Series

Cathedrals and Monasteries

The Christian religious architecture of the catalogue gathered in one collection: cathedrals, basilicas, abbeys, monasteries and convents in Europe, the Holy Land, the Caucasus, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

120 programs

Saint Demetrius Cathedral
Sacred SitesAlbania

Saint Demetrius Cathedral

Dedicated to Saint Demetrius, a martyr honoured throughout the Orthodox world, this cathedral gathers the whole vocabulary of Eastern Christian building: a domed volume, an iconostasis separating nave from sanctuary, painted walls, and the slow choreography of the liturgy.

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La Plata Cathedral: A Gothic Dream in Brick
Sacred SitesArgentina

La Plata Cathedral: A Gothic Dream in Brick

The cathedral of La Plata was conceived with the planned city it crowns: a vast neo-Gothic church built in exposed brick, among the largest of its kind in the Americas. Begun in the 1880s, it waited more than a century for its twin towers to be completed.

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Haghartsin: A Monastery in the Forest
Sacred SitesArmenia

Haghartsin: A Monastery in the Forest

Set in a forested valley in the mountains of northern Armenia, Haghartsin gathers several medieval churches, a refectory and carved cross-stones on a single terrace. Restored in recent years, it is among the most atmospheric monastic sites in the country.

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Haghpat: The Monastery of the Lori Plateau
Sacred SitesArmenia

Haghpat: The Monastery of the Lori Plateau

Founded in the tenth century on the Lori plateau, Haghpat grew into a monastery, a school and a scriptorium. Its churches, vaulted porches, bell tower and carved cross-stones are inscribed on the World Heritage List alongside its neighbour, Sanahin.

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Khor Virap: Facing Mount Ararat
Sacred SitesArmenia

Khor Virap: Facing Mount Ararat

Standing on a low hill in the Ararat plain, Khor Virap faces the snow cap of Mount Ararat across a closed frontier. Beneath the church, a deep pit is venerated as the place where Gregory the Illuminator was held before the conversion of Armenia to Christianity.

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Marmashen: Red Stone by the River
Sacred SitesArmenia

Marmashen: Red Stone by the River

Set on a green terrace beside the Akhurian river, in the province of Shirak, Marmashen brings together several medieval churches of warm reddish stone. Their tall proportions, conical roofs and blind arcading make the site one of the most harmonious in northern Armenia.

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Noravank: The Monastery of the Red Cliffs
Sacred SitesArmenia

Noravank: The Monastery of the Red Cliffs

At the end of a gorge of red cliffs in southern Armenia, Noravank is celebrated for its two-storey church of the Holy Mother of God, reached by two flights of narrow steps projecting from the facade, and for the sculpted tympana attributed to the master Momik.

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Saghmosavank: The Monastery of Psalms
Sacred SitesArmenia

Saghmosavank: The Monastery of Psalms

Standing on the rim of the Kasagh gorge, Saghmosavank is a tightly grouped medieval complex: a church, a vaulted porch-hall and an annexe built to hold manuscripts. Its name refers to the psalms, and its silhouette is among the most photographed in Armenia.

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Sanahin: A Medieval Academy in Stone
Sacred SitesArmenia

Sanahin: A Medieval Academy in Stone

Founded in the tenth century above the Debed gorge, Sanahin was a monastery, a school and a scriptorium. Its churches, porch-halls, library and covered gallery form a dense stone ensemble inscribed on the World Heritage List with nearby Haghpat.

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Tatev: The Monastery Above the Void
Sacred SitesArmenia

Tatev: The Monastery Above the Void

Perched on a basalt promontory above the Vorotan gorge, in southern Armenia, Tatev was a fortified monastery and one of the great universities of the medieval Armenian world. It is now reached by a cable car that crosses the canyon in a single span.

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Yereruyk: The Oldest Stones of Armenian Christianity
Sacred SitesArmenia

Yereruyk: The Oldest Stones of Armenian Christianity

Standing alone on a bare plateau in the province of Shirak, Yereruyk is the ruin of an early Christian basilica raised on a stepped platform. Its colonnades, carved doorways and open arcades make it one of the oldest and most singular monuments in Armenia.

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Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia
Sacred SitesBulgaria

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Sofia

The cathedral of Saint Alexander Nevsky dominates central Sofia with its gilded and green domes. Built in the neo-Byzantine manner in memory of the soldiers fallen in the war that led to Bulgaria's liberation, it also holds one of the country's finest collections of icons.

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The Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God, Varna
Sacred SitesBulgaria

The Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God, Varna

Varna's Orthodox cathedral rises above the Black Sea port with domes, a bell tower and a painted interior. The film follows its silhouette, its icons and its place in the life of the city.

