Majestic Christian churches were created by famous architects of their era. Some of them took centuries to build. Let's find out which cathedral is considered the largest and tallest.

The largest Christian temple is located in western Africa, in the capital of Cote d'Ivoire - Yamoussoukro. It's called Notre-Dame de la P uh(Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace).

The temple was built in 1990. The height of Yamoussouk Notre Dame is 158 m (including the cross), the height of the main dome is 60 m. The temple is listed in the Guinness Book of Records not only as the tallest, but also as having the largest stained glass window in the world ( 7.4 thousand m2).

The temple with an esplanade and a garden was donated by the president of this country to the Pope and is the property of the Vatican. The operating costs of maintaining Notre Dame are very high, so full lighting is turned on only once a year - at Christmas.

The largest Orthodox church

There are two Orthodox cathedrals in the world, which have the right to be called the largest. The Church of St. Sava in the Serbian capital delights with its dimensions. Its length is more than 90 meters and its width reaches 81 meters. Area - 7400 square meters. The building is made in the Macedonian style and is located on the site of the burning of the relics of St. Sava by the Ottoman invaders.

The construction of the temple began before the start of World War II. During the armed confrontation between the countries, its construction stopped. It resumed only half a century later. Today the cathedral has been practically rebuilt, only minor finishing work remains.

The central dome of the temple weighs four tons. On it there is a gilded cross 12 meters high. A few years ago, more than 900 thousand people gathered around the Cathedral of St. Sava. On that day, a prayer service was held for the soul of Patriarch Paul.

The largest cathedral for Orthodox Christians in Russia is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. It was opened on the threshold of 2000. The total area is eight thousand square meters. It also has its own architectural features:

• the facades consist of marble high reliefs;
• bronze entrance doors are decorated with the faces of saints;
• The area of ​​painted walls is more than 22 thousand square meters, nine of them are gilded.

During the excursion route, tourists visit an observation deck, a hall for cultural events, and a gallery. Elevators have been built for quick travel to the fourth floor. From the observation deck, the center of Moscow and the Kremlin are perfectly visible.

The largest Catholic church

The Catholic Roman Cathedral of St. Peter is rightfully considered the largest and most famous building of the Renaissance. Its construction began in the mid-16th century and was completed only 120 years later. Several generations of famous masters worked on its creation. Among them are Michelangelo Buonarroti, Santi Raphael, Donato Bramante. The length of the church building is 220 meters, width - 150 meters. In the adjacent square there can be 400 thousand believers at once.

The building is located in the west of the Vatican. At the entrance, people are greeted by the figures of the apostles Paul and Peter. The 45-meter facade is decorated with sculptures of John the Baptist and Jesus.

The main dome of the cathedral reaches a height of 138 meters. It is decorated with quotes from Jesus from the Gospel. The structure is supported by huge columns. At the end of the corridor there is a figure of St. Peter, which every believer should touch.

The largest Protestant temple

There are many Protestant churches and associated associations in the world. One of the largest cathedrals in which people preach this direction of Christianity is the Temple of Solomon in Rio de Janeiro. His inauguration took place in the summer of 2014. It was built by order of the Kingdom of God organization, which was founded by Edir Macedo. Today this man is on the list of the richest people in the world.

The size of the temple is impressive. Its length is 126 meters, width - 104 meters. The height is 55 meters. In total, the temple has 12 floors, which can accommodate about 10 thousand believers.

The Protestant temple is comparable in area to five football fields. Inside there are two large screens that show what is happening in the building. Seven million euros were spent on the evening consecration alone. In total, construction cost about $113 million.

The most spacious Christian temple

Tsminda Sameba in Georgia is considered the most spacious Orthodox church on earth. This is the first place that tourists who arrive in Tbilisi tend to visit. Jerusalem soil was used in the construction of the temple. The first service was held here in 2002. The convenient location allows you to see the church building from anywhere in the Georgian capital.

Fifteen thousand people can be in the Main Cathedral at once. For comparison: the Cathedral of Christ the Savior can accommodate five thousand less.

Tsminda Sameba includes:

• nine chapels, five of them underground;
• central temple;
• bell tower;
• hotel;
• cafe for tourists;
• residence of senior clergy;
• clerical seminary.

Thus, the cathedral is a whole complex for Orthodox Christians.

If we talk about the most spacious Catholic church, then St. Peter's Cathedral is the leader here. It can accommodate 60 thousand people at the same time.

Tallest Christian temple

The title of the highest temple was earned by Ulm Cathedral in Germany. It reaches a height of more than 160 meters. The construction of the building took place over five centuries. It was finally erected in 1890. In 1543 the cathedral became Lutheran. The building was built in the Gothic style. It has its own characteristics:

• massive vaults;
• battlements;
• sharp outlines;
• gray tones;
• chimeras;
• elongated windows.

