It is likely that certain places in particular landscapes were first considered sacred (in the sense of 'believed to be holy; devoted to a deity or used for a religious ceremony'). Demarcated with a line of boulders or an enclosing wall, these places became sanctuaries and were supplied with additional features: a statue of a god, a shelter for the god (a temple), a sacred lake and sacred trees. The term 'sacred grove' can be used for:
See sections on Sacred Gardens, Sanctuaries, Egyptian Sanctuaries, Greek Sanctuaries and Roman Sanctuaries. In Japan, whole forests were regarded as sacred to the gods.
