Is there a word that means "influential location/place"?

Question

A word that could be used to represent a city (e.g. New York), or a building (e.g. the US Capitol), or even a sacred site of some sort (e.g. Mauna Kea).

Preferably a noun, but a single adjective could work too.

"Influencer" and "sanctum" were the closest ones I've found, but they don't seem to contextually fit well enough to convey such a meaning on their own, if that makes sense.

If it helps, I'd be using the word to represent a card type in politically themed board game. So, the ultimate goal of the word is to assist in teaching game's mechanisms.

Answer 1

How about . . .

Mecca, n.

II. Simple uses
3. A place regarded as supremely sacred or valuable, or where a faith, policy, truth, etc., originates. Also more generally: a place which attracts people of a particular group or with a particular interest; a resort of (also for) a certain group of people.

_{Source: Oxford English Dictionary (login required)}

Although the OED capitalizes the word, it usually appears lowercase in this usage.

For more ideas, see mecca synonyms

Answer 2

Regarding buildings: 'landmark'

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/landmark

Examples of landmark in a Sentence:

 *The Golden Gate Bridge is a famous landmark in San Francisco.* 

Regarding both buildings and cities: 'destination':

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/destination

Examples of destination in a Sentence:

 *After stopping for lunch, we continued on toward our destination.* 

More general term: 'attraction'

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attraction

Examples of attraction in a Sentence:

 *The waterfall continues to be the main attraction at the park.* 

Answer 3

sight (n.)

A thing seen, esp. of a striking or remarkable nature; a spectacle. OED

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New York City is a sight to be seen, and it is best viewed from the designated spot. Pramod Nayar; Reading Culture

The Prince of Wales, who has just left our shores, said that New York City was a sight the like of which he had never before imagined, and Mr. Alesbury remarked that he entirely agreed with the prince. The Vehicle Monthly, Dec., 1919, p.54

The US Capitol is the most prominent sight in Washing DC and an essential stop for anyone with a political bent. The Rough Guide to the USA

At 4,207 meters above sea level, Mauna Kea is superb for astronomy and a rare sight to behold. Andrew Crusoe; Then Thousand Hours in Paradise: Arrival

These place are: Lumbini, (birthplace of Buddha, Nepal); Bodhgaya (the place of Buddha's enlightenment)... Although not limited to these sights, these places have become sacred foci for the convergence of multiple expressions of Buddhist devotion that cut across national, cultural-linguistic, and sectarian lines. Collectively and individually, these sacred sites are visited by hundreds of thousands of devotees and nondevotees that are drawn to the "spiritual magnetism"...of place but also the medling of Buddhist teachings, culture, and heritage values as popular religious and tourist spaces. Kiran Shinde; Sacred Sites, Rituals, and Performances

Almost half of the important national scenic spots contain religious sights, excluding those religious sites in the less well-known tourist scenic spots, which reflects the positive role that religious culture plays in the protection of the eco-environment. R. Raj and N. Morpeth; Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Festivals Management