Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power

Clearly this is not another coffee table book. Even so, it could grace any coffee table, or bookshelf anywhere in the world. National Geographic photographer, Martin Gray, displays his lifework in this treatise, as he portrays his ongoing love affair with the earth in exquisite and stunningly expressive photography. The motivating factor behind these photographs has been threefold. The first was to "gather evidence showing that many pre-industrial cultures, recognized the earth as a sacred being, worthy of deep respect". The second was, to document, on film "the world's sacred architecture, the most sublime example of human artistic expression, before it is lost to the ravages of modernization". The third reason was "to study the miraculous phenomena reported at sacred sites around the world". To this effect, this volume contains pictures of many of the well-known sacred and religious shrines of the world. The first section deals with pictures of sites in Europe, taken by the author during a year's bicycle tour. Starting with Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments and other similarly mystical sites in the British Isles and Western Europe, he goes on to present photographs of holy shrines associated with the early era of Christianity. Some of these are major pilgrimage centers such as the Cathedral of Compostela, the Church of La Magdalena, and Avila in Spain, Mont St. Michel, Notre Dame, Our Lady of Lourdes in France and our lady of Fatima in Portugal. Thereafter, lesser known monuments in Continental Europe appear. The emphasis goes on to Grecian influences, there is a fine picture of Mount Olympus and the Parthenon among others. The second section takes up the Middle East and North Africa. Here the author proceeds eastwards, starting from remnants of Grecian and Christian ruins from Turkey to a beautiful cityscape of Jerusalem and other Jewish shrines. This is followed by rare pictures of the Kaaba in Mecca and Medina. The towering peaks of Mount Olympus as seen from Armenia are followed by remnants of Sufi shrines in Iran, after which appear the Pyramids, the Sphinx and other structures of Ancient Egypt. Other sacred Christian and Islamic sites from Ethiopia, Tunisia, Mali and Morocco are depicted. The pictures are accompanied by fascinating glimpses into the history and mythology of the people living in that region. One example of these nuggets of text, is about the Dogon tribes of Mali, who are believed to be of ancient Egyptian descent, and who surprised anthropologists by telling them secret Dogon myths about the star Sirius, having a companion star. This star, now called Sirius was photographed by modern astronomers only after 1970! The next section begins with the well known Hindu sacred sites of the Indian subcontinent, starting with Pushkar in the West, the stone carved caves of Ajanta and Ellora, and Dwarka in Gujarat, to the Golden Temple of Amritsar, the Jain temple at Shatrunjaya, the banks of the river Ganga at Hardwar, Al

This is a wonderful book, from the beautiful and often breathtaking photographs to the very interesting and insightful commentary. Martin takes you to places you might otherwise never see- a guide to the best of the world's sacred places. A must have for anyone interested in sacred places, or for anyone looking for a great view of the world we all call home!

Sacred Earth: Places of Peace and Power Martin, for years I have been following your work with admiration and gratitude and know what tremendous hurdles you had to overcome to stay true to your divine calling, spiritual cause, and life's passion: to explore the sacred sites of this magnificent earth and to present them to us as gracious gifts by way of your moving, awe-inspiring photography accompanied by your insightful, perceptive, and multifaceted narrations. Graham Hancock's foreword is as stimulating and thought-provoking as are his books and TV documentaries. Your new book has particular value for those of us who believe in, have knowledge of, or who experience the realms of finer vibrational energies - call them mystical, sublime, transcendental, or divine.... Your book captures these dimensions in a unique and fulfilling way conveying a profound sense of wellbeing to the reader. If we had more enlightened sages like you, humans would be able to enjoy paradise on Earth. But since spirit is working through you in such a powerful and beautiful way, you are giving us a taste of it now and are paving the way for that future experience. You fulfill the soul's longing to touch the inner source of being which inspires, invigorates, and delights us. And you do it ever so gracefully. You make us immensely happy and I continue to deeply appreciate your work.

Incredible insight and knowledge has gone into the lengthy research for this book. The writings exhibit a profound first-hand knowledge of the many diverse places on Earth the author has visited. It is reminiscent of the many beatiful books by the late Galen Rowell. The difference being the extensive coverage of almost any culture on Earth today. It is a fascinating journey around the world in words and pictures.

Of all the coffee table books I have seen on the subject of sacred places, this one is by far the best. Martin Gray takes us around the world to the finest locations that enlighten the soul. His description accompanying the photos adds the insight into what makes these locations so special. Martin Gray wrote the foreword to my book "Sacred Places Europe" and I will forever be grateful. I asked Martin to write this foreword because he is an amazing photographer and researcher on sacred sites around the world. When I received the advance review copy today from the publisher the final product far exceeded my expectations! This is an amazing book, one I will keep forever. Fantastic work, Martin. Congratulations on a truly beautiful book! Sacred Places Europe: 108 Destinations (Sacred Places: 108 Destinations series)