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Fengguo Monastery
Sacred SitesChina

Fengguo Monastery

Fengguo Monastery preserves a great wooden hall whose row of colossal Buddha figures has been receiving worshippers for centuries. The film examines the carpentry, the sculpture and the painted surfaces.

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The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Bogotá
Sacred SitesColombia

The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Bogotá

Facing Bogotá's principal square, the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica presents a sober neoclassical front and a vast, luminous interior. The film follows its architecture, its chapels and its civic role.

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The Inkerman Cave Monastery of Saint Clement
Sacred SitesCrimea

The Inkerman Cave Monastery of Saint Clement

Cut directly into the rock face near Sevastopol, the Inkerman monastery holds chapels and cells within the cliff, with the remains of a fortress on the plateau above.

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The Cathedral of the Intercession
Sacred SitesCrimea

The Cathedral of the Intercession

Dedicated to the Protection of the Mother of God, this Crimean cathedral combines the picturesque massing of the Russian revival with an interior of icons, gilding and candlelight.

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Saint Vladimir's Cathedral
Sacred SitesCrimea

Saint Vladimir's Cathedral

Dedicated to Prince Vladimir, whose conversion tradition situates in Crimea, this cathedral combines a monumental neo-Byzantine exterior with a solemn, marble-lined interior.

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The Basilica of the National Vow
Sacred SitesEcuador

The Basilica of the National Vow

Twin towers, flying buttresses and stone beasts drawn from the fauna of Ecuador: the Basilica of the National Vow is the boldest religious building of the Andean capital.

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The Church and Convent of Saint Augustine
Sacred SitesEcuador

The Church and Convent of Saint Augustine

An Augustinian church and cloister in the World Heritage centre of Quito, whose chapter house is remembered as the room where Ecuador's act of independence was signed.

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The Church and Monastery of Saint Francis
Sacred SitesEcuador

The Church and Monastery of Saint Francis

Begun soon after the Spanish founding of Quito, San Francisco covers an entire quarter: church, cloisters, chapels and a great atrium, filled with the art of the Quito school.

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The Church and Convent of Guapulo
Sacred SitesEcuador

The Church and Convent of Guapulo

Built on the slope of a valley below the Ecuadorian capital, the sanctuary of Guapulo holds altarpieces, colonial paintings and a celebrated carved pulpit.

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The Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito
Sacred SitesEcuador

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Quito

Facing the Plaza Grande, the Metropolitan Cathedral is one of the oldest in South America, a layered building of chapels, altarpieces and tombs at the centre of Ecuadorian history.

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The Recoleta de San Diego Convent-Museum
Sacred SitesEcuador

The Recoleta de San Diego Convent-Museum

Founded as a house of retreat, San Diego preserves a cloister with painted walls, a church of colonial altarpieces and a cemetery, now open to visitors as a convent-museum.

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The Ruins of the Bridgettine Convent, Pirita
Sacred SitesEstonia

The Ruins of the Bridgettine Convent, Pirita

On the shore near Tallinn stand the ruins of a Bridgettine convent: a soaring gable, bare walls and open windows, left after the wars that swept the medieval Baltic.

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Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa
Sacred SitesEthiopia

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa

The principal cathedral of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Addis Ababa combines carved stone, stained glass and imperial tombs, including that of the country's last emperor.

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Fontfroide Abbey
Sacred SitesFrance

Fontfroide Abbey

Set among the vineyards and garrigue of the Corbières, Fontfroide is one of the great Cistercian houses of southern France. Its church, cloister and chapter house survive largely intact, and the abbey was restored rather than left to ruin.

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La Major Cathedral, Marseille
Sacred SitesFrance

La Major Cathedral, Marseille

Known simply as La Major, Marseille's cathedral rises in bands of green and white stone at the edge of the Joliette docks. Built in the nineteenth century on a monumental scale, it embodies the ambitions of a port at the height of its power.

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Alaverdi Monastery and Fortress
Sacred SitesGeorgia

Alaverdi Monastery and Fortress

In the wine country of eastern Georgia, the cathedral of Alaverdi rises above its enclosure walls and the Alazani valley. One of the tallest medieval churches in the country, it remains a working monastery.

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Bagrati Cathedral
Sacred SitesGeorgia

Bagrati Cathedral

Raised on a hill above Kutaisi at the height of the Georgian kingdom, Bagrati Cathedral was reduced to a shell by an explosion and later rebuilt. Its history makes it a case study in how nations restore their monuments.

