Taschen
From ancient pyramids to subterranean labyrinths to mountaintop meccas, we have always been drawn to visiting or building sites that inspire reverence and awe. Since time immemorial, humans have venerated the sun and stars, the earth, and countless deities, organizing our routines and celebrations around the seasons, solstices, and special holidays.
Sacred Sites celebrates how we traverse and transform the world around us through ritual and art. Compiled by Jessica Hundley, Sacred Sites surveys a remarkable array of places and artworks through more than 400 images centered around pilgrimage, performance, and devotion.
Famed locations like Machu Picchu in Peru or giant Buddha statues carved from rocky hillsides in China are complemented by contemporary pieces like Ra Paulette’s painstakingly hand-chiseled “Tree of Life Cave” or Daniel Martin Diaz’s ode to ancient sacred symbolism in “Pyramid Frequencies.” Through an emphasis on beauty and a sense of wonder, Sacred Sites celebrates a range of historical and contemporary places and artworks that tap into the idolized or holy.
