Martin Gray is a photographer and anthropologist whose work has been published by the National Geographic Society. During the past 15 years, he has presented slide shows on the extraordinary beauty and precarious situation of the world's sacred sites to more than 100,000 people on four continents. His award-wining website www.sacredsites.com has millions of visitors a year. Now Gray has put together a stunning collection of color photographs of sacred sites. He has spent the last 20 years on a pilgrimage taking pictures of 1,000 places of peace and power in 80 countries. Each photograph is enhanced by commentary about the history, mythology, or special appeal of the location The book is divided into chapters on sacred sites in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Asia and the Pacific, South America, North and Central America.

Many of these stone circles, pyramids, shrines, and temples not only convey ancient wisdom but in some cases healing energies. They inspire spiritual seekers with their beauty and stir the soul to experiences of wonder and awe. Gay identifies 31 types of sacred sites and the reason for their power.

Unfortunately, today many of these sacred places are threatened by pollution and tourist traffic that puts needless wear and tear on them. Gray calls this book "a visual meditation, a passionate prayer, and an expression of loving gratitude." He hopes that the photographs will serve as a spur for others to make a pilgrimage to these sacred places and to work to preserve them. He also wants readers to come away with a fresh appreciation for the sacred earth.

Here is a short list of the many sacred places covered in this paperback:

  • Stonehenge Stone Ring, Wiltshire, England
  • St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall, England
  • Temple of Hera, Paestum, Italy
  • Mt. Olympus, Thessaly, Greece
  • Nemrut Dagi, South-Central Turkey
  • Mosque of the Prophet, Medina, Saudi Arabia
  • Temple of Vishnu, Badrinath, India
  • Golden Temple, Amritsar, India

You Tube of Pictures of Sacred Earth 3minutes