Sacred Sites Project

During the summer of 2001, my wife, myself and my two year old daughter, Emily, wandered around Spain for six weeks with our friends Anna and Neil from Sweden. Each night Neil and I would go off in search of the most beautiful semi-secluded spot we could find and set up the tents (free camping is more-or-less legal in Spain). One night we stayed at a town's fiesta too long. When we went out into the hills that surrounded the town it was almost dark and the only public land we could find to set up the tent was next to a Celtic Dolman. The dolman were sacred tombs of the ancient Celts and they dot the landscape of Spain. This particular Dolman dated back 3000 years.

Now, I'm not superstitious but we were a little hesitant to set up camp in its shadow. The wind was whipping across the hill and tearing the tent from our grip. The ground was hard as a rock and seemingly rejected each attempt to anchor a tent stake. Whatever spirits this place belonged to did not seem to like our presence. When we returned with the girls, later that evening, the wind was still howling its discontent over the hill. We broke open a bottle of wine and poured some on the ground to the gods of that place before passing it around. And, with that, the wind stopped. We looked at each other feeling a little uneasy, finished the wine, and had an excellent night's sleep. Had we appeased the gods of that particular place or was it the wine that helped us sleep?

As long as there have been religions, they have impacted the landscape. This impact has always been greatest at their most sacred places. These sacred sites have taken many forms. The dolman of my story has stood for thousands of years. While the people who held it sacred are no longer, it still has a power to inspire and should still be respected. The same is true for any sacred site, whether we understand the meaning behind it or not.

For this assignment, let's explore some of the world's sacred sites. Explorer-anthropologist Martin Gray has spent 18 years as a wandering pilgrim visiting, studying and photographing over 1000 sacred sites in 80 countries around the world. His excellent Sacred Sites Web Site provides photos and background on sacred sites, both old and new, from around the world. Browse the site and report to the class on five different sacred sites, each from a different religious tradition.

Create a five slide Powerpoint that you can use to explain the significance of these places to the rest of the class. What is the religious significance of this place? How did each of the sites impact the cultural landscape of the area? Did the five sites have anything in common? Why do you think each place is built the way it is? In some instances you may need to research beyond this site to answer the necessary questions satisfactorily.

To help you get started, use the document at the top to help gather your information before you begin constructing the Powerpoint. The powerpoint should consist of at least five slides. Each slide should have a picture of the sacred site and whatever other information you feel is pertinent. You will be evaluated on your ability to convey the information asked for on the worksheet. It does not have to be crammed with information as long as you can convey the important information verbally. Other useful sites for this activity are this article on the 30 most visited sacred sites in the world as well as this article from Travel and Leisure magazine .