Mount Sacred

Mount Kailash in Asia, the Black Hills in North America or Uluru in Australia: there are numerous mountains around the world that are considered sacred in the past and present. Religious worship involves prayer, meditation and pilgrimage. One can use these mountains as probes to see behind the exterior of societies. Christianity, which for a long time showed little interest in nature, forms a contrast foil to this. Only European mountain research and alpinism ensured a certain opening. In the age of colonialism, a variety of tensions arose. Decolonization and the "ecological turn" changed the religious power of interpretation and gave a new meaning to the talk about sacred mountains. Globally, however, they remain an excellent example of cultural diversity that also touches on issues of gender equality and environmental protection.