The Mountain of 1000 Crosses

• Photographer
  Gali Tibbon

Thousands of Polish Orthodox pilgrims from all over the predominant Catholic state flock the sacred hill every summer the same way for the past 300 years. Not just as an act of religious devotion but as a celebration of cultural identity. Pilgrims seeking to clean their souls and gain absolution carry votive crosses as they fall to their knees and crawl in an act of penitence. Atmosphere of mystery engulfs the place as the faithful leave their three-beamed crosses on the hill every year, adding to the forest of crosses as testimonies of their pilgrimage.