Places of Worship in Caves Around the World

On January 19, 2021January 19, 2021 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Egypt, Hungary, India, VietnamLeave a comment

Caves have provided shelter and safety since the beginning of mankind, so it isn’t surprising that they have also served as places of worship over the centuries. Sometimes they are revered for the historical impact of the location and then become a place where people come to visit in the future based on their faith. Other places serve as actual places of worship just like any traditional temple or church. We have seen several different locations during our travels and each of them was unique and interesting in their own ways. There are so many fascinating places to discover when traveling and finding these caves that inspire people are certainly among them.

Abu Serga Church (The Cavern Church) in Cairo, Egypt – Located in Old Cairo, also known as Coptic Cairo, the Abu Serga Church (also called the Cavern Church and officially the Saints Sergius and Bacchus Church) was built over the cavern where Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were supposed to have rested at the end of their journey in Egypt. Even during the offseason when we visited, there were long lines to make your way down to the cave and see the altar housed within. The church itself is also very interesting with many historical relics on display.

Walking into Cave Church from the Entrance

The Cave Church in Budapest, Hungary – Located at the base of Gellert Hill, the hill that the Citadella (fortress) sits atop, is a system of caves. One of the caves was converted into a chapel in the 1920’s and even served as a hospital for the Germans during WWII. The atmosphere within Cave Church is interesting due to the lack of natural light and the rugged cavern walls. After its conversion to a hospital by the NAZI army during the war, it returned to serving as a church until 1951 when the Soviet Union had it shut down. The chapel was raided by the Soviet Army, the monks arrested, and the cave sealed up until Budapest regained their freedom in 1989. Today, the monks of the Pauline Order continue to operate the church and hold religious functions on the site as well as maintain it as a tourist attraction.

Huong Tich Cave at Perfume Pagoda in Vietnam – Perfume Pagoda is a complex of Buddhist temples located about a couple of hours outside of Hanoi in Vietnam. At the heart of the complex is Huong Tich Cave and within the cave is Chua Trong or the Inner Temple. During the festival time, from late January through early March, thousands of people visit the temple and the 2.5 km (1.5 mile) path that takes you up to the cave is lined with vendor stalls selling food, gifts, and objects to use as an offering. In order to reach the Perfume Pagoda complex, you need to take an almost hour long boat ride (less if you take a motorized boat) through the beautiful countryside.

Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica in Chennai, India – After going to several Hindu temples during our stay in Chennai, going to the Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica was a unique experience. The church is built over the tomb of Saint Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, which is one of only three churches in the world to be built over the tomb of a disciple. For a small donation, you are able to enter the cave where Saint Thomas hid and there is even a rock that is supposed to have been worn down by his hand. There is also a spring that is just outside of the cave called the Saint Thomas Fountain, which supposed provided healing powers to those that came to listen to him and people still drink from it today in order to be cured. There is a cross carved into a rock that was believed to be carved by Saint Thomas and many believers report that it continues to bleed to this very day.

Regardless of your beliefs, seeing such unique places of worship is certainly interesting for a variety of reasons. The backdrop of the caves and caverns, some of them natural and some of them man-made add to the uniqueness of these locations.

An Opportunity Missed

On June 26, 2020June 26, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn India, Photo Challenge6 Comments

It is not uncommon to find extremely ornate doors on churches, cathedrals, museums, and castles throughout the world, but we found that in India it was common to see them on homes of everyday people. They are often carved with Hindu figures and with meaningful stories. We had visited the home of a friend while were in Chennai and their door had intricate carvings of Ganesh, the Hindu god with the head of an elephant. We didn’t take any pictures of their door out of respect for them. We do think that it was great to see that the people of India made sure to reuse doors when older buildings were being taken door to make way for new buildings.

Ornate Doors on the Baptistry in Florence, Italy

Fascinating Detail above this Door in India

During our time in Chennai several years ago, we had come across a store that sold unique antiques. One of the most unusual items that we came across were tables that had been made out of some of the antique doors. We came extremely close to purchasing this particular table seen below and, in hind sight, we regret not making the purchase. The thought of having to pay for shipping ended up discouraging us from making this unique piece of furniture part of our home décor. Lesson learned, in the future we’re not going to let the logistics and costs of shipping keep us from purchasing something that we truly wanted to purchase.

Ornate Doorway in a Mosque in Cairo, Egypt

What Was Your Wanderlust Moment?

On February 7, 2020 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn India10 Comments

We had been taking vacations for years where we would visit interesting locations throughout the United States. We even traveled abroad and to Mexico, but as we look back now, we were tourists not travelers in those days. The trip that changed everything for us was when we went to Chennai, India. That was the trip where we really learned to immerse ourselves as much as possible in the culture and push ourselves outside of our normal comfort zone. That experience has changed the way that we travel, the way that we view the places that we visit, as well as the choices that we make on where in the world to go. We are now travelers, not tourists. We don’t just want to go to the most famous sites, we want to grow as global citizens and learn as much about the world and the people who inhabit it as much as possible. What was the moment that changed the way that you travel?