sacred places of the world. The main Christian shrines: a pilgrimage for beginners

There are places in the world where you can feel the connection with the divine - one of them is the Rila lakes, known for their strong energy field. Sensitive people see strange things when they spend the night in this place.

Such places can give you answers to questions that have been tormenting you for a long time, where you can feel the concentrated energy on a higher spiritual level.

1. Rila - Bulgaria

Some people may be surprised, but this mountain range is one of the most powerful energy centers in the world.

It is no coincidence that one of the greatest spiritual masters of the twentieth century, Beinsa Duno, chose this place to transmit his wisdom.

The area around the Rila lakes actually has a very strong energy and sensitive people have strange dreams when they are in this area.

2. Machu Picchu in Peru

The Lost City of the Incas is one of the places associated with energy centers in the world. The Incas built Machu Picchu at a specific location, high in the Andes.

This place channels energy and allows people to experience something that just doesn't belong in our world.

3. Socotra

Socotra is an archipelago of four islands in Indian Ocean in the Horn of Africa region. The largest makes up 95 percent of the area.

Its specific landscape and wild nature, like from a sci-fi movie, and you can easily imagine that you are on another planet or in prehistoric times.

As a result of isolation, many rare species are born on Socotra, which are not found anywhere else in the world.

Spiritual energy here connects the human soul directly with the Universe.

4. Uluru Plateau in Australia

Uluru is the spiritual center of Australia and is located in the center of the continent. Legends say that the plateau itself is hollow and is the source of energy, which are called Tiukurpa.

The ancient tribes that surround the plateau have left many painted stories in some of the caves in the area.

The tribes maintain the belief that when people surround the plateau, they receive spiritual vision.

5. Easter Island

It is one of the most isolated places in the world, famous for its breathtaking stone giants - "moai" that rise everywhere along the rocky coast. Scientists have absolutely no answer to the question: "Who made them and how?",

The entire island is the top of a large volcano that rises from the bottom of the ocean. Therefore, the ancients called it the Navel of the World - in the local language, known as "Te Pito O Te Henua", while the name "Rapa Nui" is now widespread. Another indigenous name for the island is "Mata" ("Eyes that look to the sky").

It is believed that the Navel of the World collects the most important spiritual energy of the Earth.

6. Belintash plateau

The Belintash Plateau is one of the three points (Belintash - Cross Forest - Caradiy Stone) that create one of the strongest energy zones in Europe.

There is a strong energy in and around Belintash, and hundreds of people have witnessed frequent paranormal activity.

7. Berat

Berat is the pride of Albanian architecture. The old city is under the protection of UNESCO. Berat is an excellent combination of Eastern and Western cultures, traditions and customs. The city is a treasure trove of Albanian history and evidence of harmony between faith and culture.

In Berat, people have a very strong spiritual healing energy. Today, people who do not believe in diseases still live outside the city walls, which makes this place unique and authentic.

8. Stonehenge

Stonehenge is the most famous megalithic monument in the world, probably dedicated to the Sun, dating back about 5,000 years. Located in the heart of Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK.

He is known for his huge stone blocks arranged in a circle. It is impossible to say with certainty what was the purpose of Stonehenge, but many scholars believe that the monument was used as a ceremonial or religious center.

According to one theory, Stonehenge is an ancient cemetery.

9. Bosnian pyramids

The Bosnian pyramids are located near the city of Visoko, according to latest research, date back to the biblical past. The largest pyramid is the Pyramid of the Sun, and is the first of its kind in Europe, while the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Bosnian Dragon are much smaller.

Under the pyramids, three underground rooms and a small blue lake were found. A reservoir containing clean, sterile water free from bacteria, algae, fungi, microorganisms, animals, moss and dirt. It is called living water because it purifies the body.

This means that these sites are actually "places for healing". Human body regenerates faster and the disease disappears.

10. Mount Kailash in Tibet

Mount Kailash is the sacred site of four religions that originate from that part of Asia, Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and the old pre-Buddhist religion of Tibet - Bongo.

All these religions have their own legends about the place, but they agree that the top of the mountain is the home of the gods and one of the energy centers of the world, where spiritual bliss is received.

On the territory of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher there are sixteen places of worship and chapels, most of which are associated with the Crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection, and with other shrines:

1. Anointing Stone - the place where Joseph prepared the body of Christ for burial.

2. The place of women from which the holy women and John watched the Crucifixion.

3. Calvary - the place of the Crucifixion and the location of the Cross

4. Tomb of Jesus in the center of the rotunda. The tomb of Jesus includes two separate rooms: the vestibule and the burial chamber. Modern Canopy allows you to save this plan. The tomb, originally carved into the rock, was then lined with marble by the architect Komninos.

5. Grave of Joseph of Arimathea , carved into the rock, is located at the back of the Canopy.

6. Place "Don't Touch Me" - the place of the appearance of Christ after His Resurrection and the appearance before Mary Magdalene, where He said to her: "Do not touch Me" (John 20: 17).

7. Flagellation Pillar, The Catholic chapel, in the center of which a large part of the column has been preserved, to which, it is believed, Christ was tied and suffered torment.

Joint liturgy of Orthodox bishops in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher during the Orthodox Congress held in Jerusalem in June 2000

8. Jesus Prison and Lamentation Chapel is located in the depths of the arcade of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where, it is believed, Christ was temporarily detained and His tormentors squeezed His feet with a board with two holes.

9. Chapel of the centurion (centurion) Longinos, located on the left side of the corridor surrounding the Catholic part of the temple. According to tradition, the centurion Longinos, a Roman officer who saw the Crucifixion, believed in Christ and died a martyr.

10. Chapel of the Lot. Here, according to tradition, after the Crucifixion, the soldiers "... cast lots for My clothes" (John 19:24).

11. Chapel of St. Helena and the grotto of the discovery of the Life-Giving Cross are located in a natural rock - a crypt, into which 42 carved steps lead, where St. Helena discovered the Cross of Christ, nails and crosses of two robbers.

