The archive
All destinations
65 documented sites across 14 categories, each rated for biblical significance.
65 destinations
5/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The church built where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and buried, and where he rose again. Six different churches share the same building.
5/5 SignificanceBethlehem, Palestine
Church of the Nativity
The oldest church still used every day. It stands over the cave where Jesus is believed to have been born, marked with a silver star.
5/5 SignificanceTiberias, Israel
Sea of Galilee
A large freshwater lake, 210 metres below sea level, where Jesus did most of his teaching and healing.
5/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Mount of Olives
The hill just east of the Old City where Jesus cried, prayed, was arrested and went up to heaven. The view is famous.
5/5 SignificanceCapernaum, Israel
Capernaum
The small fishing village Jesus used as his home base. You can still see the synagogue and a house believed to be Peter's.
5/5 SignificanceSelçuk, Turkey
Ephesus
Paul lived here for three years, and his preaching once caused a riot. The ruins are some of the best kept in the world.
5/5 SignificanceSaint Catherine, Egypt
Mount Sinai
The 2,285-metre mountain where, according to Jewish, Christian and Muslim tradition, Moses received the Ten Commandments.
5/5 SignificanceSaint Catherine, Egypt
Saint Catherine's Monastery
The oldest monastery still in use, built around the bush where God spoke to Moses. It holds a world-famous library.
5/5 SignificanceAl-Maghtas, Jordan
Bethany Beyond the Jordan
The riverside spot where John baptised people, and where Jesus was baptised. Old churches and mosaics mark the place.
5/5 SignificanceQumran, Israel
Qumran
Caves above the Dead Sea where a shepherd boy found the Dead Sea Scrolls, the oldest Bible texts we have.
5/5 SignificanceChora, Greece
Patmos
The Greek island where John was sent away as a prisoner and wrote the book of Revelation. His cave is still there.
5/5 SignificanceAntakya, Turkey
Antioch (Antakya)
The city where followers of Jesus were first called Christians, and where Paul started his mission trips.
5/5 SignificanceNazareth, Israel
Nazareth
The small village where Jesus grew up. Today it is the biggest Arab city in Israel.
5/5 SignificanceHebron, Palestine
Cave of the Patriarchs
The cave Abraham bought as a family grave. People have prayed here for thousands of years.
5/5 SignificanceBethlehem, Palestine
Bethlehem
The home town of King David and the place where Jesus was born. A small hill town the Bible comes back to again and again.
5/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem
The city at the heart of the Bible story: the temple, the cross, the empty tomb and the promise of a new city.
5/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Garden of Gethsemane
An olive garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives where Jesus prayed on the night before his arrest.
5/5 SignificanceNasiriyah, Iraq
Ur of the Chaldees
The ancient city Abraham left behind when God called him to move to a new land.
4/5 SignificanceVatican City, Vatican City
St Peter's Basilica
The biggest church ever built, with Michelangelo's dome over the tomb of Peter the fisherman.
4/5 SignificanceSantiago de Compostela, Spain
Camino de Santiago
A walking route of about 800 km across northern Spain to the tomb of Saint James. People have walked it for over 1,000 years.
4/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Via Dolorosa
The route Jesus is believed to have walked to the cross: 14 stops through the narrow streets of Jerusalem.
4/5 SignificanceSantiago de Compostela, Spain
Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela
The end of the Camino walk. Inside, a huge 80-kilo incense burner swings high across the church.
4/5 SignificanceNazareth, Israel
Basilica of the Annunciation
The largest church in the Middle East, built over a very old cave-house with an early prayer to Mary carved into it.
4/5 SignificanceRome, Italy
Catacombs of San Callisto
Long underground tunnels where about half a million early Christians were buried, including nine popes.
4/5 SignificanceMadaba, Jordan
Mount Nebo
The hill where Moses looked out over the Promised Land he was never allowed to enter.
4/5 SignificanceJericho, Palestine
Jericho
One of the oldest towns on earth, with a stone tower older than the pyramids and the famous walls from the Bible story.
4/5 SignificanceLondon, United Kingdom
Codex Sinaiticus, British Library
A London library where you can see the oldest complete New Testament in the world, written by hand about 1,600 years ago.
4/5 SignificanceWadi El Natrun, Egypt
Wadi El Natrun
The Egyptian desert where monk life began. Four Coptic monasteries still work the same land today.
4/5 SignificanceBeer Sheva, Israel
Beersheba
A desert town with an old well, where Abraham and Isaac made promises with a local king.
4/5 SignificanceHillah, Iraq
Babylon
The great empire that took the people of Judah away from home. Many sad and famous Bible songs were written here.
4/5 SignificanceCaesarea, Israel
Caesarea Maritima
A harbour city built by King Herod. Here Peter baptised a Roman officer, and Paul was kept in prison before sailing to Rome.
4/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Hezekiah's Tunnel
A 533-metre water tunnel cut through solid rock 2,700 years ago so Jerusalem would have water during a siege. You can walk through it.
4/5 SignificanceMegiddo, Israel
Megiddo
A hill made of 26 towns built on top of each other, looking over the valley the Bible calls Armageddon.
