Most Difficult Religious Sites to Reach

Most Difficult Religious Sites to Reach

Standing in antiquity, various religious sites are not fragile by time. Changes in nature can occur, but these various religious buildings are always standing. Does this hint at the divine power that protected the place?

However, some of the religious sites on this earth are at a point of extreme isolation from the world. Finally, it takes extra effort to arrive and return. Interested? Here are 7 of the most difficult religious sites to reach, but they are amazingly Sites to Reach beautiful!

1. Abuna Yemata Guh, Ethiopia

Abuna Yemata Guh, Ethiopia

Located in Tigray, Ethiopia, Abuna Yemata Guh is a church at an altitude of 2.58 km. If you want to reach it, visitors have to walk to climb the height through the steep and sharp stone steps.

When it arrives, Abuna Yemata Guh has a variety of Christian paintings from the sixth century that are well preserved. Dedicated to one of the Nine Saints, Abba Yem'ata, Abuna Yemata Guh is one of the last remaining history of Christianity in Ethiopia.

2. Katskhi Pillar Church, Georgia

Katskhi Pillar Church, Georgia

Katskhi Pillar Church (კაცხის ) is a church that stands on a limestone monolith with a height of 40 meters. mentioned Pillars of Life in Chiatura, Georgia. This church is seen as a symbol of the True Cross of Jesus Christ, and various dogmas are spread about it.

Previously, the Katshki pillar church was unreachable by many and there is a little historical record of the site. In 1944, several Georgian climbers and researchers climbed the church and witnessed it inside. This church structure is thought to date from the tenth century.

3. Paro Taktsang, Bhutan

Paro Taktsang, Bhutan

When you hear Bhutan, you may think of the monks who pray at Paro Taktsang (སྤ་གྲོ་སྟག་ཚང). Created in 1692, the temple which is called "Tiger's Nest" is located at an altitude of 300 meters. in the Paro valley. This temple is dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava who first brought Buddhist teachings to Bhutan.

Why is it called "Tiger's Nest"? It is said that Guru Padmasambhava arrived at Paro Taktsang riding a tigress. Besides, the master meditated in one of the caves and existed in eight incarnations until the place became holy.

Every March or April, Paro Taktsang is the site of the Tsechu festival which runs for 4 days. Was hit by a fire in 1998, Paro Taktsang was restored in 2005.

4. Holy Trinity Monastery, Greece

Holy Trinity Monastery, Greece

As one of the 24 churches that stand on the cliffs of Meteora, the Holy Trinity Monastery (Μονή Τριάδος) is at an altitude of more than 400 meters. over the town of Kalambaka, Greece. Quite difficult to do, this monastery can only be reached through steep lanes and stairs.

After its creation in 1476, this monastery has a variety of treasures and valuable paintings. However, in the early 20th century, few monks occupied the monastery. In addition, when World War II (1939-1945) broke out, the majority of the monastery's property was looted by Nazi Germany.

The Monastery of the Holy Trinity is currently on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. In fact, this monastery site was used in the production of the James Bond film series For Your Eyes Only (1981) starring Roger Moore.

5. Taung Kalat Temple, Myanmar

Taung Kalat Temple, Myanmar

Located in central Myanmar, the Taung Kalat (ပုပ္ပါးတောင်ကလပ်) temple is on Mount Popa, Mandalay, Myanmar. This temple is built on rocks with a height of 225 meters. from the volcanic activity of Mount Popa in the past period.

Has a size of 1518 meters. above sea level, Mount Popa is considered sacred because it is a source of grout energy. On top of Mount Popa, Pour Kalat temple is a building that you can visit. Ready? You have to climb 777 stairs.

6. Xuankong Hanging Temple, China

Xuankong Hanging Temple, China

Built more than 1,500 years ago, the Xuankong Hanging Temple (悬空寺) is located on Mount Heng, Shanxi Province, North China, at an altitude of 30 meters. It is said that this temple was built by a monk named Liaoran (了然) in 491. Then, The temple was restored and it is the current temple.

The Hanging Temple of Xuankong is one of those temples that combines three traditional Chinese philosophies: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. No need to be afraid of collapsing, the temple which contains 40 rooms and pavilions is supported by cross beams made of strong oak wood that has been pegged to the cliff wall.

7. Sumela Monastery, Turkey

Sumela Monastery, Turkey

Sumela Monastery (Μονή ) is located on the cliffs of the Pontic Mountains, Turkey, with an altitude of 1,200 meters. Coming from the fourth era, this monastery is the oldest in Christian history dedicated to Our Lady.

Enjoying its period of fame, in 1923 the Sumela monastery was briefly vacant due to the transition of community between Turkey and Greece. 7 years later, there was a fire that destroyed the Sumela buara. After undergoing restoration, the Sumela monastery is now one of the special tourist attractions in the territory.

However, in 2015, the Sumela monastery was closed because usually, stones fell around the site. For the safety of some visitors, the Sumela monastery is undergoing repairs and has only been reopened in 2019.

These are some of the most difficult religious sites for travelers to reach. In addition to long distances, excessive terrain makes some travelers think twice before heading there. Would you go the extra mile to some of these places? The effort will not betray the results.