Religious, Spiritual Sights
-
A
Wat Thammikaram
If you really need some exercise, hike the 418 steps to the golden-spired Wat Thammikaram, established by King Rama IV. Hordes of monkeys provide endless entertainment along the way. The view from the top stretches west to Myanmar's border, only 11km away.
reviewed
-
Kyaiktiyo (Golden Rock)
The excursion to the incredible balancing boulder stupa, called Kyaiktiyo (or Golden Rock), is a must-do. The small stupa, just 7.3m (24ft) high, sits atop the Gold Rock, a massive, gold-leafed boulder delicately balanced on the edge of a cliff at the top of Mt Kyaikto. This is one of the most sacred Buddhist sites in Myanmar.
reviewed
-
B
Guápulo
If you follow Avenida 12 de Octubre up the hill from the Mariscal, you'll reach the Hotel Quito at the top. Behind the hotel, stairs lead steeply down the other side of the hill to the historic neighborhood of Guápulo. The views all the way down are magnificent. Ramshackle houses stand interspersed among colonial whitewashed homes with terra-cotta-tile roofs, and the odd bohemian café makes for a welcome break.
At the bottom of the hill stands the neighborhood's centerpiece, the sanctuary of El Guápulo, a beautiful church built between 1644 and 1693.
The best views of Guápulo are from the lookout behind the Hotel Quito, next to the statue of Francisco de Orellana (…
reviewed
-
C
Metropolitan Cathedral
San Salvador's Metropolitan Cathedral faces Plaza Barrios and marks the center of the city's street grid. Completed in 1999, after years of renovation, the cathedral stands on the site of an earlier version that burned in 1956. The beige stucco building has two bell towers rising above a blue and yellow checker-patterned dome. The facade is painted with the colorful campesino motifs of La Palma painter Fernando Llort; you can see Llort's schematic paintings at his gallery, El Arbol de Dios.
One level beneath the cavernous nave is the tomb of Archbishop Oscar A Romero, though this is not the church he was assassinated in, as visitors sometimes mistakenly believe (that was…
reviewed
-
D
Mahabouddha Temple
Despite its height, the Mahabouddha Temple is totally hidden, in a courtyard dwarfed by residential buildings. The shikhara temple takes its name from the terracotta tiles with which it is covered, each bearing an image of the Buddha. It's modelled on the Mahabouddha Temple at Bodhgaya in India, where the Buddha gained enlightenment.
The building probably dates from 1585, but suffered severe damage in the 1934 earthquake and was totally rebuilt. Unfortunately, without plans to work from, the builders ended up with a different-looking temple and there were enough bricks left over to construct a shikhara-style shrine to Maya Devi, the Buddha's mother, which stands to the…
reviewed
-
Tapgol Park
Opened in 1897, Tapgol is a symbol of Korean resistance to Japanese rule. On 1 March 1919, Son Byeong-hui and 32 others signed and read aloud a Declaration of Independence (a copy in English can be read on the memorial plaque). Many of them were high-school teachers, 16 were Cheondogyo followers, 15 were Protestant Christians and two, including poet-monk Young-un, were Buddhists. All were arrested and locked up in the notorious Seodaemun Prison. A torrent of protest against Japan followed in Seoul and throughout Korea, but the samil (1 March) movement was ruthlessly suppressed. Hundreds of independence fighters were killed and thousands arrested. In the park, 10 murals…
reviewed
-
Hou Wang Temple
As you approach Atherton from Herberton in the southwest, the fabulous Hou Wang Temple is testament to the Chinese migrants who flocked to the area to search for gold in the late 1800s, and is the only Chinese temple in Australia built of corrugated iron.
reviewed
-
Wat Tan Sai
Sitting atop a headland to the north, Wat Tan Sai has multiple golden spires that reach to the sky like a fantasy Disneyland castle. You can clamber up to the top for sensational views of the area.
reviewed
-
E
Samnak Song Nai Han
Samnak Song Nai Han, a monastic centre, claims the lion's share of the beachfront land and the town has thus far managed to stave off the developers.
reviewed
-
St Michael's Church
St Michael's is a small but stunning church located right in the heart of the town centre. Historians, who are often caught marvelling at its central chancel window, believe it was built in 1199. The magnificent spire stands 37m (120ft) tall and the bell still chimes its original chime. If you're into churches, this one's a gem.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Thomas à Becket Chapel
Thomas Becket's murder at Canterbury in 1170 was fundamental to the Brentwood's growth. The crossing point of two main roads, the town site was a stopover for a growing number of pilgrims passing on their way to Canterbury. So, the Vicar of South Weald permitted the Abbot of St Osyth to build a chapel - it was dedicated to St Thomas. Only the ruins remain.
