This was published 7 years ago

The 10 religious sites every atheist should see

By Ben Groundwater

Updated September 8, 2016 — 9.22am

Here's a question: if you don't believe in the religion, should you be allowed to gawk at its places of worship?

I've always felt just the tiniest bit uncomfortable when touring religious sites – churches, temples, synagogues and the like – knowing I'm not a believer. It gives those visits an air of voyeurism, that I'm peering in at something I'll never be part of, and maybe it's not welcome.

For all atheistic travellers, that must be something of a problem. But still, there's huge value in visiting these sites. Some have helped to shape the history of the world; others are just amazing artworks or testaments to spiritual devotion. Even for non-believers, these religious sites are must-sees.

La Sagrada Familia, Spain

This is probably the most impressive religious structure in the entire world, and it isn't even finished yet. Antoni Gaudi's masterpiece is stunning both inside and out, from its creepy melted-wax exteriors to its soaring ceiling that looks like the canopy of a concrete forest. You don't have to be religious in any way to appreciate the mastery and beauty of La Sagrada Familia.

Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Jerusalem

Doesn't matter if you're a believer or not, if you grew up in the Western world, you know about Jesus of Nazareth. And so why wouldn't you want to visit the site in central Jerusalem where the supposed son of God was buried and then resurrected? One of the most interesting things about this church – which also holds the Calvary, where Jesus was crucified – is how dilapidated it is. With all the money that's poured into cathedrals and basilicas across Europe, you'd think they'd splash out on a cleaner for Jesus' tomb.

Koya-San, Japan

While it's unlikely anyone reading this will be a practising Shingon Buddhist, there's still no reason to strike this tiny mountain village in central Japan from your list. In fact all the more reason to go there, to experience something different in the birthplace of the Shingon sect, to stay in a monastery and rise at dawn to watch the monks pray, to eat traditional vegan cuisine, and to wander the temples and mountain pathways of this heritage-listed town.

Temple Mount, Jerusalem

Just a short walk from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre lies probably the most religiously important and constantly bickered over piece of land in the world: Temple Mount. This hillock in central Jerusalem, currently presided over by Muslims but also considered sacred to Jews and Christians, has, over the past 3000 years or so, been occupied by Jebusites, Israelites, Babylonians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans and Brits. Interesting enough for you?

Imam Mosque, Iran

You don't have to be interested in Islam at all to appreciate just how amazing this mosque in central Esfahan is. Built in the early 1600s and once called the Shah Mosque, the Imam Mosque and its surrounding walls and archways are completely covered by more than 475,000 intricately designed, hand-painted tiles. The result is a riot of colour that will have your camera clicking like never before.

Imam Mosque in Esfahan, Iran.Credit: iStock

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Maybe the most amazing thing about Lalibela, home to a series of 11 monolithic rock-hewn churches that date back more than 800 years, is that those churches are still in use today. Hang out in their eerie, dark corridors around dawn and you'll find white-robed devotees roaming around, praying and chanting. It's an amazing sight.

Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar

As far as identifying Myanmar's most important Buddhist site goes, it's a toss-up between the vast array of ancient temples that dot the landscape around Bagan, and this single, huge golden temple that dominates the skyline of Yangon. Whichever you choose to visit, you'll get a window into religion in the country, and an experience of at least one of the world's great sights: sunrise over the fields of Bagan, or sunset next to the shimmering Shwedagon.

Western Wall, Jerusalem

There are restrictions on Jews praying at the Temple Mount, which means the most sacred place for them to worship is the Western Wall, an ancient part of the Jewish monument that once stood on Temple Mount above. Visit the Western Wall on a Friday evening, at the beginning of Shabbat, and you'll see thousands of residents and visitors coming to the wall to pray – a sight far more interesting than the wall itself.

Hagia Sophia, Turkey

First it was a church, then it was a mosque, and now it's a museum. Whatever you want to call it, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul is a thing of beauty, a cavernous space that dates back to 537 AD. It forms part of a large network of sights within the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul that includes the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and the Basilica Cistern, all of which are worth a visit.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Here's proof that a religious site doesn't have to be old or historic to be worth a visit. In Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque you have one of the world's great places of worship, a shimmering marble edifice that rises from the Emirati desert. It seems to go on and on forever, these blinding white corridors and huge spaces both open and enclosed. The mosque's main prayer hall features the world's largest carpet, a 5627-square-metre monstrosity made in Iran, and seven Swarovski crystal chandeliers.