New Zealand's most stunning sacred landscape, plus more around the world2

New Zealand's most stunning sacred landscape, plus more around the world

Story by Rachel Truman

 • 3w

 

Awe-inspiring spaces©Jiri Foltyn/Shutterstock

From magic mountains to sacred stones, the world is scattered with deeply spiritual places. Here we take a look at some of the most stunning sacred landscapes that have a strong and enduring mystical appeal…

 

 

Delos Island, Greece©Natalia Dobryanskaya/Shutterstock

As the mythical birthplace of gods Apollo and Artemis, the island of Delos in the Cyclades was one of the most sacred places in ancient Greece. At the heart of the busy little port town that grew up on the rocky island was the Sanctuary of Apollo, which drew sailors and pilgrims across the Aegean as they sought to pay their respect to the revered deity. There was also a temple to Artemis and the Sacred Lake, where Leto was said to give birth to her twins by Zeus. The now uninhabited island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the country’s finest archaeological sites. 

 

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Nigeria©PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in southwest Nigeria is deeply significant to the Yoruba: the largest ethnic group in the region, they practice the traditional Ifa religion. This is the last of the region's sacred groves, traditionally built in forests close to most Yoruba settlements to honour their many orisha (gods). Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is set within dense primary high forest near the city of Osogbo. It is dedicated to Osun, the goddess of fertility, and has over 40 shrines that draw Osun worshippers. Healers come here to gather medicinal plants in the hallowed forest too.

 

Glastonbury Tor, England, UK©Alexey Fedorenko/Shutterstock

Rising out of the flat Somerset Levels, the steep-sided hill (or tor) of Glastonbury emanates mystical vibes with myths and legends swirling all around it. From the mysteries of its prehistoric past to its links to the legends of King Arthur and connection to the Holy Grail, the tor has bewitched visitors for centuries. It's also believed to lie on ley lines (straight lines joining up significant ancient sites). On top of the hill looms the striking turret of St Michael’s, all that remains of a 14th-century church, and where people gather to watch the summer solstice over the sacred landscape.

 

Wilpena Pound, Australia©Kwest/ Shutterstock

An 800-million-year-old natural amphitheatre deep in the scorched landscape of South Australia’s north Flinders Ranges, Wilpena Pound is an ancient meeting place of the Adnyamathanha people. They've lived in the region for tens of thousands of years and the site has a deep significance to their culture and spiritual life. The highest point of the remarkable rock formation is St Mary's Peak, which visitors are asked not to climb out of respect.

Mount Sinai, Egypt©Mountains Hunter/Shutterstock

The transcendent beauty of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula is startling and deeply moving. Its most arresting landmark is Mount Sinai, a hulking presence that Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions all have deep-rooted connections with. Also known as Jebel Musa, it’s here that Moses received the Ten Commandments from God. The barren mountain has long been a site of pilgrimage and today also draws tourists up to its summit, many in the dark to watch the sunrise over the ancient land. At its foot lies St Catherine’s Monastery: built in the 6th century, it's thought to be one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited Christian monasteries.

 

Mount Nebo, Jordan©vvoe/Shutterstock

Mount Nebo in Jordan is an important biblical site. According to the Old Testament, it's the place where Moses saw the Promised Land and lived out his last days after leading his people from Mount Sinai. It’s believed Moses was buried on the mountain, which has been a pilgrimage site since the 4th century AD, when a church and sanctuary were built on the rocky outcrop of Siyagha to honour the prophet. Today, the Moses Memorial Church sits on the site and surveys the stunning landscape across to the Dead Sea.

 

Mount Nebo, Jordan©vvoe/Shutterstock

Mount Nebo in Jordan is an important biblical site. According to the Old Testament, it's the place where Moses saw the Promised Land and lived out his last days after leading his people from Mount Sinai. It’s believed Moses was buried on the mountain, which has been a pilgrimage site since the 4th century AD, when a church and sanctuary were built on the rocky outcrop of Siyagha to honour the prophet. Today, the Moses Memorial Church sits on the site and surveys the stunning landscape across to the Dead Sea.

 

Jirisan, South Korea©hyunyoung/Shutterstock

There is an ancient tradition of mountain spirit worship in Korea and Jirisan is the holiest of South Korea's sacred mountains. Translating as “exquisite wisdom mountain”, it's seen as a deity and has many legends attached to it. The vast mountain has three sacred summits – Cheonhwang-bong (Heavenly King Peak), Banya-bong (Enlightening-Wisdom Peak) and Nogo-dan (Crone-Altar Peak) – and several temples built around it. Hiking up its hallowed slopes is considered a must-do spiritual journey.