12. Chapel of the Flagellation and Crown of Thorns. Under the holy table of the chapel, a part of the column has been preserved, on which, according to tradition, a purple robe was put on Christ and a wreath of thorns was placed on His head (Matt. 27:27-29).

13. Chapel of Adam. Located under the elevation of Golgotha. According to ancient tradition, Christ was baptized over the grave of the skull of the first man Adam and thereby washed away original sin. The place of Christ's baptism was called the Skull Place, or Golgotha ​​in Hebrew.

14.-16. Chapel of the 40 Martyrs and Brother of God Jacob , although not related to the Passion of Jesus, is architecturally related to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is located in the west of the Holy Court and was attached to the places of worship during the reign of Emperor Constantine Monomakh (11th century).

Funeral Ceremony in the prayer hall of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Greek minister of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher with the key to the Temple

In addition to the sixteen chapels described above, there are many others in the Temple related to various Christian communities, such as Coptic, Syrian and Armenian chapels dedicated to the history of the Passion of Christ and other saints. In general, the Temple and the places of pilgrimage located in it belong to the various Christian communities and patriarchates of Jerusalem. The years of struggle for possession of the Temple and its places of pilgrimage, which began after the departure of the crusaders in 1187, are a dark and difficult chapter in the Christian history of the Holy places of Palestine. Hatred, rivalry, fanaticism and frequent bloody skirmishes between Christian communities were used by the Mamelukes and later the Ottomans, turning the holy places of pilgrimage into a profitable bargain, selling them to the one who gave a larger ransom. This state of affairs continued until until the middle of the nineteenth century, and only after intervention of the Community of European States in 1857, the rival Christian communities came to an agreement by signing the famous Agreement on the Regime of Places of Pilgrimage, also known as status quo.

Jewish graves carved into the rock behind the sacred Canopy

Entrance to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Holy Court in front of it

According to the old Christian tradition, the First Martyr Stephen was stoned outside the eastern wall of Jerusalem, near the town of Gethsemane in the Kidron Valley.

The modern monastery of St. Stephen was built by the Cypriot monk of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Archbishop Arkady.

Place of pilgrimage to the Monastery of the First Martyr Stephen in the Kidron Valley

Gethsemane

Gethsemane is located in the east of Jerusalem, in the bed of the Kidron stream, also known by the biblical name. valley of Jehoshaphat . Starting in Jerusalem, it flows through the Judean Desert, goes around the Lavra of St. Sava and flows into the Dead Sea. According to Christian tradition, in the Kidron stream, in the area of ​​Gethsemane, there will be doomsday. This tradition is related to the name Jehoshaphat, which comes from the Hebrew Yahweh-Shafot, meaning God judges (Joel. 3, 2).

Gethsemane, according to the creators of the Gospel (Mat. 26, 36. Mark. 14.32. Luke. 22, 39. John. 18) is associated with the prayer of Christ before the cross, the betrayal of Judas and the arrest of Jesus. In other words, the Passion and the Way of the Cross of the God-man began from here.

In the fourth century, the events of the Passion and the Last Prayer of Jesus were topographically recorded and recognized as places of pilgrimage and cult centers.

Gethsemane and its places of pilgrimage

During the reign of Emperor Theodosius the Great (378-395), a Christian basilica was erected on the site of Jesus' dying prayer, the ruins of which can still be seen today inside the modern Catholic Church of All Nations (or the Church of the Passion of Jesus).

The olive trees that surround the area today also existed in antiquity, hence the name Gethsemane, which in Hebrew means the grinding of olives.

There is a belief that many of today's olive trees are the same age as Christ.

Tomb of the Virgin

Gethsemane is associated not only with the dying prayer and the Passion of Christ, but also with the tomb of His Mother of God.

Interior of the Church of the Tomb of the Virgin in Gethsemane

After the Fifth Ecumenical Synod recognized and legitimized the dogma of the divinity of the Virgin, from the middle of the 5th century, her grave became a place of pilgrimage.

Facade of the Church of the Tomb of the Virgin in Gethsemane

The modern huge crypt covering the grave is only the remains of a two-story church built by the emperor Marcianus (450-457) and the first patriarch of Jerusalem, Juvenal.

Tomb of the Virgin in Gethsemane

Pools of Siloam (Shiloah)

The pools of Siloam, located on the western side of the Kidron Creek, on the territory of the modern Arab village of the same name, have been one of the most important reservoirs of drinking water for the inhabitants of Jerusalem since the biblical era.

Water from the Gihon spring entered the reservoirs through an underground water pipe, hewn out during the reign of King Hezekiah (Hezekiah). (2 Chronicles, 32:2-4).

King Herod (37-4 BC) transformed the basin area by adding public buildings and marble colonnades. The waters of the pools of Siloam are considered healing, and Christ sent a blind man to them to wash himself and be cured (John 9).

In 450, Empress Eudoxia built a three-nave Christian basilica here, the ruins of which have survived to this day. Although the basilica was destroyed by the Persians in 614, the pools continued to be considered a place of pilgrimage throughout the following centuries and to the present day.

Sheep source

The Sheep Spring is located in the Muslim quarter of Jerusalem, near lion gate and the northern wing of the destroyed Jewish Temple. It was built during the Maccabean period (2nd century BC) in the form of a five-chamber reservoir, the waters of which were used for the needs of the Temple. The belief said that the waters of the source are healing, thanks to which it was visited big number the sick in the hope of a cure (John 5:13).

After the founding of Aelia Capitolina by Adrian in 136, the site of the reservoir became an idolatrous cult center dedicated to the gods Serapius and Asclepius. The temples built in honor of these gods were interconnected by hundreds of medicinal baths.

In the Byzantine era, in the middle of the fifth century, the reservoir was recognized as a place of pilgrimage, and a three-nave basilica dedicated to the Virgin was built over it, since according to tradition, the house of Her parents, Joachim and Anna, was located here.

