This is a list of cities that various groups regard as holy. Cities may be either considered holy in themselves (as Mecca for Muslims), important sites for worship or study (swamithoppe for Ayyavazhi), or the high seat of particular religions (Moscow for Russian Orthodox).

Indigenous Australian

1. Devil's Marbles Conservation Reserve, A geological site sacred to the Arrente people of northern Australia. Possibly the oldest continually used by man.

Assyro-Babylonian

1. Babylon, The Gate of God, Known as Babilu in Akkadian and Kadingirra in Sumerian.
2. Ashur, The City of the Patron God of Assyira, the Sky God.
3. Nineveh, The city attoned with the comming of the prophet Jonah.
4. Ur, The birthplace of Abraham the father of the Jews and Arabs.
5. Nippur, holy capital city of Sumerian

Ayyavazhi

1. Swamithoppe - where Vaikundar performed The Great Tavam.
2. Ambalappathi - where Ayya unified into him, the seven Deities.
3. Muttappathi - where Ayya was given second as well as third Vinchai.
4. Tamaraikulampathi - where Akilattirattu Ammanai, the scripture of Ayyavazhi was written down.
5. Pooppathi - where Ayya unified into him Poomadanthai, the goddess of Earth.
6. Vakaippathi - where 700 families were send to tavam by Ayya Vaikundar.
7. Avatharappathi - where Ayya after the incarnation in the sea, arose in the world.

Bahá'í

1. Akko, Site of the tomb of Bahá'u'lláh
2. Haifa, Second most holy site to Bahá'í, administrative headquarters of the church
3. Shiraz, House of the Báb

Buddhism

1. Bodh Gaya, where Gautama Buddha's attained Enlightenment
2. Sarnath, where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha was founded
3. Kushinagar, where Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana, and was cremated
4. Lumbini, commonly recognized as the birth site of Gautama Buddha
5. Anuradhapura, which contains the 2300 year old holy Bo tree relic Sri Maha Bodhi
6. Kandy, which is the site of the Dalida Maligawa, the Temple of the Tooth

Tibetan Buddhism

More important than anything inherent to the places is the presence of the holiest leaders, the highest lamas, who are considered reincarnations of their predecessors.

1. Lhasa, seat of the Dalai Lama (now in exile in Dharmsala, India) in the Potala palace, also national (and under Chinese rule regional) capital of Tibet
2. Shigatse, seat of the Panchen Lama, also the country's second city
3. Tsurphu, (later in exile Rumtek in Sikkim,
   
   
   
   India), seat of the Karmapa Lama, not a proper city, rather a monastic site fairly close to Lhasa

Christianity

1. Jerusalem, The site of some of Jesus's teaching and entombment; Christians believe he was executed on a nearby hill, Golgotha. Nominally the earthly model (under king Solomon) of Heaven, hence old maps in Christian countries were traditionally oriented towards it (and Catholic and Anglican cathedrals point approximately towards it).
2. Bethlehem, Birthplace of Jesus
3. Nazareth, Jesus's hometown and site of many of his acts and miracles
4. Antioch, Once the center of Christianity

In addition, various Christian denominations have separate holy cities:

Armenian Apostolic

1. Echmiadzin

Roman Catholicism

Jubilee cities

1. Rome and Vatican City, Center of the Catholic Church, and site of the four Major Basilicas that are required to be visited to gain a Roman Jubilee
2. Santiago de Compostela, Site of the tomb of St. James the Greater
3. Santo Toribio de Liébana, where the largest single piece of the True Cross is kept.
4. Caravaca de la Cruz, where it is claimed a piece of the True Cross is kept.
5. Assisi, Birthplace and site of the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi. Also an important place for pacifism and tolerance between different religions

Marian shrines

1. Aparecida, The largest Marian shrine in the world, as well as the most popular pilgrimage site in Latin America. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida, Brazil's patron saint.
2. Mexico City, Popular pilgrimage site after a 16th century appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe
3. Knock, Popular pilgrimage site after a 19th century appearance of the Virgin Mary
4. Lourdes, Popular pilgrimage site after a 19th century appearance of the Virgin Mary
5. Fatima, Popular pilgrimage site after a 20th century appearance of the Virgin Mary
6. Jasna Góra, Popular pilgrimage site - monastery with an icon of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa

