Inaki Relanzon / Buddhist monk inside teakwood monastery. Bagan, Mandalay State, Myanmar (Burma). September 2009

Inaki Relanzon / Monk standing infront of Shwedagon Paya, the most important buddhist place in all Myanmar, Yangon, Rangun, Myanmar, Burma. September 2009

Tim Fitzharris / Temple of the Sun with Sunflowers in the foreground, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Tim Fitzharris / Church and gate, El Santuario de Chimayo, New Mexico

Tim Fitzharris / Sandstone formations, Temples of the Sun and Moon, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Jim Brandenburg / Mont Saint-Michel at sunset with water in surrounding bay, Normandy, France

Konrad Wothe / Former whaling station Grytviken, King Edward Cove, South Georgia Island

Mark Moffett / Green Tree Ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) nest woven from leaves near temple, Cambodia

Colin Monteath / Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) sub-adult beside Erdene Zuu Monastery near Kharakhorum, the ancient capital of Mongol empire, Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Kassapa, Shakymuni, and Maitreya Buddhas, Erdene Zuu Monastery near Kharakhorum, the ancient capital of Mongol empire, Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Shakymuni Buddha, Erdene Zuu Monastery near Kharakhorum, the ancient capital of Mongol empire, Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Buddha statues, Amarbayasgalant Monastery, Selenge, northern Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Small golden Buddhas inside Amarbayasgalant Monastery, Selenge, northern Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Mural of Buddhist guardian on hotel door, Ulan Baatar, Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Mural of Buddhist guardians on hotel door, Ulan Baatar, Mongolia

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Fraser Gunn / Church of the Good Shepherd underneath the Milky Way, New Zealand

Jim Brandenburg / Mont Saint-Michel with waves in surrounding bay, Normandy, France

Albert Lleal / Cross on overlook with Montserrat Basilica in the background, Montserrat Natural Park, Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain

Flip Nicklin / Chapel in Leith, an abandoned whaling station, South Georgia Island

Colin Monteath / Manaslu (8,156 meters) towers over monastery, Mansiri Himal region of the Nepalese Himalayas, Nepal

Colin Monteath / Yak (Bos grunniens mutus) caravan loaded with timber, Nepal

Colin Monteath / Rangdum Gompa monastery in winter with skiers approaching from Panzi La, Kindom of Zanskar, India

Colin Monteath / Snow covered chortens, near Panzi La, Kingdom of Zanskar, Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Karsha Gompa monastery after winter snowfall, Kingdom of Zanskar, Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Karsha Gompa monastery after winter snowfall, Kingdom of Zanskar, Himalaya, India

Ingo Arndt / Hanuman Langur (Semnopithecus entellus) troop on temple, India

Jose B. Ruiz / Flock of sheep infront of convent building, Abadia, Caceres, Spain

Colin Monteath / Mani stone and Gurla Mandhata from Chiu monastery, Lake Manosarovar, Central Asia, Tibet

Colin Monteath / Potala Palace, World Heritage Site, exiled Dalai Lama's winter palace, autumn light at dawn, Lhasa, the capital of Tibet

Colin Monteath / Rumtek Monastery, monk's center for Black Hat Buddhists, near Gangtok, Sikkim Himalaya

Colin Monteath / Rumtek Monastery, monk's center for Black Hat Buddhists, near Gangtok, Sikkim Himalaya

Colin Monteath / Zangdok Palrifo Brang Gompa, communication tower and chortens, Kalimpong, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Zangdok Palrifo Brang Gompa, tourist among chortens, Kalimpong, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Guardians of Gompa entrance, Rumtek Monastery, near Gangtok, Sikkim Himalaya, India

Colin Monteath / Maitreya, close up of statue head, Buddha, Tikse monastery, Ladakh, India, Himalayas

Colin Monteath / Maitreya statue, Buddha, Tikse Monastery, Ladakh, India, Himalayas