In the eleventh century, over the Byzantine basilica, the crusaders built new church and dedicated it to St. Anne. This church has survived to this day.

Vethesda with the Church of St. Anne of the era of the Crusaders

Pretorium

Pretoria, the official residence of the Roman procurator in Jerusalem of the era of Christ, was the fortress of Anthony, located in the northwestern corner of the courtyard, belonging to the architectural complex of the Jewish Temple. Here Pilate decided to execute Christ by crucifixion. In the same courtyard, the Roman soldiers mocked Him, put on Him a crown of thorns and gave Him a cross - this is how the Way of the Cross of the Passion of the Lord began.

Prison cells of the Roman Praetorium

Graphic restoration of Christ-era Pretoria

The ruins of Roman Pretorium are scattered in today's Jerusalem among three different Christian monasteries.

Part of the tiled floor of the praetorian courtyard, known as foxstrotus (pavement) (John 19: 13), kept in the Franciscan monastery Esce Homo. Another part of the lithostratus, underground cisterns built for the needs of the Jewish Temple and a three-door apse, known as "Behold the Man" ( Ekke Homo), are located in the convent of the Sisters of Zion. According to tradition, Pilate presented Christ from here to the Pharisees, who demanded His condemnation. In the third monastery - Greek Pretoria - various grottoes carved into the rock have been preserved. It is believed that one of them was used to temporarily detain Christ in Pretoria, and the other, lower one, served as a prison for the robber Barrabas.

The Catholic Church of Pretoria with the apse Se Man.

way of the cross

In addition to the theological significance of the Passion and the dying prayer of Christ during the Crucifixion, the Way of the Cross has a chronological and topographical significance. It includes all the Passion of Jesus in Jerusalem, from His arrest to His burial. In other words, the Way of the Cross was to start from the Garden of Gethsemane and end at Golgotha ​​and the Tomb.

Way of the Cross on Good Friday

However, since the eleventh century, Jerusalem Christians have defined this path as beginning with His condemnation in Pretoria and ending with the Holy Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In modern Jerusalem, the route and duration of the Path, which does not exceed a kilometer, does not have to coincide with that which Christ did two thousand years ago, since the layout of the city underwent fundamental changes in the second and fifth centuries. However, general direction The path remained almost unchanged. The Way of the Cross (Via Dolorosa) includes 14 stops along its length, which are associated with the events of the Torments and Passion of the Lord. The first two of them are located on the territory of Pretoria, the next seven are in the city, and the rest are on the territory of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. 14 stops include:

1. Lysostrotos and Pilate's condemnation of Jesus

2. Receiving the Cross

3. The first fall of Jesus (according to tradition)

4. Jesus meeting his Mother (according to tradition)

5. The cross given to Simon from Kirinaika (according to the Gospel testimonies: Matt. 27: 32. Mark. 15: 21, Luke. 23: 26)

6. Veronica wiping Jesus' sweat-covered face (ancient Christian tradition)

7. The second fall of Jesus (medieval tradition)

8. Jesus comforting the virgins of Jerusalem (Luke 23:18-27)

9. The third fall of Jesus (medieval tradition)

10. Jesus being undressed for crucifixion (John 19:30)

11. Nailing Jesus to the Cross

12. Jesus giving his soul (John 19:40)

13. Descent from the Cross and preparation for burial (John 19:40)

14. Burial of Jesus (John 19:41-42).

Orthodox ceremony with the participation of bishops from all over the world

Zion

The word Zion (Zion in Hebrew) is used by the Old Testament to name various areas of the Holy Land, such as: the Judean mountains (Psalm. 132.3), Mount Hermon (Deut. 4, 49), Jerusalem (Psalm. 76.2), etc. .

In later Jewish tradition, the same name means the Kingdom of Judah, the whole land of Israel, the people of Israel and, most importantly, Jerusalem and the spiritual connection of the Jewish people with it, where, as the prophet Micah says, "... He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths,... "(Mic. 4, 2). At the same time, there was also an ancient Jewish tradition that identified the name Zion with the western hill of Jerusalem. The Church Fathers from the first Christian years recognized this tradition and associated it with many religious figures and events. According to Christian tradition, the following events took place on Zion Hill:

The Last Supper and the sacrament of Holy Communion, the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the creation of the first Christian church(Acts 2.). In other words, the Church Fathers saw how the words of the prophet Micah about the Teachings of the Lord come true on Mount Zion.

Later, in the 5th and 6th centuries, Zion was associated with other events such as: Denial of Peter, Assumption of the Virgin, Burial of Jacob, brother of God, Burial of biblical King David etc.

Mount Zion with Christian pilgrimage sites

Zion Patriarchal School

Chapel of the Last Supper and Descent of the Holy Spirit.

The most important and oldest (2nd century AD) Christian place of worship in the Holy Land is the chamber of the Last Supper, a two-story building in which The Last Supper and the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles.

In the fourth century on top of Zion, on the spot upper chambers of the Secret supper, a large basilica was built, called the Church of St. Sion. The Sioni Basilica was destroyed by the Persians in 614, rebuilt by Patriarch Modest, and again destroyed by the Muslims in 966. After the departure of the Crusaders, the chamber of the Last Supper was turned into a mosque by the Mamluks and for a long time used as a Muslim temple.

Although today the chamber of the Last Supper belongs to Muslims, it is accessible to all Christians as a place of pilgrimage and prayer.