Eastern Orthodox

1. Constantinople, aka Istanbul, Once the center of the entire Church
2. Mount Athos, Site of 20 monasteries
3. Kiev, Origin of Slavic Christianity, which evolved into Russian Orthodox Church

Ethiopian Orthodox

1. Axum
2. Lalibela

Russian Orthodox

1. Moscow, Capital of Russia
2. Sergiyev Posad, The center of the modern Russian Orthodox Church

Georgian Orthodox

1. Tbilisi, Capital of Georgia
2. Mtskheta

Anglicanism

1. Canterbury, Kent, The center of the Anglican Church

Protestantism

1. Wittenberg, where Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses
2. Geneva, earliest center of Calvinism
3. London, location of John Wesley's conversion and earliest center of Methodism

Latter-Day Saint (Mormonism)

1. Independence, Missouri
2. Nauvoo, Illinois
3. Salt Lake City, Utah
4. Palmyra, New York
5. Kirtland, Ohio
6. Wendover, Nevada

Confucianism

1. Qufu

Ancient Egypt

1. Abydos - center of worship for several gods connected to death and the dead, including Upuaut, Anhur, Anubis, and Osiris.
2. Alexandria, Egypt - in the Hellenistic period, the center of worship for Serapis.
3. Arsinoe, Egypt - center for the cult of Sobek.
4. Bubastis - site of the primary temple of Bast.
5. Deir el-Bahri - site of temples to the pharaohs Mentuhotep II, Hatshepsut, and Thutmose III.
6. Dendera - site of cults of Isis and Hathor.
7. Heliopolis -
   
   
   
   major cultic center with temples for Atum and the Ennead.
8. Leontopolis - a cultic center for the worship of Maahes, Sekhmet and >
9. Medinet Habu - mortuary temple for Rameses III.
10. Memphis, Egypt - cultic center for Ptah and Apis.
11. Mendes - the center for the Mendes Triad: the ram deity Banebdjed the fish goddess Hatmehit, and their child Har-pa-khered, who were eventually identified with Osiris, Isis and Horus, respectively.
12. Nekheb - cultic center for Nekhbet, patron-goddess of Upper Egypt.
13. Tanis, Egypt - the northern center for the worship of the Theban Triad (Amun, Mut, and Khonsu).
14. Thebes, Egypt - cultic center for the Theban Triad.

Ancient Greece

1. Athens - Major cultic center for Athena.
2. Delos - Birthplace of Apollo and Artemis.
3. Delphi - Site of the Oracle
4. Dodona - Cultic center and oracle of Zeus.
5. Eleusis - Cultic center for Demeter and Persephone, site of the Eleusinian Mysteries.
6. Olympia - Hallowed site of the ancient Olympic Games.
7. Rhodes - Sacred to the sun-god Helios and the sea-god Poseidon.
8. Tiryns - Birthplace of Heracles.

Hinduism

1. Ahobilam
2. Ayodhya
3. Benares
4. Gaya
5. Haridwar
6. Kanchipuram
7. Madurai
8. Mathura
9. Pandharpur
10. Prayag
11. Sabarimalai
12. Thanjavur
13. Tirupati
14. Udupi

Jyothirlingams (Shaivism)

1. Bhimashankar
2. Deogarh
3. Dwarka
4. Grishneshwar
5. Kedarnath
6. Omkareshwar
7. Rameswaram
8. Somnath
9. Srisailam
10. Trimbakeshwar
11. Ujjaini (Avantika)
12. Varanasi (Benares)

Kumbh Mela sites

1. Haridwar
2. Nashik
3. Prayag
4. Ujjaini (Avantika)

Other "Snanam" sites

1. The Mahamaham at Kumbakonam
2. The Pushkaram at Rajahmundry

The Shankara Mathams

The four Peethams established by Sri Adi Shankaracharya

1. South: Sringeri
2. West : Dwaraka
3. North: Jyotirmath (Badrinath)
4. East : Puri Jagannath Peetham

Subrahmanya Kshetram's

The six main Subrahmanya Kshetram's Known as "Aaru Padai Veedugal"):

1. Tirupparamkunram
2. Tiruchendur
3. Tiruvavinankudi (Palani)
4. Tiruverakam (Swami Malai)
5. Kundruthoradal (Tiruttani)
6. Palamuthircholai

