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

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JEITA GROTTO

July 31, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Lebanon The Jeita Grotto is one of the largest cave systems in the Levant and home to the largest known stalactite in the world.  Inhabited in ancient times, the Jeita caves were forgotten by the world for millennia before being rediscovered in the 19th century.  It is now one of the most popular tourist destinations in Lebanon. There is evidence of human habitation in and … [Read more...]

DEAD SEA

July 30, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Israel/Jordan The Dead Sea is one of the most famous lakes in the world, thanks to its location at the heart of the Biblical Holy Land.  Actually a salt lake, the Dead Sea is located at the lowest point on the surface of the Earth, and is so saline that it cannot support life.  Many places of Biblical interest can be found along the shores of the lake, making it a must-see … [Read more...]

MOUNT AQRAA

June 27, 2016 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Syria/Turkey (1,709 m) – Sacred Pagan Site Mount Aqraa on the Mediterranean coast was an incredibly important site in ancient times.  Standing at one of the primary terminus points of the Silk Road, it was a landmark for both caravans and maritime travelers.  But it was most famous a religious center, and was the site of many temples and shrines from the time of the Canaanites … [Read more...]

BATTLE OF AQABA (AQABA BATTLEFIELD)

December 9, 2015 By Howard Kramer 2 Comments

Aqaba, Jordan (1917 AD) The Battle of Aqaba, a relatively minor engagement of World War I, has nevertheless loomed large in the public imagination for nearly a century.  This is due to the romanticized idea of the great Bedouin cavalry charge which stormed as if from nowhere out of the desert, under the leadership of one of the war’s most famous leaders, T.E. Lawrence.  This … [Read more...]

BATTLE OF YARMOUK (YARMOUK BATTLEFIELD)

December 7, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Kafir-Ul-Ma, Syria (636 AD) The Battle of Yarmouk was the first major clash between the nascent Islamic Caliphate and ancient Byzentine Empire.  Because it opened up the Mediterranean world to further Muslim conquests, it was also one of the most important battles of the early Middle Ages.  It pitted two of the greatest military leaders of the time against each other: Emperor … [Read more...]

BATTLE OF KADESH (KADESH BATTLEFIELD)

December 7, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Tel an Nabi Mindu, Syria (c. 1274 BC) The Battle of Kadesh has the distinction of being the first well-documented military engagement in history.  Fought between the expanding empires of Egypt under Rameses II and the Hittites under Muwatalli, there are surviving accounts from both sides, including extensive if one-sided details from the famous Egyptian Pharoah himself.  Long … [Read more...]

MOSQUES OF AMMAN

April 16, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Amman, Jordan The last two decades have witnessed a spectacular proliferation of new, modern mosques all across the Islamic world.  But it was not in one of the great Muslim cities of antiquity where this trend began, but in the unassuming capital of one of the Middle East’s most unassuming nations: Amman, Jordan.  Throughout the 20th century Amman saw the construction of … [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...]

MAUSOLEUM OF SALADIN

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Damascus, Syria Between the end of the Rashidun Caliphate and the modern day, there has been no greater Islamic political figure than Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub.  Saladin, one of the most gifted and respected leaders and military commanders in history, rallied the Islamic world in one of its darkest hours to a tremendous strategic victory over the combined Christian armies of … [Read more...]

AL-OMARI MOSQUE (MASJID AL-OMARI)

April 14, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Beirut, Lebanon There are few places in the world which have changed hands between Christians and Muslims quite so often as the old Phoenician Coast in the Eastern Mediterranean.  As a result there are few places in the world where Christian and Muslim coexistence, peaceful or not, has lasted quite so long.  The enduring architectural symbol of this coexistence, if there is … [Read more...]

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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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