Panorama of Hill Zion and its Christian pilgrimage sites

Mount of Olives

The Mount of Olives (Har-ha-Zeitim in Hebrew or Tjabal-e-Tour in Arabic) is a mountain range 730 meters above the Mediterranean Sea, located in the east of Jerusalem. She is mentioned both in the Old (Zech. 14:4) and New (Matt. 24. Mark. 13. Luke 26. Acts 1:4-12) Testaments. Its three peaks: northern - mountain Scopus (Har Hatzofim in Hebrew) with the Jewish University built on it, the middle one, on which the hospital is located Augusta Victoria and southern e-Tour or the peak of the Ascension, where all Christian places of pilgrimage, churches and monasteries are concentrated, are associated for Christians with two important events in the life of Christ: Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 24, Luke 21) and Ascension. In the fourth century, on the site of the Sermon on the Mount, St. Helena built a large basilica, which they called Eleon Church. The ruins of this basilica are today inside the Catholic Church of Our Father (Pater Noster).

In 387, a large octagonal church was built on the site of the Ascension - Ascension Chapel, as the Byzantines called it, the luminous cross of which was visible to all Jerusalem. The Church of the Ascension was destroyed by the Persians and rebuilt by the Crusaders according to almost the same plan.

In 1187, it was turned into a mosque by Saladdin, and the places of pilgrimage around it were distributed to Muslim families in Jerusalem. In addition to these two most important pilgrimage sites, 24 other Christian institutions were built on the Mount of Olives in the 5th-6th centuries, among them churches, monasteries and hotels for pilgrims. One of the most important pilgrimage sites located today on the northern peak of the Mount of Olives are Greek Church of the Galilee Pilgrims (Viri Galilei, the meeting place of Christ with the Apostles after the resurrection (Matt. 28:10)), a Russian monastery with a church St. John Baptist newly built Greek Church of the Ascension, the pilgrimage site of the Ascension, which is still in the possession of Muslims today, Catholic churches Our Father (Pater Noster) and Cry of the Lord(Dominus Flevit), as well as Russian Monastery of the Penitent Magdalene, located in the west of the summit.

The majestic Orthodox church in the Lesser Galilee on the Mount of Olives

Bethagia

The place of pilgrimage Bethagia is mentioned in the Gospels as the starting point of the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:12; Mark 11:12) and is located in the eastern part of the Mount of Olives. From the 2nd century BC e. and during the Roman and Byzantine eras, a small village was located on this site, the inhabitants of which were engaged in agriculture and cattle breeding.

The town of Vifagia and its places of pilgrimage

Since the 4th century it has been consecrated as a Christian place of pilgrimage. The first church was built during the era of the Crusaders. The modern Greek Church of Bethagia was recently built by Archbishop Gregory of Tiberias.

A place of pilgrimage for Bethagius and a church built by Archbishop Gregory of Tiberias.

Place of pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Stoned Protomartyr Stephen

St. Stephen, deacon of the first Christian community in Jerusalem, was the first Christian to be stoned for his faith in Christ and Christianity (Acts 7). For this reason, he was canonized by the church as a saint and named the First Martyr. The place of his stoning and suffering (Beit Haskelah in Hebrew) was, according to Jewish tradition, in the northern part of Jerusalem, outside the city walls, near the rock of the prophet Jeremiah. The body of the stoned saint was buried by Christians, according to tradition, in his hometown of Gamla. At the beginning of the fifth century, when the tomb of the first martyr was discovered, his remains were reburied on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. A couple of years later, Bishop Juvenaly, the future patriarch of Jerusalem, transferred the saint's bones to the Garden of Gethsemane and buried them in the church built in his honor. In 460, Empress Eudokia, wife of Theodore II, built a large Basilica - Martyrium, on the traditional site of stoning, in which the remains of the saint were reburied for the third time. The Dominican fathers, who discovered the ruins of this basilica, in 1881 built a new basilica on them, located a few meters north of the Damascus Gate. The Orthodox place of pilgrimage to the First Martyr Stephen in Gethsemane is the place where Archbishop Yuvenaly built a church where the remains of the Saint were buried for the second time.

Ancient Christian Basilica of St. Stephen in Jerusalem (5th century)

Places of pilgrimage: the basilica dedicated to the visitation of Elizabeth by the Virgin Mary; Church of St. John the Baptist

These two places of pilgrimage belong to Catholic Church and are located in the western part of Jerusalem in the small village of Ein Karem (Vine Spring). This hill, located today within the city, was called the hill country in the time of Christ (Luke 1:39). In the fifth century, over these two places of pilgrimage, the Jerusalem Patriarchate built two majestic three-aisled basilicas with colored mosaic floors, one of which was dedicated to John the Baptist and the other to the visitation of Elizabeth by the Virgin Mary. Later, new Catholic churches were built on the ruins of these two basilicas.

In Ein Karem there are also Russian Orthodox monastery St. John the Baptist and a Greek church dedicated to the same

Monastery of Simeon the Righteous (Katamony)

The monastery of Simeon the Righteous is located on a hill called Katamon (or Katamony) (the name comes from the Greek kata monas (aside), since this hill was far from the city center). Medieval Christian tradition defines the location graves of Simeon the Righteous on the hill Katamon. His grave, carved into the rock and located in the building of the monastery church, is shown today.

Monastery and Church of Simeon the Righteous in Katamony

According to the same tradition, Simeon the Righteous participated in the translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew into Greek (the translation is known as the Septuaginta) and, knowing about the coming of the Messiah, asked God to give him the opportunity to see the Messiah before he died. His request was fulfilled, and it was he who pointed to the Mother of God with the baby Jesus in the Temple, saying “Now you release your servant, Lord, according to your word, in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared before the face of all peoples,...» (Luke 2:25-32). The first monastery and church in Katamony were built by the Georgian monks of the Holy Cross in the twelfth century. After their departure from Jerusalem, the monastery was abandoned and deserted. In 1879, the monk Abraham restored it by adding the tomb of Simeon the Righteous to the north wing of the church.

