Pilgrimages are a feature of many religions and cultures.
Examples in ancient Greece were the pilgrimages to Eleusis and Delphi. The Temple at Jerusalem was the center of an annual pilgrimage of Jews at Passover. A favorite Shiite shrine is Karbala . The Christian pilgrimage to the Holy Places of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Nazareth, already well established, received great impetus in the 4th cent. The Crusades were launched to protect this pilgrimage.