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StillnessHistory fact

The Camino de Santiago, the network of pilgrim routes to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in north-west Spain, now draws hundreds of thousands of registered walkers a year. In October 2025 the city's Pilgrim Office issued that year's 500,000th Compostela, the certificate for completing the route.

Pilgrim Office, Santiago de Compostela, 2025

Religion & BeliefHistory

The story behind the card

Pilgrims have walked to Santiago since the Middle Ages, drawn by the tradition that the apostle James is buried in the cathedral. To earn a Compostela, walkers must cover at least the last 100 kilometres, or 200 by bicycle or on horseback, and collect stamps along the way. The modern revival has been dramatic: in 1985 only 690 people received the certificate; in 2024, 499,239 did. The Camino became the Council of Europe's first Cultural Route in 1987; the French Way became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and the northern routes were added in 2015. Guidebooks, waymarks and films such as 'The Way' (2010) spread the word. Today's walkers come for faith, culture, sport or simply time to think.

Türkçe oku
Camino de Santiago, İspanya'nın kuzeybatısındaki Santiago de Compostela Katedrali'ne giden hac yollarının adıdır ve bugün her yıl yüz binlerce kayıtlı yürüyüşçü çeker. Kentteki Hacılar Bürosu, Ekim 2025'te o yılın 500.000'inci Compostela'sını, yani yolu tamamlayanlara verilen belgeyi verdi.
Hacılar Bürosu, Santiago de Compostela, 2025

Hacılar Orta Çağ'dan beri Santiago'ya yürüyor; geleneğe göre havari Yakub katedralde gömülüdür. Compostela belgesini almak için yolun en az son 100 kilometresini yürümek, bisikletle ya da at sırtında gidenlerin ise son 200 kilometreyi geçmesi ve yol boyunca mühür toplaması gerekir. Yolun yeniden canlanması çarpıcı oldu: 1985'te bu belgeyi yalnızca 690 kişi almıştı, 2024'te 499.239 kişi aldı. Camino 1987'de Avrupa Konseyi'nin ilk Kültür Rotası ilan edildi. Fransız Yolu 1993'te UNESCO Dünya Mirası listesine girdi, kuzey güzergâhları da 2015'te listeye eklendi. Rehber kitaplar, yol işaretleri ve 2010 yapımı “The Way” gibi filmler yolu daha da tanıttı. Bugün insanlar bu yola inanç, kültür, spor ya da yalnızca kafa dinlemek için çıkıyor.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Camino de Santiago
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