The region's deep Catholic tradition of anointing and then venerating saints is also an important factor, he said.

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Even without mosques, the Chechens were able to go on venerating the memory of their local sheikhs and performing traditional dances and chants.

ECONOMIST: Special

Some suggest that Saudi Arabia's rulers don't concern themselves much about preserving these historic sites because their interpretation of Islam regards venerating holy places as akin to idol worship.

ECONOMIST: Saudi Arabia

"This is an intriguing and a unique event combining the unusual practice of venerating relics with a down-to-earth experience of an optimistic spirituality for all, " said Father Martin Coyle, the provincial leader of the Salesians in Great Britain, the religious order founded by the saint.

BBC: Saint John Bosco relics on display in Liverpool