A view of the 17th-century Meenakshi Amman Temple in India, which comprises 14 colorful towers. | Shutterstock

Whatever your faith, these are simply beautiful The architecture of houses of worship varies according to time and place, ranging from hilltop chapels built in the 10th century to geometric modernist designs of glass and steel.
While many pay tribute to the beautiful landscape around them, other churches or temples use intricate craftsmanship?think colorful sculptures or woodworking?to encourage meditation and mindfulness.
History plays an important part in these spaces, too, especially in the renovation or even reconstruction of holy buildings after persecution and war.
A tour around the world in search of the most beautiful houses of worship shows that despite the immense differences in architecture, the ability of humans to create beautiful, holy places transcends geographical and sectarian boundaries. Behold, 26 of the world?s prettiest churches, mosques, and temples. Las Lajas Sanctuary in Colombia

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Completed in 1949, Las Lajas Sanctuary is one of the few churches around the world connected to an opposite canyon wall with a bridge.

According to legend, the Virgin Mary appeared in this canyon of the Guaitara river in 1754, prompting locales to start building this basilica church in the Gothic Revival style in 1916.
Completed in 1949, it is one of the few churches around the world connected to the opposite canyon wa...