Colin Monteath / Monk boiling water with solar reflector, Lingshet Monastery, Ladakh, northwest India

Colin Monteath / Satellite tower and chortens, showing contrast between ancient and modern near Leh, Ladakh, northwest India

Tim Fitzharris / Wildflowers growing along dirt road, Temple of the Moon, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Tim Fitzharris / Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) cluster and Temple of the Sun, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Tim Fitzharris / Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) cluster and Temple of the Sun, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Tim Fitzharris / Lone pine tree with East and West Temples in the background, Zion National Park, Utah

Tim Fitzharris / East and West Temples showing sedimentary rocks including white Navajo sandstone, Zion National Park, Utah

Flip de Nooyer / Arch from jawbones of four right whales, Christ Church Cathedral, Stanley, East Falkland Island, Falkland Islands

Flip de Nooyer / Houses and church at abandoned whaling station, Grytviken, South Georgia

Colin Monteath / Summer flowers blooming on hillside below Christchurch Cathedral and Whale Rib Memorial on Main Street in Stanley, East Falkland Island, Falkland Islands

Gavin Hellier / The Trinity St. Sergiy Larva Monastery at Sergiev Posad, Near Moscow, Russia

Gavin Hellier / Inside the Muslim Mesquita Mosque, Cordoba, Andalucia

Xi Zhinong / Songzanlin Monastery, also called Guihua Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Yunnan Province, China

Gavin Hellier / Hassan II Mosque illuminated at sunset, Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa

Gavin Hellier / Hassan II Mosque illuminated at dusk, Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Spanish colonial church in Sacred Valley of the Incas, Urubamba, Peru

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Mayan ruins at Palenque, the Temple of the Sun, surrounded by rainforest, Chiapas, Mexico

Mark Moffett / White-eared Pheasant (Crossoptilon crossoptilon) is drawn to the temple by Buddhist monks who feed them, Sichuan Province, China

Tim Fitzharris / Temples of the Sun and Moon in Cathedral Valley, the monolith is made of entrada sandstone, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Temple Pit Viper (Trimeresurus wagleri) venomous snakes in the Penang Snake Temple, Malaysia

Norbert Wu / Sunlight shafts pierce the Temple of Abydos, Luxor, Egypt

Norbert Wu / The Temple of Karnak, Luxor, Egypt

Mark Moffett / Hieroglyphs cover pillars of Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Egypt

Mitsuaki Iwago / Domestic Cat (Felis catus) adult sitting on white-washed wall, Santorini Island, Greece

Gavin Hellier / Hassan II Mosque Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa

Gavin Hellier / Hassan II Mosque Casablanca, Morocco, North Africa

Gavin Hellier / St. Johan Church, Trentino - Alto Adige Geisler Gruppe / Geislerspitzen, Dolomites, Italy

Colin Monteath / Bodhisattva, Erdene Zuu Monastery near Kharakhorum, the ancient capital of Mongol empire, Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Maitreya Buddha, Erdene Zuu Monastery near Kharakhorum, the ancient capital of Mongol empire, Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Kassapa, Shakymuni, and Maitreya Buddhas, Erdene Zuu Monastery near Kharakhorum, the ancient capital of Mongol empire, Mongolia

Colin Monteath / Amarbayasgalant Monastery, Selenge, northern Mongolia

Hiroya Minakuchi / Kinkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Ninna-ji Temple in autumn, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Ninna-ji Temple in autumn, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Ninna-ji Temple in autumn, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Ninna-ji Temple and pond in autumn, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Kinkaku-ji Temple and pond, Kyoto, Japan

Colin Monteath / Mani stone and Gurla Mandhata from Chiu monastery, Lake Manosarovar, Central Asia, Tibet

Jim Brandenburg / Viking graffiti scars a balustrade in Hagia Sophia, a former church which is now a museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Norbert Wu / The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, carved into sandstone cliffs, Luxor, Egypt

Mark Moffett / Hieroglyphs cover pillars of Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Egypt