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The Blue Monastery, Tbilisi
Sacred SitesGeorgia

The Blue Monastery, Tbilisi

Known to the city as the Blue Monastery for the glazed tiles of its dome, this church stands within the fabric of central Tbilisi. Its medieval core has passed through successive rebuildings and changes of use.

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Gelati Monastery
Sacred SitesGeorgia

Gelati Monastery

Founded by King David the Builder, Gelati was conceived as both a monastery and a centre of learning. Its mosaics and wall paintings survive as one of the outstanding ensembles of medieval Georgian art, on the World Heritage List.

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Holy Trinity Cathedral, Tbilisi
Sacred SitesGeorgia

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Tbilisi

Completed at the turn of the twenty-first century, the Holy Trinity Cathedral dominates the skyline of Tbilisi. Its scale, its gilded dome and its terraced setting make it a statement about faith and nationhood.

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Jvari Monastery, Mtskheta
Sacred SitesGeorgia

Jvari Monastery, Mtskheta

Set on a rocky ridge above the confluence of the Kura and Aragvi, Jvari is one of the earliest surviving Georgian churches and a model for those that followed. It belongs to the World Heritage site of Mtskheta.

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Agia Triada Tzagaroli Monastery
Sacred SitesGreece

Agia Triada Tzagaroli Monastery

On the Akrotiri peninsula near Chania, the monastery of the Holy Trinity combines Venetian-influenced architecture with a working agricultural estate. Its monks still produce olive oil and wine from the surrounding land.

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Arkadi Monastery
Sacred SitesGreece

Arkadi Monastery

On a plateau south of Rethymno, Arkadi is known for two things: the Venetian Renaissance facade of its church, and the events of 1866, when the monastery became the emblem of the Cretan struggle against Ottoman rule.

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Hozoviotissa Monastery, Amorgos
Sacred SitesGreece

Hozoviotissa Monastery, Amorgos

Built into a vertical rock face on the east coast of Amorgos, the monastery of Hozoviotissa is a narrow white band of masonry above the sea. A steep stone path is still the only way to reach its door.

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The Abbey of the Dormition, Mount Zion
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Abbey of the Dormition, Mount Zion

Just outside the walls of Jerusalem's Old City, the Abbey of the Dormition marks the place where tradition holds that the Virgin Mary fell asleep. Built for a German Benedictine community in the early twentieth century, it is one of the landmarks of Mount Zion.

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The Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent, Nazareth
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent, Nazareth

Built in pale local stone on a height overlooking Nazareth, this Salesian church is dedicated to the adolescent Jesus. Its Gothic-revival nave, unusually bright and spare, opens onto a wide panorama of the town and the hills of Galilee.

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The Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth

Consecrated in 1969 over remains of Byzantine and Crusader churches, the Basilica of the Annunciation encloses the grotto venerated as the home of Mary. Its two superimposed churches are decorated with Marian images offered by Catholic communities worldwide.

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The Crusader Church of Abu Ghosh
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Crusader Church of Abu Ghosh

On the road from the coast to Jerusalem, the church of Abu Ghosh is among the best-preserved Crusader buildings in the country. A spring still runs in its crypt, faded medieval frescoes cover its walls, and a Benedictine community maintains it.

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Ecce Homo: The Arch and the Pavement
Sacred SitesIsrael

Ecce Homo: The Arch and the Pavement

On the Via Dolorosa, an ancient arch spans the street and continues inside the convent of the Sisters of Zion. Below lie the great flagstones of the Lithostrotos and a vast Roman cistern cut into the rock.

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Deir el-Muhraqa: The Carmelite Monastery of Elijah
Sacred SitesIsrael

Deir el-Muhraqa: The Carmelite Monastery of Elijah

High on the southeastern ridge of Mount Carmel, a Carmelite monastery marks the traditional site of Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal. From its roof, the whole Jezreel Valley opens out to the horizon.

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Emmaus Nicopolis
Sacred SitesIsrael

Emmaus Nicopolis

At the edge of the Ayalon plain, the ruins of a Byzantine basilica and a later Crusader church mark one of the traditional identifications of Emmaus, where the Gospel of Luke places the meeting on the road after the resurrection.

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The Monastery of Saint Euthymius
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Monastery of Saint Euthymius

Between Jerusalem and the Jordan valley stand the ruins of the monastery founded by Euthymius, a central figure of Judean Desert monasticism. Vaults, cisterns and mosaic floors survive in a landscape of bare chalk hills.

