Hassan II, this phenomenal building is the world's third-largest mosque. It was built to commemorate the former king's 60th birthday and rises above the ocean on a rocky outcrop reclaimed from the sea. It's a vast building that can hold 25,000 worshippers and accommodate a further 80,000 in its courtyards.
Designed by French architect Michel Pinseau, the mosque is topped by a soaring 210m (689ft)minaret, which shines a laser beam towards Mecca by night. In addition to this high-tech call to prayer, the mosque also has a centrally heated floor, electric doors, a retractable roof and a section of glass flooring allowing the faithful to see…
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Temple of Serapeum
The Temple of Serapeum is a magnificent structure that stood here in ancient times. It had 100 steps leading past the living quarters of the priests to the great temple of Serapis, the man-made god of Alexandria . Also here was the 'daughter library', the second great library of Alexandria, which was said to have contained copies and overflow of texts held in the Great Library of Alexandria, the Mouseion library.
Unlike at the Great Library, these rolls could be consulted by anyone using the temple, making it one of the most important intellectual and religious centres in the Mediterranean. In AD 391 Christians launched a final assault on pagan intellectuals and destroyed…
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Monastery of St Anthony
This historic monastery traces its origins to the 4th century AD when monks began to settle at the foot of Gebel al-Galala al-Qibliya, where their spiritual leader, Anthony, lived. Over the next few centuries, the community moved from being a loosely organised grouping of hermits to a somewhat more communal existence in which the monks continued to live anchoritic lives, but in cells grouped together inside a walled compound.
In the 8th and 9th centuries, the monastery suffered Bedouin raids, followed in the 11th century by attacks from irate Muslims, and in the 15th century, a revolt by bloodthirsty servants that resulted in the massacre of the monks. The small mud-brick…
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Great Mosque
The Great Mosque, in the northeast corner of the medina, is North Africa's holiest Islamic site. It's also known as Sidi Okba Mosque, after the founder of Kairouan who built the first mosque here in AD 670. The original version was completely destroyed, and most of what stands today was built by the Aghlabids in the 9th century. Entry is with the multiple-site ticket.
The exterior, with its buttressed walls, has a typically unadorned Aghlabid design. Impressions change once you step into the huge marble-paved courtyard, surrounded by an arched colonnade. The courtyard was designed for water catchment, and the paving slopes towards an intricately decorated central drainage…
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Rock-Hewn Churches
Lalibela's Rock-Hewn Churches are remarkable for three main reasons: because many are not carved into the rock, but freed entirely from it (unlike most of Petra); because the buildings are so refined; and because there are so many within such a small area.
The ticket office (;08:00-noon & 14:00-17:00) lies beside the path leading to the northern group of churches and Bet Medhane Alem. Tickets give access to all churches in town for the duration of your stay. Don't forget to bring your torch!
Although time has treated the churches with remarkably gentle gloves, Unesco has built rather hideous scaffolding and roofing over most churches to protect frescoes from water seepage.…
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St Mary of Zion Churches
Opposite the Northern Stelae Field in a walled compound lie the two St Mary of Zion Churches .The rectangular old church is a remarkable example of traditional architecture and was built by the Emperor Fasiladas, the founder of Gonder, in 1665. It's thought that the old podium on which it sits may well belong to Africa's first church, which was erected by King Ezana or King Kaleb in the 4th or 6th century.
Unfortunately, the original church was destroyed during the incursions of Mohammed Gragn the Left-Handed in 1535. Inside there are fine murals, including a painting of the Nine Saints and a collection of ceremonial musical instruments.
A carefully guarded chapel in the…
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Bet Golgotha & Bet Mikael
A tunnel at the southern end of the Bet Maryam courtyard connects it to the twin churches of Bet Golgotha & Bet Mikael .
Bet Mikael serves as an anteroom to the Selassie Chapel, one of Lalibela's holiest sanctuaries. It contains three monolithic altars. One is decorated with a beautiful relief of four winged creatures with their hands held up in prayer; it's thought to represent the four evangelists. Unfortunately, the chapel is very rarely open to the public.
Bet Golgotha is known for containing some of the best early examples of Ethiopian Christian art. On the so-called Tomb of Christ (an arched recess in the northeast of the church) a recumbent figure is carved in high…
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Bet Maryam
Connected to Bet Medhane Alem by a tunnel is a large courtyard containing three churches. The first, Bet Maryam , is small, yet designed and decorated to an exceptionally high standard. Dedicated to the Virgin, who's particularly venerated in Ethiopia, this is the most popular church among pilgrims. Some believe it may have been the first church built by Lalibela.
