The Sunrise Valley
An hour outside Brazil’s futuristic capital, Brasilia, lies one of the country’s spiritual capitals: Vale do Amanhecer, which translates to Sunrise Valley or Valley of the Dawn.
At first sight, Sunrise Valley looks like a miniature theme park—where visitors can see copies of the world’s wonders without having to travel to the actual sites. Built in Planaltina, a satellite city of Brasilia, the lakeside temple complex features a pyramid, a spaceship-like temple, a six-pointed praying center, and several ellipse-shaped sculptures.
While the valley’s physical setting can feel disorienting, it is not accidental. Meticulously designed, it is reflective of the religion’s intricate, all-comprising doctrines and beliefs—drawn from a diversity of religions and civilizations, including Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, the Inca, and ancient Egypt.
Story published at National Geographic Magazine