Top 10 Locations Imposing Bans on Women

Known as the holy mountain, Mount Athos surrounded by hills and a peninsula in the Macedonia region, situated in Northern Greece. This place has a remarkably strange law, seemingly unbelievable: A complete ban on women. In 1045, the reigning Emperor of Greece, Constantine Monomachos, granted autonomy to Athos, turning it into a 'monastic state' exclusively for male monks and Orthodox Christian followers.

To aid monks and devotees in tranquil meditation, in 1060, the Emperor enacted a law called Abaton, prohibiting women and even female animals. They believed that the allure of the female gender was a 'sin' distracting monks and hindering their path to God.

Mount Omine in Japan was UNESCO recognized as a World Heritage Site in 2004. However, due to the centuries-old prohibition, women have never set foot in this place. For over 1,300 years, only men have been allowed to walk the path leading to the temple atop the mountain, situated about 1,720 meters above sea level. The rules, established by the monks, claim that women are the cause of disturbances to the monks' pursuit of enlightenment in the temple.

Today, this peculiar ban persists, defying the Japanese government's 1872 order to abolish gender restrictions on many mountains nationwide, including Mount Fuji. Nevertheless, the summit of Omine remains resistant to all temptations from the fairer sex. Outraged, women's rights advocacy groups have mobilized efforts to persuade the government and the UN to prevent Omine from being included in the World Heritage list, but the final outcome has been well-known.

Haji Ali Dargah, one of the most famous landmarks in Mumbai, is dedicated to honoring the saint Pir Haji Ali Bukhari from the 15th century. This site, a part of the saint's remains, attracts 15,000 to 20,000 visitors daily, representing diverse classes, religions, and ethnicities.

However, in July 2012, a group of female tourists discovered that the holiest area of the shrine, the sanctum sanctorum, no longer welcomed women. The shrinekeepers argued that it was not in accordance with Sharia law for women to visit this section, and they made appropriate adjustments to ensure everything was legally sound.

By November 2012, news of the changes had spread, sparking an outcry from various women's rights organizations. Opponents argued that this was a grossly discriminatory act against women, tarnishing the reputation of Islam in India. However, the New Delhi government refused to intervene in a purely religious matter, and as a result, the ban at Dargah still stands to this day.

Ranakpur Jain Temple, India, is a temple entirely built with white marble. It is located on the slopes of the Aravalli Range in the Ranakpur village, Pali district, Western Rajasthan, India. Constructed in the 15th century by the wealthy Jain merchant Dharma Shah under the patronage of the Rajput ruler Rana Kumbha, it took nearly 50 years and cost almost 10 million Rupees to complete the temple.

The ban on women here is 'relaxed' compared to other places, as they are only prohibited during their menstrual period. Due to the temple being entirely constructed with marble and dedicated to the Jain gods, women experiencing menstruation are strictly forbidden from entering.

Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala, India, prohibits all women aged 10 to 50 from participating in prayers at this Hindu temple.

In fact, after allowing a 35-year-old woman to enter the temple, a priest had to perform purification rituals. There have been suggestions to review and lift the ban, presented to the Supreme Court of India, but as of now, it has not been approved.

Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani once said: 'If a woman looks at a man's body without a reasonable excuse, it is an indecent act.' In Iran, this is widely acknowledged, and as a result, women are not allowed to attend sports matches since 1979, even celebrating victories is prohibited.

Although the country's president abolished these unreasonable rules in 2006, some Muslims still uphold them. Recently, women have been allowed to attend volleyball, basketball matches, and some other sports. However, for football and wrestling, they are still banned.

Temple of God Kartikeya, Pushkar, India is also a place where women are banned. The reason given is that according to legend, God Kartikeya will curse any woman entering here instead of blessing them.

Kartikeya is the god of war and victory, the eldest son of Shiva and Parvati. He is often depicted as a handsome young man with 1 or 6 faces, holding a bow and arrow or the divine Vel spear, riding on the back of a divine peacock.

Tour de France is considered the largest annual cycling race in the world with millions of viewers. Organized in France and neighboring countries, the race has captivated audiences since 1903, except for the war years when it was temporarily suspended (not held from 1915 to 1918 and from 1940 to 1946).

Cycling is always a challenging and intense sport with stages covering hundreds of kilometers, mountain climbs, descents leading to dangerous accidents, and injuries, even fatalities. However, the world's largest cycling race, Tour de France, remains the most exciting cycling event every year, not only for locals, tourists, and speed enthusiasts. However, women are not allowed to participate in this sports event despite having a passion for speed without any justifiable explanation. The only race for women was organized in 2009.