Since the beginning of human history mountains have had an extraordinary power to evoke the sacred in our lives. Regarded as places of mystery and spiritual attainment by people in every culture, mountains arouse feelings of reverence and awe. In this book Edwin Bernbaum combines photography with years of mountaineering and scholarly research to provide a study of sacred mountains and their significance around the world. Part I explores the significance of sacred mountains across the globe, including Sinai and Zion in the Middle East, Olympus in Greece, T'ai Shan in China, Fuji in Japan, Kailas in Tibet and the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona. Bernbaum focuses on notable mountains in each region, placing them in their historical, relistious and cultural contexts. In Part II he identifies the major themes found in traditional views of sacred mountains, themes such as mountains as centres of the cosmos, abodes of the gods and divine sources of life. He also takes a look at well-known works of literature and art, noting the ways that mountains are integral to ancient myths and religious traditions.