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The Gorny Convent
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Gorny Convent

On the slopes of Ein Kerem, the Russian Orthodox convent of Gorny raises its domes above gardens and pine trees. A working religious house whose liturgy, dress and calendar belong to the Russian tradition, transplanted to the hills of Jerusalem.

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A Greek Church and Monastery on the Sea of Galilee
Sacred SitesIsrael

A Greek Church and Monastery on the Sea of Galilee

Facing the Sea of Galilee, a Greek Orthodox church and its monastery keep a slow, self-contained life at the water's edge: gardens, bells, painted icons and the daily offices of an Eastern community.

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Holy Trinity Cathedral, Jerusalem
ArchitectureIsrael

Holy Trinity Cathedral, Jerusalem

Standing in the Russian Compound just outside the Old City walls, this Orthodox cathedral and its domes recall the era when great powers built hospices, hospitals and churches for their pilgrims in Jerusalem.

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Mar Elias Monastery
Sacred SitesIsrael

Mar Elias Monastery

Standing on the watershed road between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the Greek Orthodox monastery of Mar Elias carries the memory of the prophet Elijah and marks one of the classic viewpoints between the two cities.

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The Monastery of Saints John and George of Choziba
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Monastery of Saints John and George of Choziba

Clinging to the rock wall of Wadi Qelt, on the old road from Jerusalem to Jericho, this Greek Orthodox monastery is one of the most spectacular sights of the Judean Desert, surrounded by the caves of former hermits.

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The Monastery of the Cross
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Monastery of the Cross

Standing like a small fortress in a valley west of the Old City, the Monastery of the Cross preserves painted walls, a mosaic floor and a Georgian past — with the tradition that the wood of the Cross grew on this ground.

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The Monastery of the Flagellation and Condemnation
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Monastery of the Flagellation and Condemnation

At the start of the Via Dolorosa, the Franciscan complex of the Flagellation and Condemnation combines two chapels, a courtyard, and an archaeological collection assembled by scholars who have excavated the Holy Land for generations.

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The Monastery of the Twelve Apostles, Capernaum
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Monastery of the Twelve Apostles, Capernaum

Beside the archaeological site of Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, a Greek Orthodox church raises its red domes above gardens and palm trees, directly on the lake.

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The Pater Noster: The Carmelite Monastery of the Lord's Prayer
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Pater Noster: The Carmelite Monastery of the Lord's Prayer

High on the Mount of Olives, the Carmelite monastery of the Pater Noster displays the Lord's Prayer on ceramic panels in more than a hundred languages. Cloisters, gardens and ancient remains make it one of the most distinctive sanctuaries in Jerusalem.

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Beit Jamal: The Salesian Monastery of Don Bosco
Sacred SitesIsrael

Beit Jamal: The Salesian Monastery of Don Bosco

Set on a wooded hill in the Judean foothills, the Salesian monastery of Beit Jamal combines a church, agricultural land and a tradition of teaching handed down from Don Bosco. A rare portrait of a working religious estate in the Holy Land.

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Deir Hijleh: The Monastery of Saint Gerasimos
Sacred SitesIsrael

Deir Hijleh: The Monastery of Saint Gerasimos

Isolated in the desert of the Jordan Valley, the Greek Orthodox monastery of Saint Gerasimos rises as a fortified enclosure of courtyards, chapels and blue domes. It continues a tradition of desert monasticism, and its legend of a monk and a lion still endures.

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Stella Maris: The Carmelite Monastery of Mount Carmel
Sacred SitesIsrael

Stella Maris: The Carmelite Monastery of Mount Carmel

On the headland of Mount Carmel overlooking Haifa bay, the Stella Maris monastery is the principal house of the Carmelite order. Beneath its painted dome lies a cave linked by tradition to the prophet Elijah, at the origin of the order itself.

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The Convent of the Sisters of Zion
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Convent of the Sisters of Zion

The Sisters of Zion have kept houses in the Holy Land since the nineteenth century, combining prayer, hospitality and study. Their convent, with its chapel, cloisters and gardens, offers a rare view of a religious community and its daily rhythm.

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The Monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene
Sacred SitesIsrael

The Monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene

On the slope of the Mount of Olives above Gethsemane, the Russian Orthodox monastery of Saint Mary Magdalene raises its gilded onion domes among the olive trees. Built by the Russian imperial family, it is one of the most photographed silhouettes in Jerusalem.

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San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, Milan
Sacred SitesItaly

San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore, Milan

Once the church of Milan's largest Benedictine convent, San Maurizio is divided in two by a partition wall: a hall for the faithful and, behind it, the nuns' choir. Every surface is frescoed, much of it by Bernardino Luini and his circle.

