Do Something A Little Different And Visit One Of The Most Religious Cities In The World

Religion plays a massive part in peoples life’s. Some people would say their faith is the most important thing in the world to them. It gives them the confidence to live life to the fullest. They feel protected in a time of need. Religion can bring people together and because of that it remains something people cherish. Throughout our time there has been magical stories passed down through the generations. In these stories there has always been certain cities that are the cornerstone of the religion. Make sure you jump at the opportunity if you ever have the chance to visit any of these.

Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Unfortunately, you will only get the chance to visit Mecca if you are Muslim as all other religions are barred. It’s the holiest city in all of Islam and looks absolutely beautiful. If you are a Muslim then you know you should go on a pilgrimage to Mecca once in your lifetime if you are able to. The actual city itself goes back a long way and actually outdates Islam.

It’s said that Adam and Eve meet at Mt. Arafat years after they were banished from Eden. In 570 the prophet Muhammad was born here. 60 years later he took control of the city and destroyed all pagan idols. Then he declared the city to the worship of only Allah and banished everyone else.

Bethlehem, Israel

Bethlehem is meant to be where Jesus was born. Every year thousands of Christians decent upon the city during Christmas and Easter to visit the place of Christ’s birth. The actual city itself is primarily a Muslim city and as you can imagine there can sometimes be trouble.

Over the centuries records show the city has been conquered many times from the great armies of our history. It’s been knocked down and rebuilt more times than a tent. Although some people say it’s unlikely that Jesus was born here it’s done nothing to stop it from being one of the most religious cities today.

Lhasa, Tibet

Lhasa was the home of the Dalia Lama until the middle of the 20th century when the Chinese invaded and he went into exile. Once the home of Tibetan Buddhism, it’s now mostly populated with Chinese although there is still a minority of Tibetans. Most who lived there went into exile with the Dalia Lama and can now be found living in India.

It’s still visited by millions of people each year and an important part of Tibetan Buddhism, even though their spiritual leader no longer lives there. Many of the sites in Lhasa are world heritage sites that you can visit once inside the city.

Varanasi, India

Varanasi is located in Northern India and is the most sacred Hindu city. It lies on the banks of the River Ganges and Hindus bathe in the river to wash away any sins. It’s also said that dying in this area releases your soul from the body once you are gone. Though you don’t want that to happen while on vacation.

Millions of people visit the city each year on a pilgrimage. As you might imagine, that much people in the water means it can be quite dirty. If you don’t have any strong religious beliefs you might want to reconsider jumping in. There is also plenty of temples to see and the city is full of adventure.

Mr Mathew Parker is a renowned travel blogger and pays specific attention to dog friendly accommodations.