The Kaaba - Mecca
The Kaaba is one of the oldest religious sites in the Middle East. It is so old, that it is even said to predate the religion of Islam, even though it is one of Islam's holiest sites. The Kaaba is said to have been built by Abraham and his son, Ishmael. The Kaaba is now the most important pilgrimage destination. The Kaaba is housed in the Al-Haram mosque. It contains the holy black stone, which is a black meteorite that is believed to cleanse sins if you touch it.
The Western Wall - Jerusalem
The western wall is considered the holiest site in Judaism because it was one of the retaining walls for the Second Temple, built by King Herod during biblical times. It has equal significance to the Muslims because they believe this is the place where Muhammad later ascended to heaven.
The wall used to be in a twelve foot alley, but the buildings surrounding it were bulldozed in order to make space for more worshippers. The walls huge cracks are now filled with prayers on crumpled pieces of paper because it is believed that prayers have a better than average chance of being answered when put in the wall. The wall is accesable to people of all religions 24 hours a day 365 days a year.
Al-Haram Mosque - Mecca
The Al-Haram Mosque is the holiest mosque in the world. It houses the Kaaba, and has been rebuilt and renovated at least five times. The mosque used to be very small, but can now hold up to 820,000 worshippers in air conditioned comfort. The overall area of the mosque is 356,800 square meters.
The Al-Haram Mosque is the holiest mosque in the world. It houses the Kaaba, and has been rebuilt and renovated at least five times. The mosque used to be very small, but can now hold up to 820,000 worshippers in air conditioned comfort. The overall area of the mosque is 356,800 square meters.
St. George's Church - Cairo
St. George's Church is the only round church in Egypt. The church standing today is a reproduction, built in 1904. The original structure was built in the tenth century, but was destroyed in a fire.
The church is strictly Greek Orthodox (a form of Christianity), and anyone can enter for free. The church also serves as a monastery. Strangely enough, there is a second St. Georges Church down the street, but it is Coptic Orthodox, which is also a form of Christianity.
Pyramids of Giza - Cairo
The Pyramids of Giza are the only surviving wonders of the ancient world. Although the Pyramids are not important to the modern religious world, they were very holy to the pharaohs and the people of ancient Egypt.
The Pyramids, located just outside of Cairo, are tombs for King Khufu and his family. At the time they were built, the Pyramids were the tallest structures on Earth. Now, not only are they not even near as high as the tallest structure in the world, they have become shorter due to the erosion of their outer limestone coverings. Khufu's son's pyramid appears to be taller than Khufu's because it is positioned on higher ground and still has a little bit of its outer covering at the very top. There is a theory that King Khufu positioned the Pyramids so that they would match the star constellation of Orion's Belt.
Today, only private groups are allowed to enter the passageways inside of the Pyramids.
