Welcome to Argentina's Holy Land

Life-size statues are seen in the recreation of the hill of Golgotha where Jesus was crucified at the Buenos Aires' theme park Tierra Santa, July 1, 2007. The park is promoted as the first religious theme park in the world and draws visitors from across Argentina and Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Bolivia. (Enrique Marcarian/Reuters)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Want to visit Jerusalem without traveling thousands of miles? The world's first religious theme park promises to let you do just that — right in the heart of Buenos Aires.

"Tierra Santa," or the Holy Land, attempts to recreate ancient Jerusalem with atmospheric architecture and almost 600 statues evoking Biblical times. The theme park — originally conceived as an amusement park — draws 30,000 weekly visitors during the high season.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/general/091015/holy-land-theme-park