reviewed
-
F
Basilica del Santo Sepolcro
Despite its wonderful museum, fancy churches and enormous castle, Barletta is best known for the not-so-colossal Colossus that stands beside the Basilica del Santo Sepolcro on Corso Vittorio Emanuele. No-one knows who the guy in the funny frilly crown really is although he's definitely a Roman Emperor of some sort - Theodosius, Valentinian, Marcian - they just can't decide which one.
reviewed
-
Cathedral
The Cathedral lies below and just to the south of Piazza Garibaldi. It contains a few paintings by Jacopo Bassano and Lorenzo Lotto.
reviewed
-
Church of Saint Maria Infraportas
Pitted and weathered stonework makes this a satisfyingly ancient-looking church. Some claim a church has sat on this site since Roman occupation. As it stands, with a largely 11th-century outer shell, la Chiesa di Santa Maria Infraportas is the oldest church in Foligno. The 13th-century fresco cycle is worth a look.
reviewed
-
Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
Ditch the resort for a view from the hills. The scenery's just as good inside La Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie (Saint Mary of Graces). Gaze at a Perugino Madonna and, in the next-door convent, wonder at delicate cloisters credited to Renaissance architect Baccio Pontelli. While off the beach, check out retired agricultural tools at the museum opposite.
reviewed
-
Saint Lawrence Church
The spire of this 15th-century church thrusts into the sky of this otherwise architecturally modest town. Inside you'll find frescoes from the era of its construction, wooden altars from the 17th century and some 20th-century mural additions by local artist Trevini. Relatively recent renovations have only enhanced this quietly impressive church.
reviewed
-
G
Cathedral
From Via Cialdini you can wander straight down into the shady alleys of the centro storico, at the heart of which you'll find Barletta's 12th-century cathedral. It's another classic Puglian-Romanesque church although the interior displays some Gothic influences in the polygonal apse. Aside from anything else it has a lovely location on the edge of the old town and if you wander across to the castle it makes a very fetching photograph.
reviewed
-
H
Église St-Étienne de la Cité
The Église St-Étienne de la Cité served as Périgueux’ cathedral until 1669.
reviewed
-
I
Church Of St Leonard
Southeast Of The Town Hall Is The Church Of St Leonard, Which Was Originally Built By Franciscan Monks Fleeing The Turks In Bosnia In 1472
reviewed
-
J
Orthodox Church
The interior of the Serbian Orthodox Church, built in 1936 and dedicated to Sts Cyril and Methodius, is covered from floor to ceiling with colourful modern frescoes. There is a richly carved iconostasis separating the nave from the sanctuary.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Grand Mosque
Just around the corner from the palace is the unusual black-domed Grand Mosque, which was commissioned by the sultan in 1906. The Moroccan-style building has ornate carvings, Italian marble and stained glass from China.
Dress modestly when visiting the mosque - women are asked to cover their heads with the scarves provided.
reviewed
-
K
Hainan Temple
Probably the coolest feature of this temple is its impressive stone courtyard and the carved pillar work throughout said space, which is bedecked with more red paper lanterns than usual. This duochrome backdrop of slate and crimson looks like it should be the scene of the final fight in a kung fu movie or a Mortal Kombat video game. In fact, the Hainan Temple, completed in 1895, is dedicated to Mar Chor, China’s patron saint of seafarers.
reviewed
-
L
Kuan Yin Teng
On Lebuh Pitt is the temple of Kuan Yin Teng – the goddess of mercy, good fortune, peace and fertility. Built in the early 19th century by the first Hokkien and Cantonese settlers in Penang, the temple is not large or especially impressive, but it’s very central and popular with the Chinese community. It seems to be forever swathed in smoke from the outside furnaces, where worshippers burn paper money, and from the incense sticks waved around inside. It’s a very busy place, and Chinese theatre takes place on the goddess’ birthday, celebrated on the 19th day of the second, sixth and ninth lunar months.
reviewed
-
M
Loo Pun Hong
The tiny Loo Pun Hong is one of the most unobtrusive of Penang’s Chinese temples. Built in the 1880s, it is dedicated to Lo Pan, legendary inventor of carpentry tools, and is Malaysia’s oldest carpenters’ guild house. Set back from the lane, it has an ornate altar inside along with a giant drum and bell.
reviewed
-
N
Sri Mariamman Temple
For local Tamils, the Sri Mariamman Temple fulfils the purpose of a Hokkien clanhouse: it’s a reminder of the motherland and the community bonds forged within the diaspora. In this case, those bonds don’t come from a benevolent society, but a typically South Indian temple, dominated by its entrance tower or gopuram. Erupting with sculpture, the tower serves several purposes: it represents Mt Meru, the cosmic mountain that supports the heavens, and delineates the line between this world and the realm of the gods, which begins in the temple compound. Local Tamils pay homage to Tamil Nadu by worshipping Mariamman, a mother goddess popular with diaspora Indians who…
reviewed