religion

Religious tourism is the oldest form of planned travel in the world. Even now, it remains a prevalent industry, with around 300 to 330 million tourists visiting religious sites every year. Religious tourism has two different forms: visiting a religious site just for the sake of tourism or seeking spiritual strength through the visit to a religious site.

Religion is a huge part of the vibrant human experience across the globe. Travelers know that many of the most beautiful and historical sites around the world are tied to one religion or another. Here are five religious sites in America that you should definitely work into your next cross-country road trip.

In the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, the Arab World’s army continues to combat the Islamic State’s attacks. As of October 2018, this war has forced as many as 20,000 families in the North Sinai Governorate to flee the fighting. With this devastating war continuing, it would be easy to assume that Egypt is not a safe place to travel. While you should avoid the Sinai Peninsula, there are plenty of places in Egypt where you can safely visit that will leave you in awe.

Photo by Sophia Harper

David C. Dollahite, PhD, stood in the back of a mosque looking for the imam, the prayer leader of the mosque. The imam would soon be added to the list of over 250 religious men and women Dollahite has interviewed in their places of worship for his research on how religious practices and beliefs affect people’s lives, marriages, and children.

The Hill of Crosses is located in Lithuania, a small Eastern European country in the Baltics (beneath Estonia awp-nd Latvia). It is about twelve kilometers north of Šiauliai, a city in the central north of Lithuania.

Crosses cover the hill entirely—they crowd each other so tightly, it would be impossible to walk through them. A thin cloud blankets the sky, and all is quiet and tranquil.