Locations that hold a special place in Catholicism make a strong showing in this week’s rankings in the Patheos project called Sacred Spaces: The 100 Most Holy Places on Earth.
Patheos’ selection of the Top 80-71 destinations this week includes churches situated in Italy, Greece, and even New Mexico. These choices were determined through an exclusive algorithm that takes into account a multitude of factors.
These factors include evaluations provided by religious scholars, editorial staff and writers from Patheos, who represent a wide range of faiths and affiliations. Additionally, the algorithm incorporates an analysis of current web search trends and actual foot traffic. After considering over 1,000 locations, the Top 100 were selected for this prestigious list.
In addition to some amazing cathedrals, this week’s list also includes a mid-10th century Buddhist temple and an Islamic mosque in Morocco that hosts over 2 million visitors a year.
Last week Patheos unveiled the Top 90-81 which included the burial place of the Jewish prophet Nahum, two Buddhist temples in Japan and the Shrine of Padre Pio.
Interestingly, similar to last week’s inclusion of Lake Atitlán, sacred to the Mayan Civilization, this week’s offerings include Lake Titicaca , a South American lake sacred to the Incan (or indigenous peoples.)
In the upcoming eight weeks, Patheos will unveil a remarkable collection of more sacred locations from across the world. This journey will reach its conclusion with the revelation of the top selection: The Most Sacred Place on Earth.
As Patheos gradually unveils the rankings in the following weeks, Patheos warmly welcomes you to join us on this thrilling expedition of exploration and reverence.
Embark on your own adventure and explore the entire rankings by starting here or jump to this week’s rankings here.
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