In this blog we have dedicated articles to places related to religion, and indicated that they are visited by travelers from many parts of the world. But are these pilgrimage trips, and what exactly are they? In this post we try to answer these questions. And we remind you that Mandala Tours is specialized in organizing this type of trips, so demanded by a sector of society.
What pilgrimage trips are (and what they are not)
“Togo on pilgrimage to a sanctuary for devotion or by vow“. That is the second meaning of the Diccionario de la Real Academia Española for the term pilgrimage. And it is perhaps the one that most people have in mind. And by pilgrimage, we mean the “journey” to that place, not the popular festivity organized on a specific holiday.
If we adapt these terms to a tourist definition, we can say that pilgrimage trips are those that visit sacred places and that tourists-pilgrims make to strengthen their relationship with that religion. They do not necessarily have to be long and tiring journeys, although sometimes they imply displacements of several days or weeks, given the distance with respect to these places.
These pilgrimage trips are often promoted by confraternities and other religious-cultural associations. In this way, if it is a private and closed group, related activities can be organized , such as private masses, readings of the sacred scriptures, offerings, etc.
But these sacred places do not have to be the only destinations of the trip: although they are the magnet that attracts these tourists, other places of interest related to history, culture, nature or other factors can be included in the circuit, since the traveler-pilgrim also has a desire for knowledge and more general enjoyment.
Examples of pilgrimage trips with Mandala Tours
As we said, Mandala Tours specializes in pilgrimage trips. In the countries where our agencies operate, there are sacred places that attract thousands of people who travel precisely to strengthen their beliefs and knowledge about their own religion. Here are some examples from our catalog.
- Monasteries of Egypt: Coptic Christianity is still very much alive in this country. And some of the most venerated saints were key to the emergence of the monastic movement. A pilgrimage route through this country can lead to the pioneers of St. Paul the Hermit and St. Anthony the Abbot, as well as the highly revered by the locals, in Wadi Natrun.
- The Flight to Egypt of the Holy Family: this route visits the places that, according to tradition, served as a refuge for the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and the Child Jesus. This is the case of the Grotto of Abu Serga, under the church of St. Sergius in Cairo, the tree of Mary in Al-Matareya (also in Cairo) or the Monastery of the Virgin near Assiut.
- Mount Sinai: place of pilgrimage in the Egyptian Peninsula of the same name, especially for Christians and Jews (who call it Mount Horeb), as it is the place where Moses received the Tablets of the Law. In addition, it is usually combined with a visit to the Monastery of St. Catherine, another place of wonders, such as the Burning Bush.
- The 7 Churches of the Apocalypse: it tours the seven Turkish cities or archaeological sites that correspond to the Christian communities to which St. John addressed by letter during his exile on the island of Patmos.
- In the footsteps of St. Paul: travel through the Mediterranean region of Turkey, where St. Paul of Tarsus was born and where he carried out his evangelizing work with St. Peter and St. Barnabas, among others. Antioch and Tarsus are on this tour.
- Bethany Beyond the Jordan: sacred place located in Jordan, is where St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ, in the Jordan River. Today it is a World Heritage Site and is venerated by Orthodox and Catholics, and has been visited by patriarchs and pontiffs.
And of course, the Holy Land in Israel, which is the place of pilgrimage par excellence for the followers of the three main monotheistic religions. So if you want to visit any of these sacred places, privately or in a larger group with the same concerns, do not hesitate to contact us to get down to work.
