Visitor guide
How to visit a temple, a mosque or a shrine
What to wear, where you may go, when to come and how to behave in each kind of sacred place in this catalogue, written by hand from the practice of the places themselves.
- How to visit a mosque: dress, timing and mannersWhat to wear, when to go and how to behave in a mosque as a non-Muslim, and which mosques do not admit visitors at all.
- How to visit a Buddhist temple: shoes, dress and mannersShoes, dress, feet, photos and offerings in Buddhist temples, from the wats of Thailand and Sri Lanka to the Zen temples of Japan.
- How to visit a Hindu temple: dress, shoes and accessWhat to wear, what to leave at the gate and where non-Hindus may go in Hindu temples in India, Nepal, Bali and South-East Asia.
- How to visit a Shinto shrine: torii, water and prayerHow to pass the torii, purify at the water basin, pray, take photos and buy charms at a Shinto shrine in Japan.
- How to visit a synagogue: dress, security and ShabbatWhen synagogues open to visitors, how to dress, why security is tight and how to behave at a service, from Prague to Djerba.
- How to visit a Chinese temple: incense, gods and mannersHow to behave in Taoist, Confucian and folk temples in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South-East Asia: incense, thresholds and fortunes.
- How to visit an ancient temple: tickets, heat and rulesTickets, hours, heat, guides, climbing rules and conservation at the ancient temples of Egypt, Greece, Italy, Angkor and the Maya world.
- How to visit a gurdwara: head cover, feet and langarHow to visit a Sikh gurdwara, with notes on Jain temples, Baha'i houses of worship and Cao Dai temples: dress, timing and conduct.
- Temple, shrine or pagoda: what the words meanTemple, shrine, pagoda, stupa, wat, mandir and monastery explained: what each word means, how to tell them apart and why it matters.