Today, tourists climb the highest structure of the church building using a stone staircase. To do this you need to overcome 768 steps. From the observation deck there are beautiful views of the roofs of the houses and the sacred river of the Slavs - the Danube.

There are other Christian churches worthy of the highest title. In 1248, construction of the Cologne Cathedral began in Europe. Its construction was completed after 632 years. Today the height of the building is about 155 meters. The largest facade in the world also belongs to him.

The longest Christian temple

St. Vitus Cathedral, which is located in Prague, looks quite majestic, although its height does not reach 100 meters. But the length of the main corridor is 124 meters. The building is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. This is the symbol of the capital of the Czech Republic, which dates back to 1344. Today it serves as the residence of the archbishop.

The construction of the church building lasted six centuries. The luxurious interior includes golden walls, various sculptures and stained glass windows. The space inside is a cross. The cylindrical vault, which is located at a height of 33 meters, is supported by 28 columns. A triforium, a decorative gallery, runs along the entire perimeter. Tourists note that the view of the temple does not get boring. He inspires admiration every time.

The most ancient Christian temple

The first Christians built churches on Slavic lands. Few buildings have survived to this day. There are those that still stand today, albeit in a rebuilt form. The oldest Christian temple is the church on Byzantium Square, which was later renamed Constantinople. Its construction began during the time of Emperor Justinian (in the 6th century). In the first two hundred years of its existence, the church was damaged by wars and fires. In 1537, builders erected a basilica from high-quality marble. After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks, the temple was converted into a mosque.

Today it is a museum, a world-famous monument of the Byzantine Empire, which is called Hagia Sophia. It is listed as a World Heritage SiteUnesco . For several hundred years it remained the largest in the world of Christianity. Its height is equal to a house with 33 floors, the diameter of the dome is 31 meters.

The largest Christian temple made of glass

A Protestant cathedral was built in California that can seat more than 2,500 people. It is located near Los Angeles and is a gigantic church, the height of which is comparable to a 12-story building. The unique project was built from 10 thousand mirror panels. They are attached to the steel frame using silicone adhesive. This way, none of the glass is bolted down. Despite this, the structure is able to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake.

The Crystal Cathedral was built in 1980. The project cost eighteen million dollars. In 2010, the temple was sold for $27.5 million to the Roman Catholic Church due to the community's debts. Soon it was decided to rename it Christ Cathedral.

The deepest Christian temple

The Cathedral of Zipaquira is an underground church building for Catholics, built in salt workings. The depth of the structure is about two hundred meters. A unique structure is located in the center of Colombia. Three-quarters of the temple walls are made of pure salt and are carved directly into the rock. Judging by historical references, its development began in the fifth century and was associated with the development of Indian culture. The total area of ​​the building is 32 hectares. The existing temple can accommodate up to three thousand people.

Tourists descend into it using a shaft elevator, the height of which is 25 meters. In the ancient salt works, they can see many sculptures made of marble and salt. The excursion “The Miner’s Path” is especially popular. Those who wish to do so put on helmets with flashlights and walk through narrow corridors. For better effect, an underground explosion is simulated. Tourists are invited to chop off a piece of solid rock as a souvenir using a pickaxe.

The Cathedral of Zipaquira is one of the most popular shrines in the southern continent of America. It is considered the eighth wonder of the world and the greatest achievement of the building art of Colombian masters.

The church that TravelAsk will tell you about today is amazing in its size. It is rightfully the largest in the world.

Main church of Ivory Coast

A real giant among churches is located in Africa, in the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, in the city of Yamoussoukro. The church has a very sonorous name: Notre-Dame de la Paix, which translated from French means Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Peace. This Catholic church is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.

The area of ​​the church is 30 thousand square meters, it is located on an area of ​​130 hectares. The height of its dome is also quite impressive - 158 meters. This also makes the church the second tallest in the world after Ulm Cathedral in Germany, which is 161.5 meters high.

By the way, the dome of the basilica is the largest in the world: its diameter is 90 meters.

Why Africa?

In general, it is surprising that the largest church, and a Catholic one at that, is located in Africa. After all, Catholicism is far from the most popular religion here; moreover, Christians make up 33% of the country and are mainly represented by Pentecostals, Adventists and Methodists. The majority of Muslims here are about 40%. So where did this temple come from? We found out everything about this seemingly strange fact.

It's all about the first president of Côte d'Ivoire, Felix Houphouët-Boigny. The country was a French colony for a long time, and gained independence in 1960. It was then that Houphouët-Boigny, who was in power for several decades, was proclaimed president.

