Monasteries at Meteora – Greece

The Monasteries at Meteora are located in the Thessaly Region of Greece near the town of Kalabaka. Most of the monasteries were built during the Middle Ages and are perched on the peaks of towering sandstone pillars. The Greek word for meteora means “suspended in the air” and the term appropriately describes these Greek Orthodox…

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Wat Maha That – Thailand

Wat Maha That is famous for the tree that has grown around a sculpture of Buddha’s head and is one of the most important temples in Ayutthaya. Wat Maha That is believed to be one of Ayutthaya’s oldest temples and is thought to have been built by King Boromaraja I around 1370 to 1388 A….

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Wat Saket (Golden Mount) – Thailand

Wat Saket sits on top of an 80 meter manmade hill. Wat Saket is a historic temple in Bangkok, Thailand that was built in 1467. The temple is also known as the Temple of the Golden Mount or the Golden Mountain Temple. The architecture of the temple is unlike any other temple that I have…

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Pancha Rathas at Mahabalipuram – India

Pancha Rathas is a monument complex at Mahabalipuram in India. The coastal city is a suburb of Chennai on the coast of the Bay of Bengal in Southern India and was a major seaport of the ancient Pallava kingdom. The monument site consist of five monolithic temple structures built by the Pallavas in the early…

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Kasuga Taisha Shrine – Japan

Kasuga Taisha Shrine was built in 768 AD and is located in Nara Park in the city of Nara, Japan. The shrine was built by the Fujiwara clan, one of the most influential families to the imperial dynasty. The Kasuga Taish Shrine is famous for its many lanterns that are placed around the shrine grounds…

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Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep – Thailand

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is the most famous temple of Chaing Mai, Thailand and is known as the temple on the mountain. The temple is located 15 km outside the city on Mount Suthep in the Doi Pui National Park. The first Chedi of the temple was built in 1383 and over the years the…

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Mission San Jose – Texas

Mission San Jose was founded in 1720 and built on the banks of the San Antonio River just a few miles south of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. The mission was the largest in the area and contained a population of about 350 people. The mission was protected by a wall around the complex…

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Fushimi Inari-taisha – Japan

Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine is located in Kyoto, Japan and is one of the most iconic sights in Japan. The shrine was founded in 711 AD and is one of Kyoto’s oldest and most significant places. The complex consists of five main shrines and several sub-shrines scattered on the wooded sloping hillside but the shrine is…

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Silver Pagoda – Cambodia

The Silver Pagoda is located within the Phnom Penh Royal Palace grounds in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The pagoda was built between 1892 and 1902 during the rule of King Norodom in the Cambodian architectural style. The pagoda is where the King worshiped, prayed and practiced his Buddhist faith. The pagoda is unique because it has…

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Wat Phra That Suthon Mongkhon Khiri – Thailand

Wat Phra That Suthon Mongkhon Khiri is a large temple along the highway near the town of Phrae. This temple is not on the normal list of tourist’s spots but if you are traveling between Sukhotthai and Chiang Mai you will pass by it and I recommend stopping to check it out. The obvious attraction…

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Temple in the Sea – Trinidad

The Temple in the Sea is located in the town of Waterloo which is about an hour and 30 minute drive from Port of Spain. The Hindu temple was built on an artificial island in the Barrancones Bay and is connected to the mainland by a small man-made walkway. Being completely surrounded by water makes…

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Tran Quoc Pagoda – Vietnam

Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest pagoda in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was built in 545 A.D. on the banks of the Red River but it was moved to its current location on a peninsula in West Lake in the early 17th century. The outer wall of the pagoda is painted vibrant yellow and red with…

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