Ranganatha Kshetram's

The three Ranganatha Swamy kshetrams on islands standing on the river Kaveri -

1. Adi Ranga at Srirangapatna
2. Madhya Ranga at Shivanasamudram
3. Antya Ranga Srirangam

Islam

1. Mecca, the holiest city in Islam. Location of the Ka'aba, focus of the Hajj.
2. Medina, the second holiest city in Islam, site of Masjid al-Nabawi, where the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad, is buried.
3. Jerusalem, the third holiest city in Islam. Location of the Dome of the Rock where muslims believe that Muhammad ascended through the heavens to God.

In addition to the cities listed above the following are holy cities for some Islamic sects:

Shia

1. Najaf, site of the tomb of Imam Ali in Imam Ali Mosque, who the Shi'a consider to be their founder. Also site of Wadi-us-Salaam cemetery.
2. Karbala, tomb of Husayn bin Ali in the Mashad al-Husain
3. Mashhad, site of burial of Imam Reza
4. Qom, site of the shrine of Fatima Masoumeh, sister of Imam Reza. Also site of Jamkaran mosque.

Sufism

1. Ajmer, India, site of the shrine and tomb of Moinuddin Chishti. Considered significant by most, holy by very few Sufis.
2. Türkistan, Kazakhstan, site of the mausoleum of 12th century Sufi Hodja Ahmed Yassawi. Known as the Second Mecca of the East in mediaeval times. Three pilgrimages here are equivalent to one Hajj.
3. Konya, Turkey, site of the tomb of Mawlana Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi, a 13th century master of tasawuff.

Jainism

1. Mount Abu, site of the Dilwara Temples
2. Shravanabelagola
3. Palitana, also known as Shetrunjay

Judaism

The primary holy city in Judaism is Jerusalem—the ancient capital of the united Kingdom of Israel and then of the Kingdom of Judah. It is the current capital of the State of Israel. Mentioned repeatedly in the Torah and the site of the Temples in Jerusalem: the First Temple (Solomon's Temple) and the Second Temple. There are also three other holy cities of somewhat lesser importance to the Jewish people. These cities have played important roles in Jewish history, and were (along with Jerusalem) the main centers of Jewish population in Palestine between the Roman conquest of Jerusalem and the 19th century:

• Hebron—the second-holiest site and the place where the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs is located. According to Jewish tradition this is the burial place of the great patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) and matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah). The capital of the Kingdom of Israel before David moved it to Jerusalem.
• Tzfat, where much of the Jerusalem Talmud was written and kabbalah (Jewish mysticism) was developed by Isaac Luria.
• Tiberias was the last meeting place of the Sanhedrin and the site of a number of important tombs.

While not considered holy cities per se, the following cities had great spiritual significance to Jews through the ages because of their close association with the development of Jewish law and culture:

• Be'er Sheva, settlement attributed to the patriarch Abraham.
• Bethlehem, burial place of the matriarch Rachel and birthplace of King David.
• In ancient times, alternative temples to the one in Jerusalem were established at Elephantine and Leontopolis.
• Yavne and Sepphoris, sites of the Sanhedrin following the destruction of the Second Temple.
• Sura and Pumbedita (and earlier Mahuza and Nehardea), sites of the Talmudic acadamies in Babylonia.
• Lublin, site of the Council of Four Lands and center for Ashkenazi religious and political life for much of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries CE. Vilna and Munkacs were also major centers of Jewish learning, and were often referred to as the "Jerusalems" of Europe.
• Thessaloniki (Salonika), center of Sephardi learning under the Ottoman Empire and refuge for Jews fleeing from Spain.

Shintoism

1. Ise, Site of Grand Shrine of Ise
2. Nagoya, Site of Atsuta Shrine
3. Izumo, Site of Grand Shrine of Izumo
4. Kyoto, Site of other important shrines, such as Yasaka Shrine, Fushimi Inari Shrine and Iwashimizu Shrine. This was also the old capital where the Emperors once resided.

Sikhism

1. Amritsar, Site of the most holy location in Sikhism, the Golden Temple
2. Nankana Sahib, The Birth place of Guru Nanak. the founder of Sikh religion.

Taoism

See also

• Pilgrimage