Sacred Places: Sites of Spiritual Pilgrimage from Stonehenge to Santiago De Compostela - Hardcover

Carr-Gomm, Philip

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1847242405 ISBN 13: 9781847242402

Publisher: Quercus, 2009

Synopsis

Journeys to sacred places or shrines undertaken as acts of religious veneration or penance have been a feature of religious observance from the earliest times. Ancient religions had holy sites, temples and groves, such as Delphi and Dodona in Greece. On the other side of the Eurasian landmass, the Buddha specifically recommended four sacred sites for his followers to visit. After Christ's crucifixion, sites connected with his birth, death and resurrection became a magnet for Christian travellers. During the medieval period Christian pilgrimage - to Jerusalem, Rome, Constantinople and Santiago de Compostela - was a sacred obligation and a trial of faith.In Islam, pilgrimage to Mecca, or hajj, is one of the Five Pillars of that faith. Philip Carr-Gomm tells the stories of 50 sacred sites across all five continents, including sites venerated by all of the world's major religions. The sites include: The Pyramids, Macchu Picchu, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Rapa Nui, The Dome of the Rock, Mount Fuji, Mecca, The Golden Temple, Stonehenge, The Ganges River, Glastonbury, Angkor Wat, Iona, Mount Kailash, Bandiagara Luang, and Prabang.

About this title

About the Author

Philip Carr-Gomm trainedin adult psychotherapy at the Institute of Psychosynthesis, in play therapy forchildren with Dr Rachel Pinney, and in Montessori education with the LondonMontessori Centre. He founded the Lewes Montessori School and leads the Orderof Bards, Ovates & Druids, which publishes a distance-learning course in Druidry.He is the author or co-author of over a dozen books. He lives in Lewes, EastSussex, and gives talks and runs retreats and workshops all over the world. His website: philipcarr-gomm.com

Review

"This is a wonderful book, a spiritual guide to centres of pilgrimage the world over. Here we are offered full page colour photographs, a tiny map for orientation, an informative time line, and words of wisdom leading to a sharing of inherent transcendence. More than that it is a multi-facetted shrine to contemplation visualisation meditation and exploration of the depths of the inner self. Pause awhile at each opening portal and we are actually in the place, listening to the silence, wrapt in the presence of the Holy Ones." - Francis Cameron, Review for Pentacle Magazine

"Lavishly illustrated and packed with information, this book is guaranteed to raise curiosity and will provide inspiration for trips both at home and abroad." - Daily Express

"Besides having personally visited hundreds of sacred places all across the planet I am a keen collector of books on the subjects of sacred sites and pilgrimage traditions. This book, Sacred Places by Philip Carr-Gomm, is one of the very best yet published. The photographs are superb and the text is also fine. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Artists, architects, historians, photographers, travelers and so many other people will greatly enjoy owning it." - Martin Gray, author of Sacred Earth

Edition details

• Publisher: Quercus
• Publication date: 2009
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1847242405
• ISBN 13: 9781847242402
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 255