# Pilgrimages Involved Penitent Marches, Visiting Holy Places, and Watching Drunken Emperors Go on Chariot Rides

An episode of [History Unplugged Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1237796990), 24 Apr 2025, 45 min.

Audio: https://s.gum.fm/s-62a121b02a6f7798fef24ea9/traffic.omny.fm/d/clips/5e27a451-e6e6-4c51-aa03-a7370003783c/f29261d0-2b21-4ca3-8530-b192014643e7/2abdf593-aa77-4990-98b7-b2ab00f651a4/audio.mp3?utm_source=Podcast&in_playlist=f2485583-8f85-4713-b316-b19201465f8d

Pilgrimages are a universal phenomenon, from China’s bustling Tai Shan to the ancient Jewish treks to Jerusalem. But why? What is it about a grueling penitent march to an isolated temple that has become a prerequisite for a civilization of any size, whether Chicen Itza in the Mayan Empire or the holy sites of Mecca? To explore this is today’s guest, Kathryn Hurlock, author of “Holy Places: How Pilgrimages Changed the World.” We also look at whether pilgrimages have become too easy in the 21st century. Has jetting off to Mecca or Rome for a quick indulgence turned them into spiritual tourism, a la Disneyland? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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