Religious places in Asia
The story goes that the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, in the centre of Mazar-i-Sharif, houses the body of the Ali ibn Abi Talib (the son-in-law) of the Prophet Muhammed. This has made the place so incredibly holy that evil simply cannot exist (or something like that). How do we know this for sure? Well, it's simple. When a bird lands anywhere in the park surrounding the shrine, the bird will turn white within 40 days. What that amounts to is 1,000 of white birds and almost as many tourist on-lookers. Sure, tourist numbers may be down to some 'issues' Afghanistan is going through, but the birds remain.
In mainly Muslim Bangladesh you will not come across many Buddhist temples, but this one is among the few. It stands a baby taxi (tuk-tuk) ride from Bandarban and is quite beautiful and shiny. Not much seems to be going on here, but the views over the valley and Sangu river are magnificent.
This tiny Hindu tower would normally not have made the list, if it was not for the fact that it lies in Bangladesh, and not neighboring India. The official name is Khodla Math temple and it lies forgotten in a suburban neighborhood outside Bagerhat. The hollow inner does not contain many surprises, but can be accessed by asking the neighbor for the key to the iron doors.
The Bagerhat area flourished under a local hero named Khan Jahan Ali in the 15th century. Islam was taught and mosques were built. To this day, some of these old buildings still stand and attract a small crowd of local pilgrims and the odd traveller. They are all very simple and humbled looking. Shait Gumbad mosque is the biggest. It is also called the 60 domes mosque, which is a bit strange considering it actually has 77 of them. Other mosques in the area worth exploring are Singar mosque, Bibi Begni mosque and Dargah mosque. The old mosques of Bagerhat is one of the few World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh.
In the mid 15th century Khan Jahan Ali, a Turkish Muslim saint, arrived to where Bagerhat lies today. He apparently liked the place so much that he founded a beautiful town with artificial ponds, palaces and impressive mosques otherwise unknown to the area. According to inscriptions on his tomb, he died in 1459 leaving behind a thriving Islamic culture along with some of the finest architecture in Bangladesh, with some of the mosques still standing today. His mausoleum is still considered a pilgrimage site where people come to pray and pay respect. In the pond in front of the shrine there are crocodiles which are believed to give good luck if touched (we kid you not).
A crazy divined man erected the fertility temple in the 15th century. Both locals and tourists come here to become fertile (or just to pray). Every tour guide has at least one story of some foreign couple, who became parents after the woman had done the fertility ritual, which includes caring a big heavy wooden phallus around the temple. The short hike from the nearby village to the temple goes through rice paddy fields and pass plenty of penis murals.
Gangtey Monastery is a lovely monastery with vivid, fine detailed wall paintings. The monk quarters are within the courtyard, so there will be a lot of "red cloak monk" sightings. The valley below is winter home for the endangered Black-necked crane, which migrate from the Tibetan plateau. An annual one-day festival is held here on the 11th of November to celebrate the arrival of the cranes. The monastery was under renovation in 2018.
This fine temple is the oldest in Bhutan. Founded in the 7th century and later expanding in 1971. The temple is particularly lovely due to the many old pilgrims circling the temple while spinning the prayer wheels. If lucky, you might also get a glimpse of the original Buddha statue from the 7th century, which sits in a separate room, which only get open on special occasions.
Everything about this iconic monastery is spectacular. The 2-3 hours hike up to the monastery is surprisingly rewarding with plenty of viewpoints, which just become better and better the closer you get. The temple itself was first founded in 1692, but was reconstructed in 2004 after another devastating fire (most temples in Bhutan have been burnt down at some point in history). Maze like stairways link the separate prayer rooms, which mostly are dedicated to Padmasambhava, who flew here on the back of a tiger. If lucky, you might be able to catch a rimdu (chanting with music instruments) or another religious ritual. Like elsewhere in Bhutan, no photos are allowed inside the temple.
A tasteful and modest piece of architecture that shows what oil money can buy. It was built in 1958 with the finest materials from all over the world; marble from Italy, stained-glass and chandeliers from England, granite from China, carpets from Saudi Arabia and a golden dome. In the artificial lake stands a replica of a royal boat. It's clearly the city's proud landmark and is considered among the most beautiful mosques in the world.