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Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

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KING FAHD ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTER

April 16, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Buenos Aires, Argentina Until fairly recently, Islam historically made little headway in establishing footholds in the Americas.  Sizeable Muslim communities can as yet be found in only three countries: the United States, Brazil and Argentina.  Of these, the Muslim community of Argentina is the smallest; and yet it is home to the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center in Buenos … [Read more...]

MEVLANA MUSEUM

April 16, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Konya, Turkey While Sufism originated in Persia and other eastern Islamic nations, it reached the pinnacle of its popularity much later in the Turkish territories of Asia Minor.  This was due in large part to one Jala Al-Din Rumi, one of the greatest and most revered of Sufi philosophers, who came to Konya as a refugee fleeing the Mongols.  He contributed much in the way of … [Read more...]

ACADEMIC HERITAGE SITES OF TOOS (TOMB OF FERDOWSI, HARUNIYEH TOMB)

April 16, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Toos, Iran Throughout much of the Abbasid period, the small, unlikely city of Toos on the distant frontier of Persia was an important Islamic intellectual center.  Some of the greatest Muslim thinkers of the 10th and 11th centuries were born and/or made their homes here.  Among these noteworthies were scientists Abu Musa Jabir Ibn Hayyan and Nasir Al-Din Tusi, the poet Asadi … [Read more...]

KHAST IMAM MOSQUE (MASJID KHAST IMAM)

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Tashkent, Uzbekistan Generally speaking, the most revered artifacts of Islam that have survived the centuries have been preserved in places that make geographical sense: Mecca, Cairo, Istanbul and so forth.  So it is unusual that the Uthman Qur’an, believed to be the oldest known copy of the Qur’an and which according to tradition was once in the possession of Uthman, Ali or … [Read more...]

MOSQUES OF SHIRAZ (MASJID VAKIL, MASJID NASIR AL-MULK, MADRASSA KHAN)

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Shiraz, Iran Shiraz is one of the oldest and most historically important cities in Iran.  In addition to its prominence in ancient times, it has served as the capital of Islamic Persia twice, most recently in the 18th century.  Many of the city’s most prominent mosques and other religious institutions were built or refurnished during the Qajar period, notably the Masjid Nasir … [Read more...]

MADRASSA AR-ZAHIRIYYA

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Damascus, Syria As if the Tomb of Saladin wasn’t enough, Damascus also boasts the gravesite of yet another of the greatest Islamic military commanders of all time: Abu Al-Futah, better known as Baybars, who led the beleagured Muslims of Syria and Egypt to tremendous victories against both the Crusaders and the Mongols.  Although Baybars did not restore the Islamic Empire of … [Read more...]

AL-AZHAR MOSQUE (MADRASSA AL-AZHAR)

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Cairo, Egypt By the time the Fatimids came to power, Fustat was the already the political center of Africa.  As the capital of the Fatimid dynasty, it also became the second most powerful city in the Islamic world after Baghdad.  During their reign, the Fatimids transformed Fustat into a religious and cultural powerhouse as well, adorning the city with mosques, schools and … [Read more...]

MADRASSA AL-KAIROUIAN

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Fes, Morocco The Madrassa Al-Karouian is not only one of the oldest Islamic sites in North Africa, it is culturally one of the most important institutions in the world.  Founded in the mid-9th century, Al-Karouian is generally recognized as the oldest continually operational university of higher education on Earth.  This is not merely an Islamic tradition; this recognition … [Read more...]

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

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Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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