Real Monasterio de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe (Royal Monastery of Santa Maria of Guadalupe), a Unesco World Heritage Site. Guadalupe, Extremadura, Spain

Ethiopia, Lake Tana, Amhara Region. A very old richly decorated one-metre- high wooden cross is kept in the Treasury at Kibran Gabriel Monastery, the holiest of the Lake Tana monasteries. On its fron...

Ethiopia, Lake Tana, Amhara Region. A hermit who is attached to Betre Maryam monastery on the Zegie Peninsula of Lake Tana..

Ethiopia, Lake Tana, Dek Island, Amhara Region. A mural in the eighteenth century church at Narga Selassie monastery depicts the last supper with Mary Magdalene anointing Jesus's feet with perfume. A...

Vasco da Gama Tomb, Church of Santa Maria, Jeronimos Monastery, Belem, Lisbon, Portugal

Palestine, West Bank, Bethlehem Governorate, Al-Ubeidiya. Mar Saba monastery, built into the cliffs of the Kidron Valley in the Judean Desert.

The Monastery, Ad-Deir, Petra, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan

The Monastery, Ad-Deir, elevated view, Petra, Ma'an Governorate, Jordan

15th-century towers on the Romanesque church of Sts Peter and Paul in Reichenau-Niederzell, Reichenau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Palace of Mafra or Palacio Nacional, Mafra, Lisbon, Portugal

Icons on the exterior walls and ceilings of the Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, or the Rila Monastery, the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria

Icons on the exterior ceiling of the Monastery of Saint Ivan of Rila, or the Rila Monastery, the largest and most famous Eastern Orthodox monastery in Bulgaria

England, North Yorkshire, Ripon. Fountains Abbey, Studley Royal, Cistercian Monastery. Interior chapel, rose window depicting crucifixion. Gilded ceiling of the choir.

Bangkok, Thailand. Wat Phra Kaeo Grand Palace (Temple of the Emerald Buddha), Statue of Apsonsi, half woman half lion greeting and giving thanks.

Architectural detail of the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha roof eaves, Po Lin Monastery, Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.

Armenia, Noravank, Noravank Monastery, 12th century, late afternoon

Armenia, Tatev, Tatev Monastery, 9th century, high angle view

Armenia, Tatev, Tatev Monastery, 9th century, high angle view

Myanmar (Burma), Sagaing region, Monywa, sunset from the hill of Maha Bodhi Ta Htaung monastery

Seda Larung Wuming, the world's largest Tibetan Buddhist institute, temple with red log cabins lived by monks and nuns covering the mountain side, Garze, Sichuan Province, China

Republic of Macedonia, Mavrovo and Rostoucha, Rajcica Monastery

Italy, Lombardy, Pavia, Certosa di Pavia, monastery of the 14th century from late Gothic

Greece, Thessaly, Meteora, Holy Monastery of Rousanou

Greece, Thessaly, Meteora, Holy Monastery of Rousanou

France, Val d'Oise, Asnieres sur Oise, the cistercian abbey of Royaumont

France, Saone et Loire, Paray le Monial, the Sacred Heart basilica and the convent buildings from the banks of the Bourbince river

Icon in Arkadi Monastery, Crete, Rethymno, Greek Islands, Greece, Europe

Buddha Statue, Isurumuniya, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Europe, Czech Republic, Prague, Strahov Monastery, Strahov Library, Theological Hall

Buddhist monk praying in front of Ganden monastery, Tibet, China (MODEL RELEASED)

Buddhist monk praying in front of Ganden monastery, Tibet, China (MODEL RELEASED)

Buddhist monks, Samye monastery, Tibet, China

The Charola, with its origin in the 12th century, was the Templar Knight's oratorium within the Convent of Christ. a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tomar, Portugal

Portrait of young novice monk under red umbrella, Mandalay Region, Bagan, Myanmar, (MR)

Young burmese novice monk reading a book in a temple, Bagan, Mandalay region, Myanmar, (MR)

Young burmese novice monk reading a book in a temple, Bagan, Mandalay region, Myanmar, (MR)

Nepal, Gandaki zone, Manaslu Circuit, between Prok and Lho, the Mount Manaslu (alt.8156m) from the village of Lho (alt.3180m) and Ribung Gompa monastery

Nepal, Gandaki zone, Manaslu Circuit, between Prok and Lho, the Mount Manaslu (alt.8156m) from the village of Lho (alt.3180m) and Ribung Gompa monastery

The Holy Monastery of Rousanou, Meteora, Kalambaka, Greece

Church of St George of the Voronet Monastry, exterior wall paintings representing the biblical scene The Last Judgment, UNESCO World Heritage Site, South Bucovina, Moldavia, Romania

Abbey Library, Benedictine Abbey of Admont, Admont, Styria, Austria

Czech Republic, Prague. The Strahov Monastery library, built in 1794. The Strahov Library contains over 200,000 volumes and features ceiling frescoes by Siard Nosecký and Anton Maulbertsch.

China, Tibet, Lhassa, monk inside the Jokhang monastery, this monastery is the first Buddhist monastery build in Tibet and a big pilgrim destination

China, Gansu Province, Amdo, Xiahe, Monastery of Labrang (Labuleng Si) under the snow

China, Gansu Province, Amdo, Xiahe, Monastery of Labrang (Labuleng Si), Losar (New Year festival), Furling of the giant Thangka

China, Gansu Province, Xiahe, Labrang, Labrang Monastery of Gelug or Gelugpa ritual situated in the former Tibetan Province of Amdo celebrates each year Losar, the Tibetan new year, the big horns help...

China, Gansu Province, Xiahe, Labrang, Labrang Monastery of Gelug or Gelugpa ritual situated in the former Tibetan Province of Amdo celebrates each year Losar, the Tibetan new year, on the occasion th...

China, Gansu Province, Xiahe, Labrang, Labrang Monastery of Gelug or Gelugpa ritual situated in the former Tibetan Province of Amdo celebrates each year Losar, the Tibetan new year, on the occasion th...

China, Shanxi Province, Hunyuan, Xuangongsi Monastery

Interior of monastery church, New Athos Monastery, New Athos, Abkhazia, Georgia

South Korea, South Gyeongsang Province (Gyeongsangnam-do), Gayasan, drum ceremony performed by monks before the evening prayer at the buddhist temple of Haeinsa listed as World Heritage by UNESCO

Mongolia, Ovorkhangai province, Orkhon valley, Karakorum, the ancient capital of the dynasty of Genghis Khan, the monastery of Erdene Zuu

Masked dancer, Festival, Gangtey Dzong or monastery, Phobjikha Valley, Bhutan

Monks carrying out Buddhist ceremony, Punakha Dzong (monastery), Punakha, Bhutan

Georgia, Kutaisi. Religious artwork inside the Gelati Monastery.

Traditional Mariachi group at San Antonio de Padua monastery, Izamal, Yucatan, Mexico (MR)

Traditional Mariachi group at San Antonio de Padua monastery, Izamal, Yucatan, Mexico (MR)