Find out more about some of the most beautiful churches in the world, so when you have the chance to visit them, you will know something about them. They represent the culture, history and spirituality of their countries.
10. Note Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris ( French for “Our Lady of Paris”), also known as Notre-Dame Cathedral or simply Notre-Dame, is an historic Roman Rite Catholic Marian cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France.[2] The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture and among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. Thenaturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlierRomanesque architecture.
Las Lajas Sanctuary is a basilica churchlocated in the southern Colombian Department of Nariño, municipality of Ipialesand built inside the canyon of the Guáitara River.
The present church was built in Gothic Revival style between 1916 and 1949. The name Laja comes from the name of a type of flat sedimentary rock similar toshale.
8. Hallgrimskirkja Cathedral
Hallgrímskirkja ( church of Hallgrímur) is a Lutheran(Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres (244 ft), it is the largest church in Iceland and the sixth tallest architectural structure in Iceland after Longwave radio mast Hellissandur, the radio masts of US Navy at Grindavík, Eiðar longwave transmitter andSmáratorg tower. The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614 to 1674), author of the Passion Hymns.
7. Faisal Mosque
The Faisal Mosque is the largest mosque in Pakistan, located in the national capital city of Islamabad. Completed in 1986, it was designed by Turkish architect Vedat Dalokay to be shaped like a desert Bedouin’s tent.
It is situated at the north end of Faisal Avenue, putting it at the northernmost end of the city and at the foot of Margalla Hills, the westernmost foothills of the Himalayas. It is located on an elevated area of land against a picturesque backdrop of the Margalla Hills. This enviable location represents the mosque’s great importance and allows it to be seen from miles around day and night.
6. Al Fateh Mosque
The Al-Fateh Mosque (also known as Al-Fateh Islamic Center & Al Fateh Grand Mosque) is one of the largest mosques in the world, encompassing 6,500 square meters and having the capacity to accommodate over 7,000 worshippers at a time. The mosque was built by the late Sheikh Isa ibn Salman Al Khalifa in 1987 and was named afterAhmed Al Fateh, the conqueror of Bahrain. In 2006, Al-Fateh became the site of the National Library of Bahrain.
The Crystal Mosque or Masjid Kristal is a mosque in Kuala Terengganu,Terengganu, Malaysia. A grand structure made of steel, glass and crystal. The mosque is located at Islamic Heritage Park on the island of Wan Man. The mosque was constructed between 2006 and 2008. It was officially opened on 8 February 2008 by 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ofTerengganu. It has the capacity to accommodate over 1,500 worshipers at a time. This is one of the most beautiful mosques in the world.
The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (English:Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family ), commonly known as the Sagrada Família , is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010Pope Benedict XVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica, as distinct from a cathedral which must be the seat of a bishop.
Segovia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic religious church in Segovia, Spain. It is located in the main square of the city, the Plaza Mayor, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The massive cathedral was built between 1525-1577 in a late Gothic style, an architectural style that was becoming retardataire elsewhere in Europe. The prior cathedral of Segovia had stood adjacent to the Alcazar, and had been used by the besieged royal armies in their defense.
St. Peter’s Basilica is a Late Renaissance church located within Vatican City.
Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Madernoand Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter’s is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and remains one of the largest churches in the world. While it is neither the mother church of the Roman Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, St. Peter’s is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic sites. It has been described as “holding a unique position in the Christian world” and as “the greatest of all churches of Christendom”.
The Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat or Pokrovsky Cathedral are official names for a Russian Orthodox church in Red Square in Moscow.The church is also called the Cathedral of St. Vasily the Blessed (Russian: Собор Василия Блаженного), anglicized as Saint Basil’s Cathedral. It was built from 1555–61 on orders from Ivan the Terrible and commemorates the capture of Kazan and Astrakhan.