Sacred Spaces

A mine fire has been burning under the deserted town since 1962, but this church is still going strong.

Some say this medieval church is where the poet Dante married his wife and also met the love of his life.

A replica of a 7th-century church hides in plain sight in the middle of the concrete jungle.

The walls of this medieval church are covered with perfectly preserved frescos, including a pristine example of the Dance of Death.

A carved grave marker from the 2nd century is mounted in the alcove wall of this Bavarian church.

A shrine honoring a legendary ghost bride lies within this vibrant temple.

This sublime architectural marvel is a rare example of an expressionist church.

The ancient necropolis houses the immense rock-cut tombs of four Persian kings.

The severed head of a 17th-century Irish martyr lies within an intricate golden shrine.

An ancient underground cultic temple where sunlight penetrates on the summer solstice.

The mysterious canine hides atop a drain pipe on the back of the building, some say as a sneaky shoutout to Yale.

The palace window through which Protestant nobles flung two Catholic regents, thus sparking the Thirty Years' War.

Conflicting markers on its floor tell a tale of two city centers in San Antonio.

This peaceful Sikh gurudwara serves around 50,000 free meals every day within its gilded walls.

The remains of the oldest synagogue in Britain lay forgotten for seven centuries, hidden under a humble shop.

Ruins battered by centuries of war and disaster offer a wondrous glimpse of medieval Ireland.

A stunning Catholic cathedral built by a curve-loving communist in Brazil’s newly created capital.