Abandoned Sacred Places

From Stonehenge built thousands of years ago to inner city churches and synagogues in present-day Detroit and Chicago, from ancient Roman temples to Mayan pyramids in Mexico, and from Hindu temples lost in the jungle to Buddhist shrines in the Chinese desert, this photographic book shows what happens when nature reclaims once-holy ground.We may think of churches, mosques, synagogues and temples as ordered places for organized religion. But what happens when the congregation moves away? Or when shifting borders or persecution mean that people can no longer reach them? And, in the absence of humankind, what happens when nature’s unceasing efforts invade the hallowed walls?

Abandoned Sacred Places is a brilliant pictorial exploration of both ancient and modern temples, synagogues, churches, mosques and stone circles that have been left behind. From the mysteries around Stonehenge in England and Carnac in France constructed thousands of years ago to crumbling inner cities churches and synagogues in present-day Detroit and Chicago, from ancient Roman temples to Mayan pyramids in Mexico, and from Hindu temples lost in the Indian jungle to Buddhist shrines in the Chinese desert, the book shows what happens when humanity retreats and nature is allowed to reclaim the land.

With 200 outstanding colour photographs exploring hauntingly beautiful locations, Abandoned Sacred Places is a moving examination of more than 100 lost worlds.