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Kencho-ji, First Zen Monastery of Kamakura
Sacred SitesJapan

Kencho-ji, First Zen Monastery of Kamakura

Founded in Kamakura under the patronage of the Hojo regents and led by a Chinese Chan master, Kencho-ji was conceived as a full monastic training centre. First of the city's Five Mountains, it remains an active Rinzai monastery.

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Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral
Sacred SitesMexico

Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral

Dominating the Zocalo, the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City took centuries to complete and combines Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical work. It stands on the site of the sacred precinct of the Aztec capital.

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Capriana Monastery
Sacred SitesMoldova

Capriana Monastery

Set in the wooded hills of central Moldova, Capriana is among the oldest monastic foundations in the country. Closed under Soviet rule and restored after independence, it has regained its place as a spiritual and national landmark.

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Orheiul Vechi, the Cave Monastery
Sacred SitesMoldova

Orheiul Vechi, the Cave Monastery

Above the Raut river, in a limestone gorge, monks hollowed a monastery directly out of the rock. Orheiul Vechi combines a cave church, a hilltop chapel and an archaeological landscape occupied since antiquity.

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Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Ulaanbaatar
Sacred SitesMongolia

Gandantegchinlen Monastery, Ulaanbaatar

Gandantegchinlen is the principal monastery of Mongolian Buddhism and the spiritual centre of Ulaanbaatar. Its great hall shelters a colossal gilded statue of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, rebuilt after the destruction of the socialist era.

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Manzushir Monastery
Sacred SitesMongolia

Manzushir Monastery

South of Ulaanbaatar, in a forested valley of the Bogd Khan mountain, Manzushir Monastery was destroyed during the political purges of the socialist era. Foundations and rock inscriptions remain, with a single restored temple.

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Kotor Cathedral
Sacred SitesMontenegro

Kotor Cathedral

Dedicated to Saint Tryphon, patron of Kotor, the cathedral stands at the heart of the walled city on the Bay of Kotor. Its twin bell towers, Romanesque interior and treasury make it the principal monument of the old town.

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Mar Saba Monastery
Sacred SitesPalestinian Territories

Mar Saba Monastery

Founded in the late fifth century by Sabbas the Sanctified, Mar Saba hangs above the Kidron gorge in the Judean Desert. Its blue domes, cells and cliff caves shelter one of the oldest continuously inhabited monastic communities in the Christian world.

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Lima Cathedral and the Plaza Mayor
Sacred SitesPeru

Lima Cathedral and the Plaza Mayor

Lima's Plaza Mayor was traced out when the city was founded in 1535, and its cathedral has been rebuilt again and again after the earthquakes that punctuate Peruvian history. Together they form the ceremonial heart of the capital's historic centre.

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Manila Cathedral
Sacred SitesPhilippines

Manila Cathedral

The Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has been levelled by fire, typhoon, earthquake and war, and raised again each time. Its present neo-Romanesque form dominates the heart of Intramuros.

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Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception
Sacred SitesPhilippines

Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

Raised in honour of the Immaculate Conception, this Philippine basilica remains a centre of Marian devotion and a landmark of its city. Its facade, bell tower and richly furnished interior speak of a faith deeply woven into local identity.

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The Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen
Sacred SitesPoland

The Basilica of Our Lady of Lichen

Completed at the turn of the twenty-first century, the basilica of Lichen Stary is among the largest churches in Europe. Its immense dome, free-standing tower and colonnades were raised to receive the pilgrims of one of Poland's foremost Marian shrines.

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The Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Florian, Warsaw
Sacred SitesPoland

The Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel and Saint Florian, Warsaw

On the right bank of the Vistula, the brick cathedral of Saints Michael and Florian rises over the Praga district. Dynamited during the Second World War and rebuilt afterwards, its twin spires remain the emblem of the quarter.

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Corpus Christi Basilica, Krakow
Sacred SitesPoland

Corpus Christi Basilica, Krakow

Founded in the fourteenth century by Casimir the Great in the town that bears his name, Corpus Christi Basilica dominates Krakow's Kazimierz district with its tall Gothic brick nave and its later Baroque furnishings.

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The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene, Warsaw
Sacred SitesPoland

The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene, Warsaw

Built in the nineteenth century in the Praga district, the cathedral of Saint Mary Magdalene is the principal Orthodox church of Warsaw. Its cluster of domes, its iconostasis and its liturgy preserve a Byzantine tradition within the Polish capital.

