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Step Inside This Underground Cathedral, Carved Into the Walls of an Abandoned Salt Mine
An old mine has transformed into a subterranean worship space, 650 feet underground
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Listen to the Sounds of Sacred Spaces Around the World
A new project documents, then remixes, religious and spiritual sounds
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Muslims Were Banned From the Americas as Early as the 16th Century
Long before today’s anxiety about terror attacks, Spain and England feared that enslaved Africans would be more susceptible to revolt if they were Muslim
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The History of the National Prayer Breakfast
The tradition began with President Eisenhower and has often been a place for the chief executive to talk about his faith
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The Story of the Astrolabe, the Original Smartphone
Prosperous times likely paved the way for this multifunctional device, conceptual ancestor to the iPhone 7
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Here’s What Happens in a “Comic Book” Drawn by Medieval Monks
Psychomachia pits vice against virtue in a battle for human souls
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Why the Templar Secret Rituals Were So Controversial
From spitting on the Christian cross to strange sexual acts, the Knights Templar’s secret rituals were controversial
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Muslim and Sikh Troops Can Now Wear Beards, Turbans and Headscarves
The U.S. Army just changed its grooming regulations to accommodate observant soldiers
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Was This Hidden Tunnel Used by the Knights Templar?
It’s unclear if the Knights Templar created the secret tunnel in Acre, Israel, as an escape route or a way to secretly export valuable items
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There Are Only Two Shakers Left in the World
One of America’s oldest religious sects still survives
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How the Knights Templar Came to Be
After a group of pilgrims were murdered in 1119, nine crusaders formed a pact to protect any others like them from harm
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After Nearly 70 Years, the India-Pakistan Partition Gets a Museum
The Partition Museum is unrelenting in its portrayal of a brutal era
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The Vatican Names Its First Woman Museum Director
Barbara Jatta just smashed through one frescoed ceiling
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You Can Hear Hagia Sophia’s Sublime Acoustics Without a Trip to Istanbul
Stanford scientists have digitally created the building’s unique sound, taking listeners back to the Middle Ages
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For Your Contributions to Science, I Humbly Bequeath You This Pet Moose
A history of motivating scientific endeavor through cash prizes, islands and exotic pets
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Someday, Maybe We’ll Have Hanukkah in July
Hanukkah and Christmas fall on the same day this year because not everyone follows the same calendar
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The Nazis Fought the Original War on Christmas
As they rose to power, party leaders sought to redefine the holiday to suit their own political needs
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Pope’s New Nativity Scene Raises Awareness of Worldwide Refugee Crisis
It’s a lavish display complete with a plea for racial tolerance
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Do We Finally Know How the Holy Grail Disappeared?
How did an onyx cup thought to be the Holy Grail disappear from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in 909 AD?
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Crocodile Mummy Found Packed With Dozens of Smaller Crocodile Mummies
The little critters escaped notice until high-powered modern scanners tackled the mummified remains
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