Journeys to sacred places or shrines undertaken as acts of religious veneration or penance have been a feature of religious observance from the earliest times.
Ancient religions had holy sites, temples and groves, such as Delphi and Dodona in Greece. On the other side of the Eurasian landmass the Buddha specifically recommended four sacred sites for his followers to visit. After Christ's crucifixion, sites connected with his birth, death and resurrection became a magnet for Christian travellers. During the medieval period Christian pilgrimage – to Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople and Santiago de Compostela – was a sacred obligation and a trial of faith. In Islam, pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, is one of the Five Pillars of that faith.
Philip Carr-Gomm tells the stories of 50 sacred sites across all five continents, including sites venerated by all of the world's major religions.