On its eastern wall you'll see two sets of three windows. According to scholars, the upper set is thought to represent the Holy Trinity, while the lower three, set below a small cross-shaped window, are believed to represent the crucifixion of Jesus and the two sinners. The lower right window has a small…
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Santuario de la Virgen de las Nieves
For great views over Santa Cruz and the shore, take the relatively easy 2km hike north of town to La Palma's main object of pilgrimage, the 17th-century Santuario de la Virgen de las Nieves .
To walk from Plaza Alameda, follow the road, which becomes a signposted dirt track, westwards up the gorge of the Barranco de las Nieves. It will take nearly 45 minutes to walk up, but coming back is faster. By car, follow signs from the Avenida Marítima where it crosses the barranco (ravine), then turn right on the Carretera de las Nieves (LP-101) and continue winding up the hillside until you see signs for the sanctuary. The curve-filled 5km trip takes nearly 15 minutes. Bus 10…
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Djemaa Ketchoua
Of all the central Algiers mosques the Djemaa Ketchoua has had the most turbulent history. Its exact date of construction is not known, but it is estimated as being some time at the beginning of the 17th century and certainly before the Djemaa el-Djedid. Its name translates as place or plateau of goats, a reminder of the time when this space – between the port and citadel – was open ground. It was remodelled in 1794 by Hassan Pasha, when he built his palace next door. The work is commemorated by a long inscription that begins: ‘What a beautiful mosque!’ Today it seems more unusual than beautiful, with its high steps, three-tierd minarets and part-tiled walls. A plaque to…
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Cathédrale St-Paul
Designed by the Italian Aldo Spiritom, is the bold and innovative Cathédrale St-Paul . The tower is a huge stylised figure of St Paul, with the nave sweeping behind him like trailing robes. Inside, the stained-glass tableaux are as warm and rich as those of the basilica in Yamoussoukro.
Make a point of seeing these three in particular: the one behind the altar depicting God blinding St Paul on the road to Damascus; the storm on Lake Galilee with Jesus pointing the way ahead as the disciples jettison the cargo; and, opposite, the tableau of the first missionaries stepping ashore to a scene of African plenty - elephants, gazelles, luxuriant palms and smiling villagers.The…
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Fès el-Bali
The medina of Fès el-Bari (Old Fès) is the largest living medieval city in the world. Its incredible maze of 9400 twisting alleys, blind turns and souqs are crammed with shops, restaurants, workshops, mosques, medersas (theological colleges), dye pits and tanneries. A riot of sights, sounds and smells, 21st-century Fès is groaning at its 9th-century seams.
Despite its designation as a World Heritage site, investment has been slow to follow. While the chic cafe-lined boulevards of the ville nouvelle provide a stark contrast, many young Fassis remain jobless, and the bright lights disguise the sad lot of the poorer people living on the periphery.
For the short-term…
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White Monastery
Currently the best reason to stop at Sohag is to visit two early Coptic monasteries, which trumpet the victory of Christianity over Egypt’s pagan gods. The White Monastery, on rocky ground above the old Nile flood level, 12km northwest of Sohag, was founded by St Shenouda around AD 400 and dedicated to his mentor, St Bigol. White limestone from Pharaonic temples was reused, and ancient gods and hieroglyphs still look out from some of the blocks. It once supported a huge community of monks and boasted the largest library in Egypt, but today the manuscripts are scattered around the world and the monastery is home to 23 monks. The fortress walls still stand though they…
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Bet Amanuel
This freestanding, monolithic church is considered one of the Lalibela's most finely carved churches. Some have suggested Bet Amanuel was the royal family's private chapel.
It perfectly replicates the style of Aksumite buildings, with its projecting and recessed walls mimicking alternating layers of wood and stone. To appreciate this fully, you should make a day trip to Yemrehanna Kristos , which is one of Ethiopia's best-preserved Aksumite structures.
