Temples of different nations. The oldest churches in the world

The first temples of the world appeared in ancient times and not only as religious buildings - they reflected the search for God inherent in man. I have seen many temples in my travels. What are they different. Their splendor amazes our imagination. And it's hard to pick which one is better. Each temple has its own peculiarity and history. In the temple, we touch something incomprehensible and beautiful, where we want to escape from the mundane, and to know the truth.

) (Salisbury Cathedral) - located in the medieval city of Salisbury, spread out in a lowland between the hills of England. It is located on a huge green meadow, and stretches high up completely built in gothic style. Official name Salisbury Cathedral - Cathedral of the Virgin Mary. The old cathedral is 800 years old.

The cathedral Or (Ely) - Cathedral in the city of Ely, 24 km northeast of Cambridge (England). Its local name is "ship among the swamps", as its relief form rises above the surrounding flat marshy surroundings.

exists in downtown Bath. This is the Church of Saints Peter and Paul - a magnificent Gothic temple, one of the largest Gothic churches in the west of Britain. It was founded in 676 as a Christian nunnery, a little later it was transformed into a male monastery. It was handed over to members of the monastic order of St. Peter.

collegiate church of St. Peter This is a Gothic church in London. Architecturally, Westminster Abbey has the shape of a Latin cross. Majestic columns are directed skyward. Westminster Abbey was founded in 1065 on the site of old churches by the monk Edward. It was within the walls of the abbey that the main part of the work of translating the Bible into English was carried out.

rises on a hillock at the end of the village, creating an idyll of the English countryside. He flaunted a high pediment against the backdrop of the village. At first glance, the church seems too big for the village, as the building with a clock and a bell tower is of considerable size.

is a whole complex of buildings that are supposed to have been erected on the site of the execution, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This is the most main shrine Jerusalem, because it is here that Mount Calvary is located, where Jesus Christ was crucified, and the tomb of the Lord.

Saint Nicholas was born in Asia Minor in the 3rd century in the Greek colony of Patara in the Roman province of Lycia. St. Nicholas died on December 6, 343. His body was buried in a sarcophagus from the Roman period, and a church was built to preserve the sarcophagus. The temple was excavated from the ground, as over time, alluvial soil coming from the mouth of the Mira River (Demre) submerged the church building by 4-5 meters.

) the geographical and spiritual "heart" of Paris, located in the eastern part of the Ile de la Cité. This is a Catholic church. There were four different temples on the site of Notre Dame de Paris. The builders used the stones of the destroyed buildings in the foundation of the current structure. In this cathedral, Henry VI (the ruler of England, who bore the title "King of France") was crowned in 1422 and Mary Stuart was married to Francis II, and in 1804 Napoleon put on the crown of the Emperor.

In the French city of Strasbourg there is a cathedral called " Pink Angel». Strasbourg Cathedral ranks among the most beautiful Gothic cathedrals in Europe. The cathedral is located on the site of a Roman temple on the very high point cities. The cathedral was built in the so-called "radiant" Gothic style of pink sandstone. From a distance, the cathedral seems very openwork because of the many architectural elements.

was erected on the site of an old building of the Romanesque church, which in 1218 was burned by lightning. The temple was built for several decades, and completed by the end of the 13th century. It is here, in the Amiens Cathedral, that the sacred Christian relic is kept - the Head of John the Baptist, which, it is believed, after the capture of Constantinople in 1204 ended up in Amiens. Actually, it was for her sake that Notre Dame d'Amiens was built.

in the French city of Reims was built mainly in 1211-1311. on the site of a Romanesque church that was destroyed by fire in 1210. Reims Cathedral - Notre Dame translated as: our lady, i.e. virgin. This cathedral is the most important pearl of Gothic art. During the First World War, the city of Reims was captured by the Germans and remained in the war zone for four years.

The cathedral Frauenkirche in translation, the Cathedral of Our Lady is located in Germany. The mighty towers of the Frauenkirche, crowned with oriental domes, are a symbol of the city of Munich and Bavaria for the whole world. The brick church was built in the late Gothic style in the 15th century. And its two towers, 98 and 99 meters high, were completed after 30 years. In the center of the temple porch there is famous Trace Devil.

