Places of worship - Definition and Overview

Places of worship are buildings or other locations where religious persons may worship their deity, regularly or not. Many places of worship are also of special historical, architectural or cultural significance, and attract pilgrims and tourists. However, some religions prohibit outsiders to enter their places of worship.

The following are types of places of worship:

• Churches of the Christians
• Synagogues of the Jews
• Mosques of the Muslims
• Temples of Buddhists and Taoists. It sometimes describes Christian churches in literature. It is also used for places of worship in general.
• Shrines of Shinto and other religions

Gallup International reports that 57 percent of American citizens regularly attend religious services, while only 15 percent of French citizens, 10 percent of UK citizens, and 25 percent of Israeli citizens do.

Example Usage of worship