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Faro Cathedral - Part One
Sacred SitesPortugal

Faro Cathedral - Part One

Raised in the old walled town of Faro after the Christian conquest of the Algarve, the cathedral rests on ground already sacred in Roman and Islamic times. First part of a two-episode study of its architecture and history.

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Faro Cathedral - Part Two
Sacred SitesPortugal

Faro Cathedral - Part Two

Second part of the study of Faro Cathedral, devoted to its interior: Baroque gilded carving, blue and white azulejo panels, side chapels and the organ, all set within a Gothic frame repeatedly repaired after earthquake and war.

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The Monastery of Leca do Balio
Sacred SitesPortugal

The Monastery of Leca do Balio

With its battlemented tower and austere Gothic nave, the monastery church of Leca do Balio recalls the military orders that held land around Porto. One of the most distinctive medieval buildings of northern Portugal.

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Lisbon Cathedral
Sacred SitesPortugal

Lisbon Cathedral

Founded in the twelfth century after the capture of Lisbon, the cathedral presents a Romanesque facade flanked by two towers. Its Gothic cloister covers excavations that have uncovered Roman, Islamic and medieval layers of the city.

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The Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora - Part One
Sacred SitesPortugal

The Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora - Part One

Begun in the late sixteenth century on a hill above Lisbon, Sao Vicente de Fora introduced a severe Italianate classicism to Portugal. First part of a study devoted to its church, facade and monumental architecture.

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The Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora - Part Two
Sacred SitesPortugal

The Monastery of Sao Vicente de Fora - Part Two

Second part of the study of Sao Vicente de Fora, devoted to its cloisters, its remarkable azulejo cycles and the pantheon where the kings and queens of the Braganza dynasty are buried, high above the rooftops of Lisbon.

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Porto Cathedral
Sacred SitesPortugal

Porto Cathedral

Massive, crenellated and set on the highest point of the old city, Porto Cathedral began as a Romanesque fortress-church in the twelfth century. Its Gothic cloister, tiled walls and silver altarpiece trace eight centuries of additions.

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Vorona Monastery
Sacred SitesRomania

Vorona Monastery

Set among the woods of north-eastern Romania, Vorona Monastery gathers church, bell tower and monastic quarters within a walled enclosure. A place shaped by the enduring rhythms of Orthodox monastic life.

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The Monastery of Saint Alexander of Svir
Sacred SitesRussia

The Monastery of Saint Alexander of Svir

Founded at the end of the fifteenth century in the forests between Lakes Ladoga and Onega, this monastery grew from a hermitage into one of the great spiritual centres of the Russian north, composed of two adjoining walled complexes.

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The Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Saint Petersburg
Sacred SitesRussia

The Alexander Nevsky Lavra, Saint Petersburg

Founded by Peter the Great in 1710, the Alexander Nevsky Lavra holds the relics of the prince who defended Novgorod, a neoclassical cathedral and the cemeteries where Dostoevsky, Tchaikovsky and Glinka are buried.

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Alexander-Svirsky Monastery
Sacred SitesRussia

Alexander-Svirsky Monastery

One of the historic monastic centres of northern Russia, the Alexander-Svirsky Monastery preserves churches, a bell tower and conventual ranges within its enclosures, and has recovered an active community after the Soviet decades.

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The Monastery of Saints Boris and Gleb, Torzhok
Sacred SitesRussia

The Monastery of Saints Boris and Gleb, Torzhok

Overlooking the Tvertsa river in the old trading town of Torzhok, the monastery of Saints Boris and Gleb is by tradition among the earliest founded in Russia. Its neoclassical cathedral and bell tower dominate the town's skyline.

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Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow
Sacred SitesRussia

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, Moscow

On the bank of the Moskva River stands the largest Orthodox cathedral in Russia. Built in the 19th century to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon's invasion, demolished under Stalin in 1931 and rebuilt in the 1990s, it is a monument to memory as much as to faith.

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The Cathedral of Saint Catherine
Sacred SitesRussia

The Cathedral of Saint Catherine

Dedicated to Saint Catherine, this Russian cathedral gathers the elements of a working place of worship: a marked facade in the streetscape, a nave shaped for liturgy, icons, candlelight and the daily rhythm of a congregation.

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The Pskov Caves Monastery
Sacred SitesRussia

The Pskov Caves Monastery

Founded in the 15th century near the western border of Russia, the Holy Dormition Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery is built into a sandy ravine around a network of caves. It is one of the few Russian monasteries that never closed during the Soviet period.

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The Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery
Sacred SitesRussia

The Joseph-Volokolamsk Monastery

Founded at the end of the 15th century by Joseph of Volotsk, this fortified monastery west of Moscow encloses cathedral, refectory and cells behind ornate brick walls and towers, its whole ensemble reflected in the surrounding pond.