Jewish Temple and Wailing Wall

The famous Jewish Temple was built on the hill of Morya, which is located in the east of Jerusalem. The history of the hill of Moria as a Jewish cult center begins from the tenth century BC. e., when King David bought it from Ornan of Evoshey in order to build an altar-altar to Yahweh on this site (24:18-25). In 960 BC. e. King Solomon built the famous Jewish Temple on the site of the altar, which is the only cult center of Judaism. This first Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC. e. and a few years later, in 520 BC. e., rebuilt by Zerubbabel (Ezra 3:8-9).

King Herod (37-4 BC) rebuilt the Temple and erected a new, much more imposing one. The new Temple was built on a high and spacious fenced site. The outer walls of the Temple complex are what remains today of Herod's Temple. Wall of Tears - the most sacred place of pilgrimage for the Jews of the whole world - is nothing more than the outer western wall of this complex. The building of the Temple in the era of Christ consisted of the Temple itself, holy of holies, a large altar for sacrifices, spacious covered galleries and courtyards, facilities for purification, and many ancillary facilities.

Wailing Wall during prayer

Underpass along the Wailing Wall of the Christ era

In the eastern corner of the enclosure, Herod built a large building in the shape of a basilica, which was used as Central Market and served as a meeting place for pilgrims. From the gallery of this basilica, the angry Christ drove the money changers and merchants (John 2:13). In 70 AD e. The temple was destroyed and burned by the legionaries of the Roman Emperor Titus. Since then, the place where the Temple stood remained abandoned and was not used until the Arab conquest of Jerusalem.

Mosques of Omar and Al-Aqsa

Sixty years after the Arab conquest of Jerusalem, around 643 AD. e., Caliph Marwan built a famous mosque over the ruins of the fence of the Jewish Temple, which received the name Mosque of Omar. In the center of the building there is a huge rock, from which, according to Muslim tradition Mohammed ascended to heaven. This rock was actually the threshing floor of Ornan of Evoshey, which King David bought to build an altar to Yahweh.

Mosque of Omar during prayer

Christian and Jewish traditions identify this rock also with the sacrifice of Abraham and with the great Altar-altar of the Jewish Temple.

Seventy years later, around 710 AD. e., another caliph, Abed el-Malik, built a large mosque over the northern part of the fence of the Jewish Temple El - Aksa. El Aksa was later thought to have been built on top of a Christian basilica known as Nea ("New" in Greek) built by Emperor Justinian.

Today, after the ruins of this huge Christian basilica in the eastern part of the Jewish Quarter were discovered, this assumption has become irrelevant.

The crusaders converted the mosque of Omar into a church dedicated to the Lord (Templum Domini), and the mosque of El-Aqsa was converted into the palace of the Jerusalem kings (Templum Solomonis or Palatium).

In 1118 in this palace of the Crusaders was founded Order of the Knights Templar (templars).

In 1187, Saladin returned these buildings to their original purpose - Muslim mosques, which, after Mecca, are the most sacred Muslim places of pilgrimage.

Interior of the Al-Aqsa Mosque

The article lists the holy places in Russia, healing people and helping to live with faith, hope and love.

Orthodox believers worship miraculous icons, asking them for a speedy recovery and resolution of everyday problems. Holy springs in the Krasnodar Territory are famous for their healing properties.

It is not for nothing that they say in Rus': “A holy place is never empty!” In every region of the Russian Federation - in Sverdlovsk, and in Novgorod, and in Yaroslavl, and in Tver, and in Rostov, and in Saratov ... and in many other places, there are active prayer holy places - temples and monasteries that you can visit. Orthodox people have somewhere to turn to in times of adversity - there are many places on the map of our country where you can pray, go on excursions, and even live as a worker or pilgrim if the monastery accepts accommodation. And sometimes God's grace can be found not in a huge church, but in a small chapel, as in the one at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg, where the relics are buried and the icon of St. Xenia of Petersburg is located. About holy places native land Since 2018, Anton and Vika Makarsky have been telling very interesting stories in the educational TV project “Holy Places of Russia”.

List of holy springs

Source of Seraphim of Sarov in Diveevo

Seraphim of Sarov is the founder of the Diveevsky Monastery, which houses the Sarov spring. healing water helps with various ailments, as well as improves health.

In the monastery, you can pray and venerate the icon of St. Seraphim of Sarov. It is also recommended to come to the morning Liturgy, which takes place every Sunday. You can stay at the monastery or at the hotel.

Women who want to become pregnant and have children, suffering, homeless and infirm people go to St. Seraphimushka. The elder never refused help, especially to those who keep the word of God, constantly go to Church and live according to the commandments.

Information from the site molitva.guru was used to write the article.

Source of St. Sergius of Radonezh (Gremyachiy Klyuch waterfall)

The source is located in the village of Vzglyadnevo, and the Orthodox call this place "Malinniki".

The Monk Wonderworker Sergius of Radonezh is the intercessor of Rus', the protector from misfortunes and deceit of enemies.

Many believers make a pilgrimage to him, asking for intercession and help, as well as protection from witchcraft.

It is important to know: he should pray when a relative is in custody, hospital or on the road. Also, Sergius of Radonezh heals the possessed and gives them the strength to fight their passions.

The monk heals from ailments, admonishes children and protects them from evil people helps with childbirth.

Spring ring in the Ivanovo region

The healing spring is named after St. Alexander Nevsky, who was famous for his purity of thoughts and righteous life. Nearby is the Temple, in which there are Holy relics.

The source saved people from terrible misfortunes, epidemics of cholera and plague. Alexander Nevsky protects and covers entire settlements of the Orthodox, helps them in hard work, intercedes with God for the sick.

You can come to the spring at any time and take a dip in the font. Many parishioners bring clean bathing clothes (nightgowns, long T-shirts) with them to take with them.

The water from the spring has medicinal properties relieves stomach diseases, gastritis, ulcers duodenum. But we must remember that everything is given according to the Orthodox faith.

Spring of St. David in the village of Telezh

The source is located 30 km from the village of Novyi Byt in the Moscow region, in a monastery.

On the territory of the monastery there is a small chapel named after St. David, who helps people, prays to God for the sins of others.

