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

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JAMEH MOSQUE (MASJID JAMEH)

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Esfahan, Iran Esfahan occupies a strange, undefinable niche in the impressive catalog of Persian-Iranian cities.  It is not the current the capital city, nor the largest, nor the oldest.  It is not home to major pilgrimage sites, Shi’ite or otherwise, and is eclipsed by other cities of greater religious importance.  And yet for all of that, Esfahan is the most quintessential … [Read more...]

TOMB OF FATIMAH AL-MASUMEH

April 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Qom, Iran Like the Masjid Imam Ridha in Mashhad, the Shrine of Fatimah Al-Masumeh in Qom is revered as one of the two most important Shi’ite cities inside Iran, and the two are closely related in more ways then one.  The shrine is home to the Tomb of Fatimah, the daughter of Musa the 7th Imam and the sister of Ali the 8th Imam who is buried in Mashhad.  She was therefore also … [Read more...]

AL-ASKARI MOSQUE (MASJID AL-ASKARI)

April 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Samarra, Iraq The city of Samarra in Iraq is the chronologically last of the half-dozen cities including Najaf, Karbala, Medina, Baghdad, and Mashhad which is home to the burial sites of one or more of the Twelve Imams, in this case Ali ibn Muhammad (the 10th) and Hasan ibn Ali (the 11th).  Samarra is also closely associated with Muhammad ibn Hasan, the Lost (12th) Imam, who … [Read more...]

IMAM RIDHA MOSQUE (MASJID IMAM RIDHA)

April 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Mashhad, Iran Considering that Iran is the predominant Shi’ite nation of the Islamic world, it is ironic that most of their holiest shrines lie within the borders of other nations, particularly those which have been hostile towards Iran and the Shi’ites for many centuries.  Because of this Iranians have spared no expense on those sacred mosques which lie within their own … [Read more...]

KADHIMAIN MOSQUE (MASJID KADHIMAIN)

April 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Baghdad, Iraq There was once a time when no other city in the world conjured up such an exotic vision of the Islamic world as Baghdad.  Dominating the heart of the Tigris-Euphrates Valley at the crossroads of Arabia, Persia, the Holy Land and Turkish Asia, Baghdad was the most magnificent city in the world during its golden age in the 9th and 10th centuries.  Baghdad has also … [Read more...]

IMAM HUSSAYN MOSQUE (MASJID IMAM HUSSAYN) & ABBAS MOSQUE (MASJID ABBAS)

April 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Karbala, Iraq The holy sites of the city of Karbala in Iraq are closely tied to those of Najaf, geographically, religiously and historically.  Located about halfway between Najaf and Baghdad in Iraq’s Shi’ite corridor, its two great mosques contain the tombs of Hussayn, the third Imam, and his brother Abbas.  Because of its close proximity and relationship to the Masjid Imam … [Read more...]

TALHA IBN UBAYD-ALLAH MOSQUE (MASJID TALHA IBN UBAYD-ALLAH)

April 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

Basra, Iraq No city in the Islamic world has more embodied, or suffered more from, the endless blood feud between Sunni and Shi’ite Muslims than Basra.  Located close to the mouth of the Tigris-Euphrates River, Basra is historically where the Sunni and Shi’ite worlds meet.  Subsequently it has been the scene of brutal fighting between the two groups ever since, from the Battle … [Read more...]

IMAM ALI MOSQUE (MASJID IMAM ALI)

April 12, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Najaf, Iraq Depending on who you ask, Ali ibn Abu Talib was either the 4th Caliph of Sunni Islam or the 1st Imam of Shi’ite Islam.  Either way, he was the last man to rule over the Islamic Caliphate in its entirety.  Ali was both a cousin and son-in-law of Mohammed, and a member of the Prophet’s inner circle of followers.  His tomb is revered among Shiites, which regard it as … [Read more...]

WALLED CITY OF ARBIL

December 20, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Arbil, Iraq The old walled city of Arbil, also known as the Arbil Citadel, is one of the world’s oldest relatively intact walled cities, recent renovations notwithstanding.  A fortification has stood on the spot since at least the 3rd millennium BC, and it was an important waystation on the vital trade routes of Northern Mesopotamia throughout much of its history.  It has also … [Read more...]

BAM CITADEL

December 19, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Bam, Iran The Bam Citadel is, or was, one of the oldest standing fortifications on Earth, and possibly the largest mud-brick structure ever built.  This magnificent hill-top fortress had dominated the ancient city of Bam from perhaps as early as 500 BC before being almost completely destroyed by an earthquake just a few years ago.  An effort to rebuild this ancient … [Read more...]

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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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