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Kazan Cathedral
Sacred SitesRussia

Kazan Cathedral

Dedicated to the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, among the most venerated images in Russian Orthodoxy, this cathedral is filmed as architecture and as living devotion: facade and colonnade, nave and side chapels, candlelight and the movement of the faithful.

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The Kazan Convent
Sacred SitesRussia

The Kazan Convent

Placed under the patronage of the Kazan icon of the Mother of God, this Russian convent is observed from within: churches and cells inside the enclosure, the ordering of the monastic day, and the work that sustains a community of women.

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Khutyn Monastery of the Transfiguration
Sacred SitesRussia

Khutyn Monastery of the Transfiguration

Founded by Varlaam of Khutyn near Veliky Novgorod, this monastery of the Saviour's Transfiguration stands above the Volkhov River. Its white churches and belfry mark one of the great pilgrimage sites of the Russian north-west.

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The Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery
Sacred SitesRussia

The Nikolo-Ugreshsky Monastery

Founded in the 14th century by Dmitry Donskoy in memory of the victory at Kulikovo, this monastery near Moscow is known for its vast Transfiguration Cathedral and the crenellated fantasy of its so-called Palestine Wall.

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Nilov Monastery on Stolobny Island
Sacred SitesRussia

Nilov Monastery on Stolobny Island

On Stolobny Island in Lake Seliger, the Nilov Monastery grew from the retreat of the hermit Nil. Its neoclassical cathedral, quays and colonnades ring the shoreline, making it one of the most striking water-bound ensembles in Russia.

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Raifa Monastery of the Mother of God
Sacred SitesRussia

Raifa Monastery of the Mother of God

Set among pine forest beside a lake west of Kazan, the Raifa Monastery is one of the principal Orthodox sites of Tatarstan. Its coloured churches, bell tower and enclosure walls face the water in one of Russia's most photogenic monastic settings.

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The Borisoglebsky Monastery near Rostov
Sacred SitesRussia

The Borisoglebsky Monastery near Rostov

North-west of Rostov Veliky, the monastery of Saints Boris and Gleb is enclosed by powerful walls and towers. Within stand its churches, a gate belfry and the cell associated with Irinarch the Recluse, still a place of pilgrimage.

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Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Saint Petersburg
Sacred SitesRussia

Saint Isaac's Cathedral, Saint Petersburg

Designed by Auguste de Montferrand and built between 1818 and 1858, Saint Isaac's Cathedral is the largest church in Saint Petersburg. Its granite colonnades, malachite and lapis columns and gilded dome make it a landmark of imperial ambition.

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The Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery
Sacred SitesRussia

The Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery

Founded at the end of the 14th century by Savva, a disciple of Sergius of Radonezh, this monastery above Zvenigorod grew under royal patronage into a walled ensemble of churches, palaces and towers overlooking the Moskva valley.

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The Solovetsky Monastery
Sacred SitesRussia

The Solovetsky Monastery

On the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea, a monastery founded in the 15th century built walls of colossal boulders against the Arctic light. A UNESCO World Heritage site whose 20th-century history as a labour camp remains inseparable from it.

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Saint George's Monastery, Novgorod
Sacred SitesRussia

Saint George's Monastery, Novgorod

On the Volkhov near Veliky Novgorod, the Yuriev Monastery is among the oldest in Russia. Its Saint George's Cathedral, built in the 12th century, rises in austere white masses over the water meadows toward Lake Ilmen.

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The Ascension Cathedral
Sacred SitesRussia

The Ascension Cathedral

Dedicated to the Ascension, this Russian cathedral is filmed as architecture and as living liturgy: the vertical drive of the exterior, the ordering of the nave, the icon screen, and the light that shapes the interior through the day.

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The Cathedral of the Dormition
Sacred SitesRussia

The Cathedral of the Dormition

The Dormition of the Mother of God is the dedication of many of Russia's principal cathedrals. This one is filmed with attention to architecture and worship: white walls and domes outside, icons, gilding and candlelight within.

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The Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg
Sacred SitesRussia

The Trinity Cathedral, Saint Petersburg

One of the great neoclassical cathedrals of Saint Petersburg, the Trinity Cathedral is instantly recognisable by its deep blue domes strewn with gilded stars, rising above a quarter long associated with the imperial guard.

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The Feodorovsky Sovereign's Cathedral, Tsarskoye Selo
Sacred SitesRussia

The Feodorovsky Sovereign's Cathedral, Tsarskoye Selo

Built in the early 20th century at Tsarskoye Selo for the imperial family, this cathedral revives the forms of medieval Russian architecture: white walls, a single great dome and carved portals, in a deliberate return to national tradition.