Felix did the incredible: he moved the capital from the millionaire city of Abidjan to the small town of Yamoussoukro, where he was from. The population of the city at that time was approximately 200 thousand people. Now, by the way, there is a little more: just over 280 thousand residents live in the city.

In addition, the president decided to leave a memory of himself in the new capital, so he ordered the construction of the largest church in the world. The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace is a gift to Pope John Paul II.

Construction of the basilica

Notre-Dame de la Paix is ​​a copy of the main temple of the Vatican - the Saint Cathedral, only surpassing it in size. But, despite all its scale, the temple can accommodate only 18 thousand people, while the Vatican Cathedral can accommodate 60 thousand.

Italian marble was brought to the country especially for the construction of the basilica, and the stained glass windows were created from French colored glass, of which there are (!!!) 7 thousand square meters. No other temple has so much painted glass; this is also a kind of record. By the way, one of the stained glass windows depicted the chief architect - President Felix Houphouet-Boigny.

This giant was rebuilt quite quickly, in just 4 years; construction lasted from 1985 to 1989. The temple cost, according to various estimates, from 175 to 400 thousand dollars, part of which was donated by the president (according to him, only from 175 to 400 thousand)))). By the way, this is approximately 6% of the country’s annual budget. In general, for Côte d’Ivoire this is an unheard of luxury, because many people here live very poorly. 1,500 workers from Africa were involved in the construction; the main architects were the French.

The church was illuminated in 1990; the Pope himself came to this ceremony. True, the main condition was the construction of a hospital next to the temple, but it began to be built quite recently. And in 1990, a stone was laid near the basilica, which can still be seen today.

Next to the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Peace there are two more buildings, very similar to the temple, only smaller in size: this is the papal villa and the house for the priest. By the way, the Pope visited here only once, at the consecration of the temple.

Competitors of Notre-Dame de la Paix

In fact, the Basilica has two competitors, it is noteworthy that they are also located in Africa, only in Nigeria. So, in Lagos there is a Pentecostal temple “Tabernacle of Faith”, it only has about 50 thousand seats. In addition, in 2011, another Pentecostal temple opened here - the National Temple of the Apostolic Church of Nigeria. It can accommodate about 100 thousand believers at the same time.

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest church in Catholicism, with the largest number of adherents. As everyone knows, the center of Catholicism is the Vatican, and in all likelihood the largest cathedral should have been located here. But as it turned out, this is not so. The Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Paix has surpassed the largest cathedral in the world in size, and, paradoxically, it is not located in a Christian country.

Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Peace, which is the second name of Notre-Dame de la Paix. This building is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest church in the world. It surpassed in height and size even the largest and most central building of the Vatican - St. Peter's Basilica.

And now about the most interesting thing - the location of the church. The name immediately brings up an association with France, and this is a mistaken opinion. The basilica is located in the capital of the West African state of Cote d'Ivoire, Yamoussoukro. It is surprising that only a third of the country's population professes Christianity, of which the majority are Catholics.

An equally interesting fact is that the population of the city where Notre-Dame de la Paix is ​​located is small, as for the capital - 242 thousand people. Another side of this whole story is financial. Considering that most of the population lives below the poverty line, the government spent 300 million US dollars on construction, thereby increasing the country's external debt. But now there is something to be proud of for the townspeople, who have become poorer and at the same time most of them are Muslims.

The basilica is lined with marble from Italy, and 7 thousand square meters of stained glass from France are installed here. Nearby there are two identical buildings, one of which serves as a house for a priest, and the second as a private papal villa. It was preserved for papal visits, but he visited the cathedral only once.

Construction lasted for 4 years, from 1985 to 1989. The image of the basilica was inspired by the image of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. A year later, on September 10, 1990, the basilica was illuminated by Pontiff John Paul II. The reason for the construction was the desire of the President of Ivory Coast Felix Boigny to perpetuate his name by building the largest church in the world.

The area of ​​Notre-Dame de la Paix is ​​30 thousand square meters. The height of the basilica reaches 158 meters, which makes it the second tallest church building, after Ulm Cathedral. Although the church is the largest in the world, in terms of capacity it is significantly inferior to the Vatican Cathedral. Its capacity is 18 thousand people, while St. Peter's Cathedral can accommodate 60 thousand people.

For many centuries, millions of people worked to create huge structures. Builders worked in quarries, carvers sharpened stones, workers carried them from place to place. As a result, pyramids, mosques, temples and churches appeared. After all, most often the largest buildings were intended for the worship of gods. So how successful were the builders? Here are the largest temples in the world.