He lived for many years in a monastery, led an ascetic and solitary life. They pray to Reverend David for children and ask for help in raising them. Also, you can pray to wives for your husband, for the restoration of the family.

Visiting the source is allowed from 8 am to 9 pm. People come here to get married or baptize a child.

Source of the Healer Panteleimon in the village of Kalozhitsy

The healer Panteleimon heals demon-possessed, possessed people, as well as those who practice magic, the occult, or resorted to the help of sorcerers.

You can take a dip in the spring and take some water with you. The water is springy and has a pleasant taste.

Arriving home, you should sprinkle the corners of the apartment with water from the source and put the Icon of Panteleimon on the iconostasis.

This is interesting: he is asked to intercede for those who fell into a sect or lost their minds. The healer Panteleimon protects virgins, sick children, infirm old people.

Spring in honor of the Smolensk icon of the Mother of God "Hodegetria" (Vologda region)

The source is located along the Vologda–Kirillov route.

On the territory there is a chapel where you can put candles and venerate the icon. Near the spring there is a font where you can take a dip.

Also, the Miraculous stone, located near the source, is considered a Shrine. The Smolensk Mother of God should pray for healing from ailments and intercession. She is the patroness of all Orthodox families and orphans.

They pray to her and ask for the appearance of children, and she also heals female diseases. mother of God Hodegetria is the patroness of the entire Vologda region.

Holy spring of St. Mitrofan of Voronezh

Saint Mitrofan of Voronezh spent much time in solitary prayer. Now this place is a source - a sacred place.

Many believers received healing from chronic and inflammatory diseases there. Also, St. Mitrofan heals infertile couples who do not have children.

Headaches, pain in the back and joints - everything goes away, one has only to plunge into the holy water.

Saint Mitrofan cures pneumonia, colds, and even relieves fever. It is necessary to give the sick person some water from the source and wipe his body with a cloth dipped in it.

Holy key (Spoon) in the city of Iskitim

In the small village of Lozhok, Novosibirsk Region, there is a Holy Spring. During the war there was a camp with prisoners, and a spring opened at its location.

It is said that the prisoners “opened” it with their prayers. Now many believers from different cities and villages make pilgrimages here to gain strength.

Those who come in faith receive healing. The holy key helps people with skin diseases, gives strength, strengthens in faith, and cures diseases associated with the stomach.

Miraculous spring in the village of Aleshnya

Located in the Bryansk region, the water heals purulent, open, incised wounds, postoperative sutures, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.

You can wash your face with holy water if there are problems with the skin of the face, or, for example, make homemade ointments based on natural herbs.

The holy spring has a strong bactericidal effect on trophic ulcers caused by diabetes.

Also, water lowers blood cholesterol levels and reduces blood pressure. Families with sick children often visit here.

List of Orthodox churches and monasteries (miraculous icons and relics of saints)

Church of Nicholas the Wonderworker in Stogovo

One day miraculously the icon of St. Nicholas appeared right in a haystack. The area and the village began to be called Stogovo. In the 17th century, a Temple was built, into which believers flock daily to venerate the miraculous icon.

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, like Seraphim of Sarov, led a hermit life for many years. The Lord gave Saint Nicholas the gift of helping people. And now the Saint, hearing the prayers of the Orthodox, intercedes before God and asks for intercession for the entire Russian people.

Note: Saint Nicholas should pray if there are problems with buying a home, before a long trip, during a protracted illness. The saint helps orphans, mothers raising children alone, and gives consolation to the terminally ill.

The miracle worker protects people from witchcraft and sudden death, families from divorce and children from evil eye and intent. The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker is a truly prayerful place, here you can bow to the relics and venerate the icon. It is located at the address: Moscow region, Sergiev Posad district, the village of Malinniki.

Holy Mount Pyukhtitsa (Crane Mountain)

Although this is not Russia, but Estonia, it is still a very popular place for pilgrims.

Even guidebooks mention this great place. On the Holy Mountain, which was called Zhuravlina, there is a Temple named in honor of the Assumption of the Mother of God.

The miraculous appearance of the image of the Mother of God converted many to the Orthodox faith and gave strength to fight against unclean spirits. Now Orthodox parishioners pray before the miraculous image in the Pyukhtinsky Assumption Monastery and ask her for deliverance from illnesses, help with childlessness and help in difficult life circumstances.

Also, unmarried girls ask for a good groom and a successful marriage. In this Temple, they get married and honor the icon of the Assumption Mother of God as their intercessor.

Monastery of Alexander-Svirsky

Monastery located in Leningrad region, near the town of Lodeynoye Pole, is the monastery of St. Alexander-Svirsky.

The saint of God, the Monk Alexander, lived almost all his life in a monastery and always helped people. He, by the will of God, built the Temple in honor of the Intercession Holy Mother of God. Now pilgrims visit holy places and venerate the relics of the Holy Elder.

The Monk Alexander of Svirsky possessed the gift of enlightenment and instruction. Both ordinary people and the clergy came to him for advice - he never refused anyone to help. They pray to him when there are unresolved problems or difficult life circumstances, when a person does not know what to do in this or that matter.

Assumption Cathedral in Moscow

The Assumption Cathedral is located in the Moscow Kremlin. Today, worship services are held there on certain days. But for those wishing to bow to the shrines, the entrance is always open.

In the Assumption Cathedral there is the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, which helps the peasants to grow good harvest, is an intercessor for those who work on the ground, covers Orthodox Christians from non-believers and persecution.

Also, in the Cathedral there is the Nail of the Lord and the staff of St. Peter. Saint Peter protects people from hunger and poverty, helps to find a job, to buy housing. Saint Peter should be prayed during Lent - he helps to cope with temptations and gives strength to resist evil.

