Churches, temples, monasteries & shrines worth the detour
Detourmap maps 14,267 churches, temples, monasteries & shrines across 229 countries — churches, temples, monasteries and shrines. The most famous is Hagia Sophia in Turkey; India has the most (1,472). The 96 best known are below — every one with a photo and a Wikipedia article.
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Hagia Sophia
Sacred sites · 6th century · Iconic
Mosque, museum, and former church in Istanbul, Turkey
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Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family
Sacred sites · 19th century · Iconic
Basilica under construction since 1882 in Barcelona, Spain
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Al-Aqsa Mosque
Sacred sites · 8th century · Iconic
The main prayer hall of the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem
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Sultan Ahmed Mosque
Sacred sites · 17th century · Iconic
Historic mosque located in Istanbul, Turkey, also known as Blue Mosque
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Potala Palace
Sacred sites · 7th century · Iconic
7th-century Tibetan fortress and palace in Lhasa, rebuilt in the 17th century as the winter seat of the Dalai Lamas
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Royal Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Sacred sites · 16th century · Iconic
Monastery and historical residence of the King of Spain
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Temple in Jerusalem
Sacred sites · Iconic
Structures on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem serving as Israelite religious centers
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Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Sacred sites · 4th century · Iconic
Church in Jerusalem, containing the two holiest sites in Christianity
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St Paul's Cathedral
Sacred sites · 17th century · Iconic
Cathedral in the City of London, England, UK
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Saint Catherine Monastery
Sacred sites · Renowned
Greek Orthodox monastery (the oldest) at the foot of Mount Sinai, Egypt
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Notre-Dame de Chartres
Sacred sites · 12th century · Renowned
Medieval Roman Rite Catholic cathedral
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Prambanan Temple
Sacred sites · 9th century · Renowned
Hindu temple in Yogyakarta and Central Java, Indonesia
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Canterbury Cathedral
Sacred sites · 6th century · Renowned
Cathedral in Canterbury, Kent, England, founded in 597
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Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
Sacred sites · 9th century · Renowned
Roman Catholic cathedral of the archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain
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Seville Cathedral
Sacred sites · 15th century · Renowned
Catholic Cathedral in Seville (Formerly a Mosque), Spain
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Kyiv Pechersk Lavra
Sacred sites · 11th century · Renowned
Historic Orthodox Christian monastery in Kyiv
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Shaolin Monastery
Sacred sites · 5th century · Renowned
Chan Buddhist temple in Dengfeng county, Henan, China
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Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba
Sacred sites · 8th century · Renowned
Cathedral (former mosque) in Cordoba, Spain
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Cathedral of Christ the Saviour
Sacred sites · 20th century · Renowned
Russian Orthodox cathedral in Moscow, Russia
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Panthéon
Sacred sites · 18th century · Renowned
Mausoleum in Paris for the most distinguished French people
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Basilica of Saint-Denis
Sacred sites · 12th century · Renowned
Basilica located in Seine-Saint-Denis, in France
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Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Sacred sites · 5th century · Renowned
Largest Catholic Marian church in Rome
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Basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls
Sacred sites · 4th century · Renowned
Church in Rome, Italy
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Burgos Cathedral
Sacred sites · 13th century · Renowned
Cathedral and World Heritage Site in Castile, Spain
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Prahadisvarar Temple
Sacred sites · 11th century · Renowned
11th century Tamil Chola Dynasty Temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Jameh Mosque of Isfahan
Sacred sites · Renowned
Mosque in Isfahan, Iranian national heritage site and World heritage site
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Jerónimos Monastery
Sacred sites · 16th century · Renowned
Building in Santa Maria de Belém, Lisbon District, Portugal
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Rouen Cathedral
Sacred sites · 11th century · Renowned
Cathedral located in Seine-Maritime, in France
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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral
Sacred sites · 19th century · Renowned
Bulgarian Orthodox cathedral in Sofia, Bulgaria
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Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg
Sacred sites · 11th century · Renowned
Cathedral located in Bas-Rhin, in France
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Monastery of Saint John of Rila
Sacred sites · 10th century · Renowned
Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria
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Salisbury Cathedral
Sacred sites · 13th century · Renowned
Church of England cathedral in Salisbury, England, UK
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Urnes Stave Church
Sacred sites · 12th century · Renowned
Church building in Luster, Vestland, Norway
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Shah Mosque
Sacred sites · 17th century · Renowned
Mosque in Isfahan, Iranian national heritage site
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Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius
Sacred sites · 14th century · Renowned
Russian monastery and the spiritual centre of the Russian Orthodox Church
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Poblet Monastery
Sacred sites · 12th century · Renowned
Monastery in Prades mountains, Catalonia. Spain
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La Madeleine
Sacred sites · 19th century · Renowned
Roman Catholic church in the 8th arrondissement of Paris
Churches, temples, monasteries & shrines by country
Every country with at least one. Those with eight or more have their own page.