Germany's oldest cathedral by the time of founding. The temple was founded in 320. by order of Emperor Constantine. Trier Cathedral is 1600 years old! The cathedral is a repository of Christian shrines. The tunic of Jesus is stored in the altar, the reliquary with the head of St. Helena is in the crypt, and in the sacristy there is a part of the chain with which the Apostle Peter was shackled, a sandal and a nail of St. Andrew the First-Called.

Aachen The cathedral is located in the city of Aachen, in which the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned for centuries. The Imperial Cathedral in Aachen is a sixteen-sided large stone building made of dense limestone. The oldest and most precious part of the cathedral complex of different eras is the Palace chapel-tomb (796-806) of Charlemagne.

The pearl of Melk (Austria) is Abbey Benedictians. This is a giant baroque building complex on a rocky river bank. The monastery performs two tasks that have arisen in the course of history - teaching and education, on the other hand, parish care for parishioners.

Temple St. Nicholas located in the Italian city of Bari. Temple Nicholas the Wonderworker It looks more like a castle than a church. The building is made in the Novgorod-Pskov style of architecture of the 15th century. The relics of St. Nicholas are kept in this temple.

Italy has a home Holy Mother of God . According to legend, the mother of the Roman emperor Constantine I, St. Helena, while traveling through the Holy Places, found in Nazareth the very house where the Virgin Mary grew and was brought up and where the Annunciation took place. Above this house, she ordered to build a church. Later, around it in Loretto (Italy), the "Basilica of the Holy House" was erected.

Turin Cathedral built at the end of the 15th century in the center of Turin. This temple was built to store a historical relic - the Shroud of Turin. The history of the Shroud is complex and eventful. It was studied by criminologists, the court. Honey. Experts, doctors, historians, physicists, chemists and botanists. The age of the Shroud of Turin is from 30 to 100 years BC. At present, the Shroud is exhibited extremely rarely (once every quarter of a century).

St. Peter's Basilica- Catholic Cathedral, the central and largest building of the Vatican, the largest Christian church in the world. The cathedral was built on the site where the Apostle Peter was crucified and buried. The Vatican is the smallest state in the world and it houses all higher authorities management of the Roman Catholic Church, including the residence of the Pope.

On St. Mark's Square in Venice, between the Clock Tower and the Bell Tower, there is Basilica San Marco - Cathedral. The basilica has been a cathedral since 1807. For the relics, a temple-mausoleum was built in 832. Later, during the uprising of the townspeople, the Doge's Palace was burned. The Basilica of San Marco was rebuilt according to the canons of the Byzantine model.

- the cathedral in Florence, and is located in the very center of the city, on the cathedral square. name of the cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore , or Holy Mary with a flower. The cathedral was built by 1436, but later its facade was destroyed. Modern facade in the Gothic style, the construction of which lasted from 1871 to 1887. The cathedral was conceived as not only a religious building, but also as a place of public meetings, where the readings of Dante's Divine Comedy took place.

Cathedral of St.
vita- Gothic Catholic Cathedral in Prague Castle. The construction of the temple lasted about 600 years, St. Vitus Cathedral was completed in 1929. The Hussite wars in the 15th century, the fire in the 16th century, the uprisings of the estates in the 17th century, even later, the dome of the main tower was broken due to lightning in it. Czech kings and archbishops of Prague are buried in the cathedral, and the coronation regalia of medieval Bohemia are also kept here.

Acropolis in translation means the upper city in case of war. It is located on a natural limestone cliff 156 m above sea level, with a flat top. Temple Parthenon dedicated to the goddess Athena ancient times The Acropolis was the center of the political and military life of the city .

is one of the most popular attractions in the city. In order to preserve the rocky landscape in the densely built-up part of Helsinki, the brothers architects Suomalainen decided in 1968 to build a church right in the rock. But the population of the city was not ready for this. unusual project. People used to see the church in the traditional way, and protested by drawing signs on the walls.

In Norway, about 28 churches have been preserved, built at the end of the Viking Age using a very ingenious technology. One such church exists in the province of Sogn Fjordane, Norway. The church in Borgund was built presumably in 1150-80. in honor of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called, and erected without a single nail.

Witnesses of history, custodians of culture, works of art - the ancient temples of Russia. They survived the Mongol-Tatar yoke, wars and years of persecution. About the most ancient and unusual - in the material of "My Planet".

Lower Arkhyz: temples of medieval Alanya

We are already talking about the ancient temple Russian state- Sophia Cathedral in Veliky Novgorod, built in the middle of the XI century. But on the territory of modern Russia there are religious buildings erected even earlier, before the baptism of Russia, for example, the churches of Lower Arkhyz in Karachay-Cherkessia. It is believed that here was the capital of medieval Alanya, whose inhabitants converted to Christianity in 912.