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The Dormition Cathedral
Sacred SitesRussia

The Dormition Cathedral

Cathedrals of the Dormition stand at the heart of many Russian cities and monasteries. This one is filmed with equal attention to its architecture and to the worship that fills it: facades and domes, icon screen, chant and candlelight.

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Ascension Davidova Hermitage
Sacred SitesRussia

Ascension Davidova Hermitage

In open country south of Moscow, a walled hermitage gathers churches, bell tower and monastic quarters into one compact ensemble. Closed under Soviet rule and rebuilt by the community living there today, it is filmed as a working house of prayer rather than a monument.

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The Epiphany Cathedral at Yelokhovo
Sacred SitesRussia

The Epiphany Cathedral at Yelokhovo

A monumental classical church in eastern Moscow, the Epiphany Cathedral at Yelokhovo served as the patriarchal cathedral through the Soviet decades. Its five domes, gilded iconostasis and venerated relics make it one of the capital's essential Orthodox sites.

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Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, Zvenigorod
Sacred SitesRussia

Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, Zvenigorod

Set on a wooded hill above Zvenigorod, this fortified monastery holds one of the oldest surviving stone churches of the Moscow lands. Royal favour turned a hermitage into a walled residence, complete with tsar's palace and tsarina's chambers.

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St Theresa of Ávila Cathedral, Subotica
Sacred SitesSerbia

St Theresa of Ávila Cathedral, Subotica

With its twin towers and restrained baroque façade, the church of St Theresa of Ávila is the oldest major monument of Subotica and the seat of its Catholic diocese - a sober counterpoint to the city's later architecture.

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Studenica Monastery
Sacred SitesSerbia

Studenica Monastery

Founded by Stefan Nemanja, Studenica is the most important monastic ensemble of medieval Serbia. Behind its circular walls stand marble churches whose thirteenth and fourteenth-century frescoes rank among the finest in Byzantine art.

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The Basilica of St John, Selcuk
Sacred SitesTurkey

The Basilica of St John, Selcuk

On Ayasuluk Hill above Selcuk, the emperor Justinian raised a vast cruciform basilica over the site traditionally venerated as the tomb of John the Evangelist. Its marble columns, nave and tomb chamber still command the plain of Ephesus.

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The Bernardine Church and Monastery, Lviv
Sacred SitesUkraine

The Bernardine Church and Monastery, Lviv

Standing within the World Heritage-listed historic centre of Lviv, the Bernardine church and monastery form a fortified complex whose sober Renaissance-Mannerist facade rises to an exuberantly Baroque gable, with a free-standing bell tower alongside.

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The Latin Cathedral of Lviv
Sacred SitesUkraine

The Latin Cathedral of Lviv

The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption, known to everyone in Lviv as the Latin Cathedral, is the Gothic heart of a World Heritage city. Begun in the fourteenth century, it carries centuries of Baroque additions over its medieval frame.

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St Volodymyr's Cathedral
Sacred SitesUkraine

St Volodymyr's Cathedral

St Volodymyr's Cathedral honours the ruler whose conversion brought Christianity to Kyivan Rus. Its domes, painted interiors and gilded iconostasis place it in the long Byzantine tradition that has shaped Ukrainian church building.

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Canterbury Cathedral
Sacred SitesUnited Kingdom

Canterbury Cathedral

Seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury and mother church of the Anglican Communion, Canterbury Cathedral has drawn pilgrims since the murder of Thomas Becket in 1170. Its Gothic quire and medieval glass anchor a World Heritage site.

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Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff
Sacred SitesUnited Kingdom

Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff

Set in a hollow beside the River Taff on the edge of Cardiff, Llandaff Cathedral was devastated by a wartime landmine and rebuilt around Jacob Epstein's aluminium Christ in Majesty, one of the boldest interventions in a British church.

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The Cathedral of Maracay
Sacred SitesVenezuela

The Cathedral of Maracay

Facing the principal square of Maracay, in the fertile Aragua valleys of northern Venezuela, the cathedral occupies the ground on which the town organised itself. Its white facade and bell towers remain the city's civic reference point.

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Phat Diem Cathedral
Sacred SitesVietnam

Phat Diem Cathedral

In the province of Ninh Binh stands one of the most unusual churches in Asia: a Catholic cathedral built in the late nineteenth century in the form of a Vietnamese temple, with sweeping tiled roofs, stone pillars and massive ironwood columns.

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