- India1,472
- Italy1,400
- France788
- Japan654
- Germany546
- United States542
- Spain527
- China514
- United Kingdom503
- Turkey318
- Russia307
- Poland250
- Norway207
- Iran191
- Greece188
- Thailand163
- Indonesia158
- Sweden149
- Ukraine141
- Serbia134
- Belgium133
- Canada133
- Azerbaijan131
- Egypt124
- Georgia124
- Portugal124
- Romania123
- Austria122
- Brazil117
- Ireland111
- Sri Lanka111
- Armenia108
- Czech Republic107
- Malaysia107
- Israel102
- Netherlands94
- Philippines90
- South Korea90
- Switzerland90
- Bangladesh89
- Croatia81
- Mexico80
- Australia79
- Denmark79
- Finland76
- Bosnia and Herzegovina75
- Bulgaria74
- Singapore74
- Lithuania71
- Myanmar68
- Nepal65
- Iraq64
- Pakistan64
- Palestine63
- Slovakia61
- Syria61
- Malta58
- Morocco56
- Hungary54
- Tunisia54
- Albania53
- Vietnam53
- Chile49
- Latvia45
- Venezuela45
- Argentina43
- Taiwan41
- Algeria40
- Estonia39
- Belarus38
- Colombia38
- Cyprus37
- Montenegro37
- North Macedonia36
- Peru35
- Uzbekistan34
- Saudi Arabia33
- Bhutan30
- Slovenia30
- Lebanon27
- New Zealand24
- South Africa24
- Kosovo21
- Moldova20
- Ethiopia19
- Yemen17
- Uruguay16
- Mongolia15
- Cuba14
- Afghanistan13
- Ecuador13
- Ghana13
- Laos13
- North Korea13
- Russian Empire13
- United Arab Emirates13
- Iceland12
- Libya12
- Nigeria12
- Cambodia11
- Vatican City11
- Guatemala10
- Abkhazia9
- Uganda9
- Bolivia8
- Jordan8
- Mali8
- Nicaragua8
- Tanzania8
- Democratic Republic of the Congo7
- Dominican Republic7
- Eritrea7
- Honduras7
- Kazakhstan7
- Luxembourg7
- Northern Cyprus7
- Timor-Leste7
- Trinidad and Tobago7
- Aruba6
- Austrian Empire6
- Bahrain6
- El Salvador6
- Kingdom of England6
- Monaco6
- Mozambique6
- Oman6
- Paraguay6
- Faroe Islands5
- Haiti5
- Kenya5
- Qatar5
- Senegal5
- Soviet Union5
- Suriname5
- Angola4
- Brunei4
- Cameroon4
- Costa Rica4
- Curaçao4
- Djibouti4
- Madagascar4
- Maldives4
- Mauritania4
- Mauritius4
- Panama4
- Somalia4
- South Ossetia4
- Tsardom of Russia4
- Austria–Hungary3
- Barbados3
- Benin3
- Burkina Faso3
- Chad3
- Equatorial Guinea3
- Fiji3
- Ivory Coast3
- Kuwait3
- Niger3
- Rwanda3
- San Marino3
- Sudan3
- The Gambia3
- Tibet3
- Togo3
- Turkmenistan3
- Zimbabwe3
- Antigua and Barbuda2
- Belize2
- Burundi2
- Cape Verde2
- Central African Republic2
- Greenland2
- Guinea-Bissau2
- Guyana2
- Isle of Man2
- Jersey2
- Malawi2
- Namibia2
- Papua New Guinea2
- Republic of Artsakh2
- Republic of the Congo2
- Seychelles2
- Sierra Leone2
- South Sudan2
- Southern Netherlands2
- Tajikistan2
- Western Sahara2
- Zambia2
- Andorra1
- Azerbaijan Democratic Republic1
- Botswana1
- Chinese Empire1
- Cook Islands1
- Dominica1
- East Francia1
- Falkland Islands1
- German Empire1
- Grand Duchy of Lithuania1
- Grenada1
- Guernsey1
- Guinea1
- Holy Roman Empire1
- Hong Kong1
- Israeli-occupied territories1
- Jamaica1
- Kingdom of France1
- Kingdom of Gwynedd1
- Kingdom of Italy1
- Kingdom of Jerusalem1
- Kiribati1
- Lesotho1
- Liechtenstein1
- Mandatory Palestine1
- Marshall Islands1
- Occupied Palestinian territories1
- Puerto Rico1
- Saint Kitts and Nevis1
- Saint Lucia1
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1
- São Tomé and Príncipe1
- Second Polish Republic1
- Solomon Islands1
- Somaliland1
- The Bahamas1
- Transnistria1
- Ukrainian People's Republic1
- Vanuatu1
- Wales1
- West Bank1