Fuelled by passion and boundless faith, it's no surprise religious monuments constitute some of our world's greatest architectural feats. An unthinkable amount of time and money has been invested in these buildings. New BBC One series Sacred Wonders looks at the motivation for visiting some of the world's best-known places of pilgrimage; some come seeking quiet contemplation, others are directed by devotion, and many simply want to marvel at both the historical structures and the extraordinary religious practices taking place within their walls.
Whatever your religious beliefs, it's fair to say these man-made wonders are nothing short of divine.
Kumano Nachi Taisha, Japan
Part of a pilgrimage route in Japan's Kii Mountain Range, this Shinto shrine sits in front of the tallest waterfall in Japan and is surrounded by ancient emerald forests. Arrive from the valley floor via a cobblestone staircase lined with Japanese cedars, camphor trees and bamboo groves. Although the grounds are free to enter, there's an entry fee for accessing the viewpoints (300Yen/£2.40).
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
This sprawling Hindu complex is easily one of the world's most impressive religious sites. It's been used continuously since the 10th century, and monks in fiery-orange robes can regularly be seen wafting through the 72 temples. Look out for more than 3,000 nymphs carved into the walls, many with different features and hairstyles. A one day pass for the Angkor Archaeological Park costs US$37/£30.50 and can only be purchased from the official ticket centre, 4km from Siem Reap.
Golden Temple in Amritsar, India
A shimmering treasure plated with gold, this Sikh site of pilgrimage is also a symbol of equality; the four entrances - each from a different direction - indicate people from all creeds and casts are welcome. Devotees come to bathe in the sacred waters of a tank that surrounds the central shrine. Open 24 hours, the site is free to enter.
Al Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem, Israel
Important for both Jewish and Muslim faiths, the Dome of the Rock is the highlight of the Temple Mount; according to Islam, the prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven from this spot. Tourists can wander around the plaza complex and admire the gleaming beauty - although only Muslims are allowed inside.
Shaolin Temple, China
Founded in the 5th century, this Chan Buddhist temple in China's Henan province is famous for its acrobatic monks. Along with pilgrims seeking Zen, martial arts students from across the world come here to witness impressive performances. (A show at the temple is included in the entrance fee of 100CNY/£30.50.) Located at the foot of Mount Songshan, the temple is also linked to many hiking paths.
The three-part series Sacred Wonders starts on BBC One on Wednesday, August 7.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here