4/5 SignificanceDoğubayazıt, Turkey
Mount Ararat
The snow-covered mountain named in the Bible as the place where Noah's ark came to rest.
4/5 SignificanceHaifa, Israel
Mount Carmel
The mountain ridge where the prophet Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal.
4/5 SignificanceMosul, Iraq
Nineveh
The capital of Assyria, the city Jonah was sent to. Its old walls still form a huge rectangle across the river from Mosul.
4/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Pool of Bethesda
Two old pools in Jerusalem where Jesus healed a man who had been sick for 38 years.
4/5 SignificanceJerusalem, Israel
Pool of Siloam
The stone pool where Jesus told a blind man to wash his eyes. Workers found it again by accident in 2004.
4/5 SignificanceRome, Italy
Rome
The city where Peter and Paul were killed, and the city that later spread their faith around the world.
4/5 SignificanceShiloh, Palestine
Shiloh
Israel's first holy place, where the tabernacle (the tent of God) stood for many years.
4/5 SignificanceDamascus, Syria
Straight Street, Damascus
The old main street where Ananias found Saul after he went blind. Saul then became the apostle Paul.
3/5 SignificanceIstanbul, Turkey
Hagia Sophia
For 900 years the biggest church in the world. It became a mosque, then a museum, and is a mosque again today.
3/5 SignificanceKalambaka, Greece
Meteora
Six monasteries built on top of tall rock towers, 300 metres above the plains of Greece.
3/5 SignificanceChartres, France
Chartres Cathedral
A huge old French church with 176 original stained-glass windows and a stone maze that pilgrims still walk.
3/5 SignificanceAssisi, Italy
Basilica of St Francis
The home town of Saint Francis, who loved animals and gave away everything. His tomb is under a church full of famous paintings.
3/5 SignificanceTurin, Italy
Turin Cathedral and the Shroud
A 4.4-metre linen cloth with the faint image of a crucified man. It is the most studied object in the world.
3/5 SignificanceCologne, Germany
Cologne Cathedral
A giant German church that took 632 years to build. Inside is a gold box said to hold the bones of the wise men.
3/5 SignificanceKaryes, Greece
Mount Athos
A Greek peninsula with 20 Orthodox monasteries. It has its own rules, keeps the old calendar, and women may not enter.
3/5 SignificanceCanterbury, United Kingdom
Canterbury Cathedral
In 1170 an archbishop was killed here by four knights. After that it became the most visited holy place in England.
3/5 SignificanceHoly Island, United Kingdom
Lindisfarne
A small island you can only reach at low tide. Irish monks brought Christianity to northern England from here.
3/5 SignificanceRome, Italy
Via Francigena
The old walking route from Canterbury to Rome. A traveller wrote down every stop in the year 990, and you can still follow it.
3/5 SignificanceLutherstadt Wittenberg, Germany
Wittenberg Castle Church
The church door where Martin Luther put up his 95 points in 1517 and started the Reformation.
3/5 SignificanceTrondheim, Norway
Nidaros Cathedral
A Norwegian cathedral built over the grave of Saint Olav. It is the most northern medieval cathedral in the world.
3/5 SignificanceIsle of Iona, United Kingdom
Iona Abbey
A tiny Scottish island where the monk Columba landed in 563. Christianity spread across Scotland from here.
3/5 SignificanceTrondheim, Norway
St Olav's Way
A 640 km walking route from Oslo over the mountains to Saint Olav's grave in Trondheim. The most northern pilgrim path in the world.
3/5 SignificanceNagasaki, Japan
Twenty-Six Martyrs Monument
In 1597, 26 Christians were killed here for their faith. Japanese Christians then kept their faith secret for 250 years.
3/5 SignificanceBethlehem Governorate, Palestine
Mar Saba
A monastery clinging to a desert cliff since the 400s. Monks still live there and still use oil lamps.
3/5 SignificanceGeneva, Switzerland
St Pierre Cathedral
The church where the reformer John Calvin preached. Under the floor you can walk through ruins that are 1,600 years old.
3/5 SignificanceDead Sea Plain, Jordan
Sodom and Gomorrah
Salt flats and burnt hills at the south end of the Dead Sea, where the Bible places the cities God destroyed.
2/5 SignificanceLourdes, France
Sanctuary of Lourdes
A cave in the French mountains where a 14-year-old girl said Mary appeared to her in 1858. Six million people visit every year.
2/5 SignificanceRome, Italy
The Colosseum
The huge Roman arena. We are not sure Christians died here, but Rome did kill many Christians for their faith.
2/5 SignificanceBarcelona, Spain
Sagrada Família
Gaudí's unfinished church in Barcelona. The whole Gospel story is carved into the walls, and the pillars look like trees.
2/5 SignificanceMexico City, Mexico
Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The most visited Catholic shrine in the world, built around a cloak with an image of Mary that has been shown since 1531.
2/5 SignificanceFátima, Portugal
Sanctuary of Fátima
In 1917 three shepherd children said Mary appeared to them six times here. A crowd of 70,000 saw a strange event in the sky.
2/5 SignificanceTaizé, France
Taizé Community
A hillside village in France where 100,000 young people come each year to pray and sing simple songs together.