Mountains are centers that most traditions have honored.

Meru or Sumeru in the Himalayas is, for Hindus and Buddhists, the residence of Shiva, nymphs, and other beings (Ries, 2012; Roman, 2010).
Mount Sinai is where Moses met Yave and was shown the sanctuary to be built for him (Eliade, 2011).
In Greece, Mount Olympus is central to the story of the uprising of the sons of the earth.
In China, there are references to the “mountains of the blessed“, where teachings were given (Dauma, 2006).
According to the great experts of the traditions such as Eliade and Schuon, the center is key for ancient and traditional peoples. It serves as the starting point of movement, the place to which one returns, where forces regroup, and where people experience the sacred (Ries, 2012).
Differences in Cultural Perspectives on Mountains
Although there are common themes regarding the significance of mountains in various cultures, there are also differences. For example, in Japan, Mount Koya and Mount Osores are associated with the kingdom of the dead and serve as places between this world and the other (Roman, 2010).

The Mountain as a Cosmic Axis
The mountain represents a link between earth and heaven (Dauma, 2006), the abode of the gods, and the pinnacle of human ascent. People consider it the center and axis of the world (Chevalier and Gheerbrant, 1986). According to Eliade (2011), mountains have a celestial prototype, a double existing on a cosmic level.
The Spiritual Selection of Sacred Mountains
People did not choose mountains at random; their selection reflects something deep within human nature (Evola, 2003).
The creation of myths and legends surrounding these sacred places is vast. Each culture and religion has its founding centers—sacred places of primordial events (Ries, 2012), where the sky has touched the earth and where divine grace has manifested (Schuon, 2004).
The Modern View of Mountains
Modern society has largely abandoned the symbolic and spiritual significance once attributed to mountains. While people still appreciate their beauty, successive reinterpretations have altered their deeper meaning (Roman, 2010).
However, in the Andes and the Altiplano, prayers and respect for the mountains persist. The local people consider them family and think of them with tenderness (Ricard, 2008), making them an anchor for social life.

Author: Joan De la colina
References:
- Eliade, Mircea.(2011) El mito del eterno retorno
- Schuon, Frithjof(2004) Miradas a los mundo antiguos
- Ries Julian(2012), El simbolo sagarado
- Daumal R. (2006) . El monte análogo,
- Chevalier J. y Gheerbrant, A. (1986) Diccionario de los símbolos
- Román López, María T.(2010) «La montaña y su impronta en la grandes tradiciones de sabiduría de la Antigüedad» en Espacio, Tiempo y Forma, Serie II, Historia Antigua.
- Évola, J. (2003) Meditaciones de las cumbres
- Ricard Lanata, Xavier(2008), Ladrones de sombra. El universo religioso de los pastores del Ausangate (andes surperuanos) , Journal de la Société des américanistes