New Study Ranks Top Religious Landmarks in the World

By News Update On Jan 22, 2025

A recent study by Judaica WebStore ranked the top ten world’s most Instagrammable religious landmarks based on their Instagram popularity and engagement. The study specifically focused on the number of Instagram posts associated with each landmark, the frequency of tagsand the overall social media buzz generated. Data was collected over a specific time period, and rankings were determined by comparing the number of posts and the engagement levels associated with each location, considering the global relevance of the landmark within various religious and cultural contexts.

Findings summed up

Landmark	City	Country	Name	Insta Hashtags	Visitors per year
Notre Dame Cathedral	Paris	France	Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral	4.7M	15M
Taj Mahal	Agra	India	Taj Mahal	3.6M	7.5M
Holy Family	Barcelona	Spain	Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Família	3.3M	3.2M
Angkor Wat	Siem Reap	Cambodia	Angkor Wat	1.9M	2.6M
Basilica of the Sacred Heart	Paris	France	Basilica of the Sacred Heart	1.2M	11M
Al-Aqsa Mosque	Jerusalem	Israel	Al-Aqsa Mosque	1.1M	N/A
Sheikh Zayed Mosque	Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	Sheikh Zayed Mosque	1.1M	4.3M
Sri Harmandir Sahib	Amritsar	India	Harmandir Sahib	935K	36M
St Peter’s Basilica	Vatican City	Italy	Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican	807K	10M
Subotica Synagogue	Vojvodina	Serbia	Subotica Synagogue	756K	1.7M

Notre Dame Cathedral (Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral) in Paris, France, ranks first, having the most number of hashtags on Instagram at over 4.7 million. This Gothic structure draws 15 million visitors each yearbeing the second most visited landmark among the other landmarks in the study.

Ranking second, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, with its historical significance, has also carved out a huge presence online, reaching up to 3.7 million Instagram posts. The landmark is drawing 7.5 million visitors annually.

In Barcelonathe ongoing construction of Holy Family hasn’t slowed down its Instagram momentum, ranking the landmark third in the study. The church has generated over 3.3 million and attracts 3.2 million visitors each year.

Angkor Wat (Siem Reap, Cambodia) ranks fourth and has garnered over 1.9 million Instagram posts. As the largest religious monument in the world, it attracts 2.6 million visitors annually.

Located atop Montmartre in France, Basilica of the Sacred Heart ranks fifth, with over 1.2 million Instagram posts. It draws 11 million visitors each yearwhich indicates that it is a favorite among tourists and social media users.

Al-Aqsa Mosque (Jerusalem, Israel) ranks sixth. As one of the holiest sites in Islam, the mosque has gained traction on Instagram with over 1.1 million posts.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE, is seventh and has garnered over 1.1 million Instagram hashtags. The temple also attracts 4.37 million visitors annually.

Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) in Amritsar, India, secures the eighth place, with 935,900 Instagram posts. Despite its relatively smaller social media presence, it has 36 million visitors every year, the highest number among all the studied landmarks.

St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Italy, is ninth. With 10 million visitors each year, St. Peter’s Basilica ranks high in both physical foot traffic and Instagram engagement, with over 807,600 posts.

Subotica Synagogue rounds out the ranking of the world’s most Instagrammable religious landmarks with 756K Instagram hashtags. The Synagogue attracts more than 1.7 million tourists yearly.

A spokesperson from Judaica WebStore commented on the study: “The increasing digital presence of these landmarks reflects a broader shift in how we experience and share cultural heritage. As people around the world capture and share their visits in real-time, these landmarks have become more than just physical locations—they’ve evolved into symbols of global connection, illustrating the powerful role of digital engagement in both preserving and promoting our cultural sites.”