 

Mount Tai, China©daizuoxin/Shutterstock

The most venerated of China’s Five Great Mountains, Mount Tai in the Shandong Province has been worshipped continuously throughout the last three millennia. There is evidence of Neolithic settlements nearby and Quin emperors came to its slopes to pay homage to heaven and earth in Fengshan sacrifices. Since the Han Dynasty, Taishan has been one of the five mountains believed to symbolize the celestial kingdom. A flight of 6,660 steps leads up its slope, lined with gates, archways, kiosks and pavilions, while two of China’s most important temples can be found on its summit.

 

The Aupouri Peninsula, New Zealand©Jiri Foltyn/Shutterstock

The force of nature certainly makes its presence known at dramatic and blustery Cape Reinga on the northernmost tip of New Zealand's North Island, where the Tasman Sea and Pacific Ocean meet. The Aupouri Peninsula, also known as Te Rerenga Wairua, is a deeply spiritual place for the Māori people. The hallowed headland is where spirits are believed to leap off on their final journey and travel to Hawaiki, the ancestral homeland. Nearby is a spring, Te Waiora-a-Tāne (the Living waters of Tāne), which was an important area for Māori ceremonial burials. 

 

Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA©Sundry Photography/Shutterstock

Translating as White Mountain, this sleeping, often snow-strewn, giant on Hawaii’s Big Island is swathed in legends and a mystical atmosphere. Mauna Kea is the highest volcano in Hawaii and revered by Hawaiians not only as the home of Poliahu, the goddess of snow, but as the burial place of their ancestors. It's part of the spectacular Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which is also said to be the home of Pele, the volcano goddess.

 

Haida Gwaii, Canada©Bob Hilscher/Shutterstock

Strewn off the British Columbia coast, remote archipelago Haida Gwaii has been home to the Haida First Nations for millennia. With one of the oldest traceable populations in the world, the islands continue to provide a strong connection for the Haida to the natural world and their ancestors. Only accessible by sea or air, the sacred isles are now protected and home to many ancient sites including SGang Gwaay. Also known as Ninstints, the UNESCO World Heritage Site has an awe-inspiring collection of centuries-old standing totem poles and remnants of cedar longhouses. 

 

Sedona, Arizona, USA©Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

The spectacular red sandstone rocks and lush forests of Sedona are entrancing and have become a hub for hippies, healers and New Age spirituality. Away from the endless crystal shops, wellness centres, yoga retreats and organic cafés of the town, the ancient landscape has deep roots in mysticism with many people believing it has energy vortexes. It’s easy to see why as you hike around the thrilling wilderness and feel dwarfed by nature under the soaring red rock monoliths.

 

Cotopaxi, Ecuador©Alan Falcony/Shutterstock

The active volcano Cotopaxi has long loomed large in the day-to-day and spiritual life of Ecuadorians, as their second-highest summit and the country's most active volcano. Both feared and venerated, the perfectly formed volcano was known as a sacred mountain by the ancient Andean people, who lived in its shadow and worshipped it as a ‘rain sender’, due to the fertility of the land around it.

Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe©Malgorzata Drewniak/Shutterstock

The distinctive granite formations and large balancing rocks of the Matobo Hills have a far-reaching history, and the landscape remains highly sacred to the local community. The Matobo rocks are seen as the seat of god and of ancestral spirits by practitioners of the Mwari religion. Sacred shrines lie within these hills where it's believed contact can be made with the spiritual world. Age-old caves are also decorated with the most outstanding rock art collection in southern Africa.

The Nile, Ethiopia©Marisha_SL/Shutterstock

Their life-giving powers see rivers revered by cultures and religions around the world, including the world’s longest, the Nile. It’s to Gish Abay in the highlands of Ethiopia where pilgrims go to pay their respects to the source of the Blue Nile, considered deeply holy by the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. This region has a deep-rooted religious heritage with numerous sacred sites and is believed by many to be the resting place of the Ark of the Covenant.

Easter Island, Chile©Vaclav Sebek/Shutterstock

Scattered with mesmerizing giant stone statues known as moai and their platforms (ahu), Easter Island is far more than an incredible archaeological site. The monoliths are linked to ancient ancestor worship and the Rapa Nui people – inhabitants of the remote speck of a volcanic South Pacific island – retain a strong spiritual connection to their predecessors through the figures. The statues also endlessly fascinate visitors, offering clues to the islanders’ mystery-shrouded past.