The greatest temples in the world

One of the largest churches in the world is called the Cathedral of Seville (or Cathedral of Maria de la Cide). It is located in Andalusia, and is the pride and perhaps the main attraction of Spain. Five centuries have already passed since the founding of the temple, but it still amazes tourists with its enormous size and architectural luxury. It is already generally accepted that Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral on the planet.

Some experts say that it is the largest Catholic church in the world by cubic capacity. And it is even ahead of St. Peter's in the Vatican and St. Paul's in England. Moreover, in the temple of Seville there is the most expensive altar of all Gothic ones. To decorate it, 3 tons of gold were spent.

The architectural plan of the Seville Cathedral is not similar to the classical examples that are present in the royal cathedrals of different countries (France, for example). It has its own, original and unique architecture. The temple is a spacious huge hall with a rectangular base; it is based, by the way, on the foundation of an Arab mosque. In total, the length of the structure, which consists of 5 naves, is 126 meters. The central nave, as well as side chapels and chapels are located between retaining walls. They provide a width that no other church has - 82 meters.

The choir and main chapel of one of the largest churches in the world are located in the central nave, to the west and east of the central dome. This arrangement gives the nave the appearance of a separate structure, which in its shape and luxury resembles a treasury. It is worth noting that expansions to the cathedral were carried out in various styles, but mainly in the Renaissance style. For example, you can note the Royal Chapel, the Chapter Hall, the Main Sacristy. Later, an administrative part appeared in the southwestern part of the temple, built in the Spanish Baroque style.

The largest Orthodox church in the world

The Temple of St. Sava of Serbia is worthy of the status of the largest Orthodox church in Europe and the world. It is located in Belgrade. He is not that old, by the standards of record holders. It was designed only at the end of the 19th century, and began to cost in 1935. However, due to World War II and the further deplorable economic situation, construction was delayed. As a result, the temple was officially opened only in 2004.

From west to east the structure stretches 91 meters, from south to north 81 meters. And this is much larger than the size of the famous Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. The largest temple in the world is visible from anywhere in Belgrade, as it stands at an altitude of approximately 135 meters above sea level. And the cross on the dome increases its height by 12 meters.

The magnificent cathedral is made in the Serbian-Byzantine style. And the temple was built exactly on the spot where at the end of the 16th century the Ottoman invaders burned the relics of St. Sava of Serbia. The huge cathedral, by the way, can simultaneously accommodate 10 thousand believers, as well as a choir of 800 singers.

The largest religious building in the world

Another sanctuary that is included in the list of the largest temples in the world is the Angkor Wat temple or, as it is also called, Angkorvoat. This is the largest Hindu temple complex located in Cambodia. It is dedicated to the god Vishnu and is one of the largest religious buildings ever created by man. Moreover, Angkorvoat is perhaps the most important archaeological site in the world.

The largest temple in Cambodia - Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat was built in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of King Suryavarman II. Now the complex is included in the UNESCO list.

One of the largest temples in the world is located 5.5 kilometers north of the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia. And it is a whole temple complex. Previously, this place was the site of the ancient capital of the Khimera state, the city of Angkor. It occupies approximately 200 square meters of area. Recent research has shown that the city's area may actually have been approximately 3,000 square meters. The population of Angkor reached half a million inhabitants. Thanks to this figure, the city became one of the largest human settlements of the pre-industrial era.

Angkor Wat is dedicated to the god Vishnu, but if you look at the architecture of the temple, it combines the typology of the Hindu temple-mountain. It represents the mythical Mount Meru (the abode of the gods) and the typology of galleries that were characteristic of later architecture.

The second largest temple in the world consists of three concentric buildings in the form of rectangles. Their height increases towards the center. The perimeter of the building is surrounded by an almost two-meter wall, as well as a moat with water. Its length is more than 3.5 kilometers and its width is almost 200 meters. Inside the structure there are five towers created in the shape of a lotus. The central tower rises 42 meters. Well, the total height of the temple is 65 meters.

In the 15th century, this perhaps the largest temple in the world was abandoned. It was discovered for European civilization in 1860. And now Angkor Wat is depicted on the coat of arms and national flag of Cambodia.

The largest temple in the world

The largest temple in the world is located near the city of Luxor, on the eastern bank of the Nile, in Upper Egypt. The colossal Temple of Amon began to be built four thousand years ago. Since it is located in the village of Karnak, the complex was named Karnak.