Alexander-Oshevensky Monastery

The monastery is located in the village of Oshevenskoye, Arkhangelsk region. There are many Shrines on the territory of the monastery: stones with footprints of St. Alexander, the Holy Spring and the lake, as well as the Halui River, which goes underground in one place and exits in another.

There is also a well dug by Alexander Oshevensky himself.

They pray to St. Alexander at the onset of war, as well as for safe trips and travels. Alexander Oshevensky heals people with blood diseases.

"Quick Acolyte" Icon of the Mother of God

It is located on the Holy Mount Athos in the Dohiarsky monastery.

The miraculous power of the icon heals the blind and puts the crippled on their feet, helps with difficult childbirth, saves them from cancer, saves from captivity and covers children during the war.

Women pray to the holy icon of the Mother of God to restore peace in the family, prosperity and the resolution of internecine strife. The Holy "Skoroshlushnitsa" intercedes before God for the weak and sick, lonely old people, and the disabled.

Also, "Skoroposlushnitsa" helps with natural disasters, floods, fires. She shelters with her Grace and saves from sudden death.

Savva Storozhevsky (Savva Zvenigorodsky)

Wonderworker Savva Storozhevsky, Russian ascetic of the faith of Christ, patron of all those who suffer and defender of the fatherland. The monastery, named after Savva Storozhevsky, is located in the suburbs of Moscow.

Everyone who prays to the Wonderworker receives healing: he helps with oncological diseases, chronic pain, kidney and liver disease.

In addition, Savva Storozhevsky should pray for the resolution of any conflict situations. The seer elder always helped people and gave advice, he was a mentor to all sinful parishioners.

The Monk Sergei of Radonezh often communicated with the Wonderworker and shared his spiritual experience with him.

Matrona of Moscow

Holy Matronushka is the patroness of all women who want to have children. They pray to her, asking her to protect her family from ruin, to be healed of an illness, to get rid of an addiction - the old woman Matrona always responds to prayer!

Often they pray to her that the child would study well at school, they ask for help and admonition before entering the university. In front of the icon, you can ask for blessings for marriage or divorce, for the purchase of a home or a car.

Apply to miraculous icon follows small children - Matronushka covers from sudden illnesses and early death.

Temple of the Matrona of Moscow, located on Taganka, in Moscow. There are always long queues here, and sometimes pilgrims wait for 5-6 hours to venerate the Shrine. You can come and pray at the Temple from 6 am to 8 pm.

Temple of St. Panteleimon

A small Temple, named after the Holy Hierarch Panteleimon, is located in Moscow, on Nikolskaya Street, but the relics of the Healer are in the Penza Intercession Cathedral.

Saint Panteleimon was a true companion, patron of all the sick and needy. Having sold all his property, he began to help people, healed them and set them on the right path.

The Great Martyr Panteleimon heals incurable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, restores after a stroke or an accident, protects pregnant women from premature birth, and protects babies from sudden death.

Pokrovo-Tervenichesky Convent

It is located in the Leningrad region, in the small village of Tervenichi. Patrons convent the Holy Martyrs are considered - Faith, Hope and Love.

On the territory there is a shrine - the Tervenic Icon of the Mother of God, as well as a healing spring. Pilgrims can stay at the monastery, work in the courtyard, or pray with the sisters. Divine services are held every day, the schedule can be found on the official website.

The Tervenic Icon of the Mother of God blesses all women who decide to spend their lives in a monastic skete. She protects from devilish temptations, shelters from non-believers, wars and attacks on the Orthodox faith, saves people from spiritual death, instructs with the Word of God.

Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in Chimeyevo

The appearance of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God took place on a river in a remote Siberian village in the Kurgan region, in the Urals.

The miraculous icon protects Orthodox Christians from demonic attacks, children from witchcraft, and men from death in war.

It is important: the icon of the Mother of God covers monastic cloisters, people praying in solitude, Christians living far from civilization.

The Kazan Mother of God is the intercessor of all Christians before God! She asks every day on her knees for Russia and the Orthodox people. Thanks to her prayers, the Lord shows mercy and sends down grace.

St. Nicholas Monastery "Holy Caves" in the village of Pokrovka

The monastery is located in the Orenburg region, in the village of Pokrovka. In the "Holy Caves" there is a miraculous source that heals those suffering from mental illness.

Thousands of believers come to the Nikolsky spring, asking St. Nicholas for a miracle. Nearby there is a bath, where everyone can completely plunge into the Holy water.

Before this, you need to read the Akathist to Nicholas the Wonderworker, and then cross yourself 3 times. Orthodox faith- the most powerful weapon against evil. It lifts the spirit of every person, strengthens faith in God and helps to do good deeds.

A sincere prayer addressed to God from the bottom of your heart will always be heard!

About the holy places of Russia, see the following interesting video:

Photo gallery

» order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"]

World Travel

2284

22.08.14 11:03

There are many beautiful holy places in Russia - millions of Orthodox pilgrims flock to them every year. These are Optina Hermitage, Diveevo, Valaam Island, Alexander Svirsky Monastery, and the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. But today we will talk about sacred places far beyond the borders of Russia.

The Most Beautiful Holy Places on Earth: True Greatness

Aborigines, Celts, Maya

The national park, located on the Green Continent, Uluru-Kata Tjuta, is rightfully considered one of the World Heritage Sites. And the rock of Uluru, towering above the plain, is the sanctuary of the local natives. They believe that the spirits of their ancestors still keep the peace of the Australians. The giant sandstone monolith is decorated with drawings made many centuries ago. These are the patron deities of the tribes that lived here.

In the life of the pagans who once inhabited Britain, Glastonbury Hill (now more often referred to as St. Michael's Hill) played a huge role. It was here, as the Celts believed, that there was an entrance to the house of the lord of the underworld. In the 12th century, monks announced that they had found the coffins of a crowned couple, Arthur and Guinevere, at Glastonbury. Today's occultists are inclined to assume that this is where Avalon is located.