The most striking feature of the interior is the double Aksumite frieze in the nave. Although not accessible, there's even a spiral staircase connecting the four-pillared walls to an upper gallery. In the southern aisle, a…
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Notre Dame d'Afrique
The Byzantine-inspired Notre Dame d’Afrique, known locally as Madame Afrique, sits above the bustle of the city, seemingly impervious to the fact that the people who created it and filled its pews have long gone. The idea for the church is said to have come from two women of Lyon, who missed the shrine that sits above their native city and who placed a statue of the virgin in the hollow of an olive tree on the north of the city. The basilica was finally consecrated in 1872 by Bishop Lavigerie, founder of the White Fathers. Four years later, the statue was crowned ‘queen of Africa’ with the approval of the Pope in Rome. The date of that event, 30 April, has become the…
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Bet Medhane Alem
Resembling a massive Greek temple more than a traditional Ethiopian church, Bet Medhane Alem is impressive for its size and majesty. Said to be the largest rock-hewn church in the world, it measures 33.5m by 23.5m and is over 11.5 high.
Some scholars have suggested that the church may have been a copy in rock of the original St Mary of Zion church in Aksum.
The building is surrounded by 34 large, rectangular columns (many actually replicas of the originals). The three jointed at each corner are thought to represent the Holy Trinity. There are a further 38 columns inside which support the gabled roof.
The church's interior consists of a barrel-vaulted nave and four aisles.…
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Djemaa el-Kebir
A few steps from the Djemma el-Djedid, the Djemaa el-Kebir continues a tradition that goes back to the early history of Algiers. On a rise above the inner port, early Berber and Phoenician inhabitants built places of prayer here, which the Romans turned into a temple; later it was converted into a Christian basilica. One apse of the basilica faced east and was hung with carpets and icons. This was later torn down and replaced, in the 11th century, by the mosque, which has since been much altered and enlarged. Inside the five doors the prayer hall is supported by rows of columns, 72 in all, and contains a cedarwood minbar which carries an inscription stating that the…
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Wolleka
Around 6km north of Gonder is the little village of Wolleka, once the home of a thriving population of Falashas or Ethiopian Jews. Before Christianity arrived, Judaism was the dominant religion of most of northwestern Ethiopia.
After the adoption of Christianity as the state religion, Falashas had their land confiscated for refusing to convert. To survive, many became skilled craftsmen. Recent research suggests Falashas may have provided the labour for the castle's construction and decoration.
From 1985 to 1991 many Falashas were airlifted to Israel, and today only a handful remain. Sadly, the pottery for which they were once famous has degenerated into clumsy,…
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Grand Mosque
Constantine is graced with Souk el-Ghazal Mosque and several other beautiful mosques, but these are only open to Muslims. The oldest, and one of the most visible, is the Grand Mosque. Built in the 13th century on the site of a pagan temple, it was intended, as the Friday mosque, to hold most of the city’s population. Although it has been rebuilt over the centuries and has a modern façade, the interior has retained some of its original features, including some pillars and Corinthian capitals brought from Hippo Regius. The city’s most prominent monument – you will see its twin 107m high minarets as you approach the centre – is the Mosque of Emir Abdelkader. The…
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Zaouia of Sidi Sahab
This extensive zaouia, about 1.5km northwest of the medina, houses the tomb of Abu Zama el-Belaoui, a sahab (companion) of the Prophet Mohammed. He was known as the barber because he always carried three hairs from the Prophet's beard with him, and the zaouia is sometimes referred to as the Mosque of the Barber. While the original mausoleum dates back to the 7th century AD, most of what stands today was added at the end of the 17th century.
The additions include a funduq to house pilgrims, a medersa (Quranic school) and a mosque. Entry to the zaouia is with the multiple-site ticket. The entrance is along an unusually decorative marble passageway that leads to a stunning…
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Bet Merkorios
Reached via a long, narrow and pitch-black tunnel that starts from Bet Gabriel-Rufael, this current church may have started as something altogether different. The discovery of ankle shackles among other objects has led scholars to believe that the building may have served as the town's prison, or house of justice.
Due to a large section of roof collapsing, the interior is a fraction of its former size. Don't miss the beautiful fresco thought to represent the three wise men. With their little flipper hands and eyes that look askance, they're delightfully depicted; it may date from the 15th century. The 12 apostles are also represented in a less attractive fresco, probably…
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Djemaa el-Djedid
Colonial French town planners cleared many Ottoman buildings when they redesigned the Algiers waterfront and laid out what is now the place des Martyrs, but they left the Djemaa el-Djedid. Contrary to its name, the New Mosque, sometimes also called the Pêcherie Mosque, was built in 1660 on the site of an earlier Quranic school and paid for by public subscription. The mosque is unusual for Algiers, built in a recognisably Turkish style, with a series of domes and vaults, although the minaret is Andalusian in style. It is also unusual for being designed as a cross: local legend has it that the architect was a Christian, supposedly executed for his trickery. It has two…
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