religious sanctuary
Holy place, protected
A religious sanctuary is a sacred space set apart for worship—the holiest area within a church, temple, or mosque.
The term extends to any house of worship itself: The congregation gathered in the sanctuary.
Because churches historically offered protection to fugitives, sanctuary also means refuge or asylum, and a religious sanctuary may serve as a place where undocumented immigrants or others facing deportation seek shelter under the protection of a faith community.
- holinessSacred spiritual purity
- sacred spaceArea reserved for worship
- templeSacred worship structure
- tabernaclePortable sacred dwelling
- zigguratStepped ancient temple mound
church · place of worship · stained glass · high altar · worship · mosque · divinity · asylum · right of asylum · city of refuge · meditation · shrine · monastery · refuge · safe haven · cathedral · sacred grove · chapel
religious sanctuarymarketplace
Venue for commerce
shopping mall · factory · commercial district · casino · nightclub
religious sanctuarydanger zone
High-risk location
war zone · killing field · torture chamber · concentration camp · prison
religious sanctuarySodom and Gomorrah
Destroyed cities symbolizing vice
hell · the underworld · Hades · inferno · cesspool
religious, religion, religions, religiously, religiosity, irreligious, sanctuary, sanctuaries, sanctum