Religious places in Asia

The story goes that the Shrine of Hazrat Ali, in the centre of Mazar-i-Sharif, houses the body of the Ali ibn Abi Talib (the son-in-law) of the Prophet Muhammed. This has made the place so incredibly holy that evil simply cannot exist (or something like that). How do we know this for sure? Well, it's simple. When a bird lands anywhere in the park surrounding the shrine, the bird will turn white within 40 days. What that amounts to is 1,000 of white birds and almost as many tourist on-lookers. Sure, tourist numbers may be down to some 'issues' Afghanistan is going through, but the birds remain.

In mainly Muslim Bangladesh you will not come across many Buddhist temples, but this one is among the few. It stands a baby taxi (tuk-tuk) ride from Bandarban and is quite beautiful and shiny. Not much seems to be going on here, but the views over the valley and Sangu river are magnificent.

This tiny Hindu tower would normally not have made the list, if it was not for the fact that it lies in Bangladesh, and not neighboring India. The official name is Khodla Math temple and it lies forgotten in a suburban neighborhood outside Bagerhat. The hollow inner does not contain many surprises, but can be accessed by asking the neighbor for the key to the iron doors.

The Bagerhat area flourished under a local hero named Khan Jahan Ali in the 15th century. Islam was taught and mosques were built. To this day, some of these old buildings still stand and attract a small crowd of local pilgrims and the odd traveller. They are all very simple and humbled looking. Shait Gumbad mosque is the biggest. It is also called the 60 domes mosque, which is a bit strange considering it actually has 77 of them. Other mosques in the area worth exploring are Singar mosque, Bibi Begni mosque and Dargah mosque. The old mosques of Bagerhat is one of the few World Heritage Sites in Bangladesh.

In the mid 15th century Khan Jahan Ali, a Turkish Muslim saint, arrived to where Bagerhat lies today. He apparently liked the place so much that he founded a beautiful town with artificial ponds, palaces and impressive mosques otherwise unknown to the area. According to inscriptions on his tomb, he died in 1459 leaving behind a thriving Islamic culture along with some of the finest architecture in Bangladesh, with some of the mosques still standing today. His mausoleum is still considered a pilgrimage site where people come to pray and pay respect. In the pond in front of the shrine there are crocodiles which are believed to give good luck if touched (we kid you not).

A tasteful and modest piece of architecture that shows what oil money can buy. It was built in 1958 with the finest materials from all over the world; marble from Italy, stained-glass and chandeliers from England, granite from China, carpets from Saudi Arabia and a golden dome. In the artificial lake stands a replica of a royal boat. It's clearly the city's proud landmark and is considered among the most beautiful mosques in the world.

On top of Phnom Kulen sits Preah Ang Thom, a 16th century Buddhist monastery famous for its giant reclining Buddha, one of Cambodia’s largest. The Buddha is carved into the top of the huge sandstone boulder upon which the temple is built. The view from up there is equally magnificent.

Phnom Chhnork is a limestone mountain which rises above the flat plateau outside charming Kampot town. A 203 steps stairway leads up to a cave with a pre-Angkor (7th-century) temple inside. It is built in bricks and dedicated to Shiva, with a stalagmite inside acting as a phallic altar. Phnom Sidaoun, which lies on the same dirt road but a bit before Phnom Chhnork, is a small cave complex next to a working stone quarry. There is a recent image of Buddha and some cave passages. Local kids are happy to act as your local guides. Outside, numbing stone beating is going on, which is all done by hand by skinny elders - it is depressing to watch but is unfortunately part of life in poor Cambodia.

Phnom Sorsia is a small mountian rising from the flat farmland outside Kampot. There is a monastery at the foot and a small colorful temple on the top along with stupas. The mountain also has some cool caves passages where you can see bats. The great thing about this place compared to Phnom Sidaoun, Phnom Chhnork and Wat Kiri Sela, is that it is a working monastery, so there will be young novice monks hanging around. As with the other places, you will very likely be greeted by some young kid who will tag along as your guide - whether you like or not. But they do know the caves, so it might not be such a bad idea.

Hidden inside a hollow mountain, this cave temple is half tourist attraction and half sacred place. You enter the temple through the "dragon's mouth", a cave passage that will take you to the "dragon's stomach", a hidden valley with tall trees. Self-announced local guides will tag along and energetically point out different rock formations. There are a small pond and some newer Buddha statues, including a reclining Buddha which is a remake of the original one the Khmer Rouge destroyed. In the back of one of the caves, a stalagmite is acting as a Buddha statue and is considered equally divine.