“Sacred Cenote” is the name of a funnel-shaped well, the work of nature itself. The Maya used it for their sacrifices. Discovered during excavations of the Mexican ancient city Chichen Itza. In the bowels of this well, those whom the priests sacrificed during times of drought perished (at the bottom, human bones, as well as jewelry, golden bells, bowls, knives).

Achieved enlightenment and sacred mountains

The Indian town of Bodh Gaya is a Buddhist shrine. It was here, in their opinion, enlightenment descended on the Buddha - before that, Prince Gautama (worldly name of the Buddha) meditated for three days under the branches of the Bodhi tree. Two and a half centuries later, the ruler of the Mauryan empire, Ashoka, arrived in these places and founded the majestic temple of Mahabodhi.

The Tibetan peak Kailash (6638 m) is considered a sacred mountain, moreover, among representatives of four religious movements at once. So, adherents of Hinduism think that Kailash is the heavenly abode of Shiva, and Buddhists revere the peak as the home of one of the incarnations of the Buddha. So far, no one has been able to reach the top of the peak (all attempts to conquer the mountain are suppressed by believers).

Another mountain, the Egyptian Sinai, is an even more illustrious shrine. After all, it was in this place that Moses received the 10 Commandments from God (as the Bible testifies). At the foot, on the site of the ignition of the thorn bush (Burning Bush), the monastery of St. Catherine was built.

Muslim shrines

More than 10 thousand believers can accommodate the Blue Mosque - the pride of Turkish Istanbul. Built at the beginning of the 17th century, the beauty with six minarets is famous for its sky-blue tiles that adorn the inside of the mosque.

100 km from the Red Sea lies unusual city. And if you are not a Muslim, the way there is closed to you. After all, this is the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, the holiest corner of the Earth for all adherents of the Islamic faith, Mecca. Every year this place Saudi Arabia visited by more than 16 million people (which is almost 8 times the number of residents of the city itself). For pilgrims near Mecca, the largest tent city on Earth is arranged. The Al-Haram Mosque houses the main Muslim shrine, the Kaaba.

Jesus walked on this earth

For representatives of three religions (Judaism, Islam and Christianity), Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is the most revered shrine. The Temple Mount, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher (this is where the Holy Fire descends before the great feast) - millions of people worship all these places every year.

Near Moscow in the middle of the 17th century, on the initiative of Patriarch Nikon, the Resurrection New Jerusalem Monastery was built - in the image and likeness of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It has its own Golgotha ​​and its own cuvuklia. And if you don't have money for a trip to Jerusalem yet, visit at least this Holy place in Istra.

Marked by some very important spiritual event or captured in sacred writings. It is very difficult to count the number of such holy places, and it is not at all possible to taste every single one. But there are two cities in the world that can be called the most sacred of all - this Jerusalem(Israel) and Varanasi(India). Each of these holy places is revered in three religions at once. Jerusalem is a holy city for Jews, Christians and Muslims. Varanasi is a place of pilgrimage for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Both of these holy places gather thousands of pilgrims, each eager to look at their shrine.

Jerusalem

This city is a real stumbling block in the relationship between Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Tens of thousands of adherents of each of these religions died for the sake of owning their holy place in Jerusalem. The wars for Jerusalem have become entire historical eras, and political strife because of it does not stop to this day.

The Jews regard Jerusalem as their holy place for obvious reasons: It was in this city that King Solomon built the first Temple- the main shrine of Judaism and the personification of the Jewish status of God's chosen people. The First Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the rebuilt Second Temple was swept to the ground by the Roman emperor Titus, the construction of the Third Temple by the Jews has been waiting for almost 2 thousand years. The restoration of the Temple for the Jews is tantamount to the arrival of paradise, because only then their suffering and wanderings will be over, and Israel will reign over the nations.

Muslims call Jerusalem a holy place, because over the Temple Mount, where the Jewish Temple once stood, Prophet Muhammad met with Allah. According to Muhammad himself, once in a dream he was carried there by a winged horse. Stopping over the Temple Mount, the prophet saw the heavens open above him, and the road to the Throne of the Lord opened. Almost no one believed the prophet until he accurately described Jerusalem, although he had never been there. Muslims, having conquered Jerusalem in the 7th century, immediately built a mosque on the holy site of the ascension of the prophet.

Every Christian knows why Jerusalem is the holiest place on earth: Jesus Christ was crucified on Mount Golgotha ​​near Jerusalem. There the Son of God was buried, and there he was resurrected. Now on the holy place of his crucifixion stands the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where every year on Easter day the Holy Fire descends to earth.

Varanasi

The holiest place in India, the city of Varanasi, is located in the northeastern part of this country and is the most popular place of pilgrimage for Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. Hindus believe that this holy place was built by the god Shiva himself five thousand years ago. There is even a half-flooded temple in it, in which, according to legend, Shiva sometimes sleeps. Varanasi is full of temples and shrines, many of which are Jain. Most of the city's population works for the benefit of pilgrims and maintaining order in the temples. Besides, Hindus consider this holy place to be the best place to go to the other world.. Rich and poor Hindus flock here from all over the country in anticipation of imminent death. It is believed that if a Hindu can die on the stone steps that descend to the Ganges, and his ashes are scattered along the great river, the Goddess Ganges will take his soul to heaven and free him from the wheel of samsara forever.

Buddhists consider Varanasi a holy place for slightly different reasons. According to historical data, in the Sarnath suburb of Varanasi, Shakyamuni Buddha for the first time after enlightenment he revealed to his disciples the Four Noble Truths thus turning the “wheel of the Teaching”. Subsequently, grandiose temple complexes and monasteries of many branches of Buddhism were built on this holy place. Needless to say, there is no end to pilgrims and tourists in Sarnath.

Thus, Jerusalem and Varanasi are the two most holy places on earth, since they are the main spiritual centers for a huge number of representatives. different religions and nationalities. A traveler who has visited these two cities can proudly assure that he has seen the most