The largest temple is Karnak Temple

By the way, several thousand years ago, on the site of the modest Karnak, there was the capital of Egypt, the largest city of Thebes. And here they laid the first stone of the temple. It was completed and supplemented over many centuries by different rulers who have ever been on the throne. Dozens of generations contributed to the emergence of the temple. Thousands of slaves who were captured during the battles worked at the construction site. By the way, the largest temple explains its name simply - the Sun God Amon is the most revered god among the ancient Egyptians.

The Temple of Amon consists of three parts. The first part is dedicated to the God Amon, the second part - to his wife, the patroness of the queens Mut, and the third part - to the son of Amon, the god of the Moon.

In each of the three zones of the Temple there are huge columns. And there are more than one hundred of them here. The columns, as well as the walls of the temple, are generously covered with images of scenes from the life of the pharaohs. By the way, every king who ruled in Egypt complemented the largest temple in the world with his own buildings. For example, Thutmose the First decorated the complex with obelisks and statues that depict him in the image of the god Osiris. And Thutmose the Third built the Hall of Annals and the Jubilee Temple. On the walls are glorified stories of military campaigns and victories.
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In Paris, one of the main symbols of the city is burning - Notre Dame Cathedral, it caught fire on the evening of April 15. The Cathedral could contain the Crown of Thorns and part of the Cross from which Jesus was removed - great Christian relics. Parisian firemen's ladders do not reach the flames; they are too short. And there is a possibility that Notre Dame can no longer be saved.

A cathedral is always one of the main churches of a city, or a temple that is dedicated to some special event, therefore, unlike ordinary churches, cathedrals were built with special grandeur. The temple cannot cease to be a cathedral - this status is assigned to it once and for all. In principle, particularly large sizes for the cathedral are not necessary, but from the very beginning it was designed for large divine services, so it simply has to be made larger. We invite you to take a look at the tallest and most majestic cathedrals and churches in the world.

1. Ulm Cathedral (Germany), height 161.5 m.

This Lutheran cathedral is considered the tallest cathedral in the world. The height of the cathedral together with the spire is 161.5 m, and 768 steps allow you to rise to a height of 143 m. The foundation of the cathedral took place in 1377, construction began almost 20 years later - in 1392. By 1405, construction of only the main part of the cathedral was completed, with interruptions it continued to be completed for several more centuries, and construction was completed only in 1890. Thus, the entire construction of Ulm Cathedral took almost half a millennium.

2. Notre-Dame de la Paix (Côte d’Ivoire), height including the cross on the main dome 158 m

This basilica is considered the largest Christian church in the world. More than 18,000 people will be present at the service here at the same time. True, the Roman Cathedral of St. Petra, with a smaller area, can accommodate three times as many believers.

3. Cologne Cathedral (Germany), height 157.4 m.

Construction of this beautiful Gothic cathedral began in 1248 and ended only in 1880. During this 632-year construction, a legend even developed that the city of Cologne would not be threatened while the construction of the cathedral continued. This cathedral ranks third in the world in height among Christian churches, but is also the tallest of all churches that have two identical towers. 533 steps allow you to rise to a height of 150 m.

4. Rouen Cathedral (France), height 151 m.

This fourth-tallest cathedral has the world's tallest cast-iron tower. One of the founders of impressionism, the French artist Claude Monet created 50 paintings depicting this cathedral in different lighting and at different times of the year.

5. St. Nicholas Cathedral (Germany), height 147.3 m.

The cathedral was heavily damaged by bombing during World War II and remains unrestored to this day. From 1874 to 1876, this cathedral was considered the tallest building in the world.

6. Strasbourg Cathedral (France), height 142 m.

From 1625 to 1874, this cathedral was considered the tallest building in the world. The cathedral is built from sandstone and is one of the largest buildings in the world made from this material.

7. Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lichen (Poland), height 141.5 m.

This largest basilica in Poland was designed by Polish architect Barbara Bielecka. The temple was built from 1994 to 2004 using donations from believers.

8. St. Stephen's Cathedral (), height 136.4 m.

This majestic Gothic-style cathedral is one of Vienna's main attractions.

9. New Cathedral (Austria), height 134.8 m.

This cathedral is the largest, but not the tallest cathedral in Austria, inferior in height to St. Stephen's Cathedral by only 2 meters. The cathedral was built in 1924.

10. St. Peter's Cathedral (), height 136.4 m.

This is the largest cathedral in the Vatican and one of the largest cathedrals in the world. The world's largest Christian church, Notre-Dame de la Paix in Côte d'Ivoire, is modeled after this cathedral. It is larger in area and in height, but St. Peter's is designed to accommodate three times as many parishioners.

11. And finally, St. Vitus Cathedral in the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague. It is not the tallest cathedral - its height is only 96.5 m, but it is the longest cathedral in the world. The length of its main nave is 124 m.

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