Around the same time, the largest and most majestic Northern Church, dedicated to St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, was built - the cathedral church of the Alanian diocese. The building is made of large sandstone slabs fastened with a strong lime mortar. Services were held and baptized there. local residents: in the corner they found a cubic tank of stone slabs - the only baptismal in the North Caucasus.

Later, a small South (Ilyinskaya) church appeared nearby, which still operates to this day, and next to it you can see the Arkhyz face - a rock image of Christ.

Kerch: the oldest functioning church

In the center of Kerch rises a temple with a long and difficult history - the Church of John the Baptist in the Byzantine style. It is not known exactly when the church was built: historians date it to the 9th, 8th and even 6th centuries. Since then, the foundation, columns and paved courtyard where lies stone slab with footprint of Andrew the First-Called. Later, the church was rebuilt by the Russian princes, under the Polovtsy it stood in ruins, and during the Turkish rule it was a mosque. In Soviet times, the Church of John the Baptist was closed, during the war years it was badly damaged by fire, but then it was restored and is now considered the oldest functioning church. Orthodox Church on Russian territory.

To go through the centuries and trials helped the temple design features: the cross-domed building is reinforced with columns, and rows of white stone and red brick alternate in the masonry of the walls - this “layer cake” ensures the stability of the structure.

Vladimir: cathedral as a symbol of unity

The construction of the white-stone Assumption Cathedral began in the 12th century, under Prince Andrei Bogolyubsky. According to the plan of the ruler, the cathedral was to become the main temple of the strongest principality - Vladimir-Suzdal Rus, a symbol of the unity of the Russian lands. Therefore, the work was carried out on a grand scale, and the grandiose building surpassed the St. Sophia Cathedrals in Kyiv and Novgorod in height. In luxury and splendor, the church is also not inferior to them: the walls are painted with frescoes, the floor is covered with colored mosaics and gilded slabs, golden and silver chandeliers shine under the arches.

The cathedral burned down and was reborn from the ashes more than once. The most terrible fire happened in 1238, when Batu Khan invaded Vladimir. The townspeople who shut themselves up in the temple died in the smoke, all church relics were looted, the painting was damaged by fire, but the temple survived and was restored more than a hundred years later. It was then, at the beginning of the fifteenth century, the cathedral was painted by Andrei Rublev, and this is one of the few churches where you can see the frescoes of the famous icon painter.

During the filming of Andrei Tarkovsky's film about Rublev in 1966, the fire repeated itself - the rafters of the church caught fire from smoke bombs, but they were quickly extinguished. More recently, another film was filmed in the temple, the plot of which is associated with Rublev's frescoes - "The Fairy" by Anna Melikyan.

Kostomarovo: underground church

There are many cave churches in the Don steppes of the Voronezh region, and the largest and oldest is the Spassky Cathedral of the monastery of the same name near the village of Kostomarovo. The church is hollowed out in bizarre chalk pillars - "divas", whose origin is still a mystery.

The monks began building the temple in the 12th century, and work continued intermittently for several centuries. The result was a huge underground cathedral that can accommodate 2,000 people. Outside, it is decorated with bright domes and mosaic icons, the bell tower is set between two "divas", and inside the walls are covered with frescoes carved directly into the chalk. Nearby, in the slope of a chalk hill, the cells of hermit monks are hollowed out - narrow and cramped rooms with walls that have turned green from dampness. And the most severe place of the monastery is the Cave of Repentance: a long dark corridor leads to a small cell intended for confession. Before the revolution, the most desperate sinners were sent here, and now pilgrims from all over Russia go to the Cave of Repentance.

Eski-Kermen: a temple in a rock fragment

The most unusual building of the Crimean cave city of Eski-Kermen is a miniature church carved into a round limestone block in the 12th century. The temple occupies only 5.5 m long and 3.5 m wide. In a huge boulder, two entrances were cut down and small window, and almost half of the internal space is occupied by the altar. The only fresco with a rare plot, which gave the temple its name, has been preserved on the northern wall. It depicts three horsemen in fluttering cloaks: in the center is St. George the Victorious, striking a dragon with a spear, to the right and left are horsemen with spears, and a child is sitting behind one of them. Perhaps these are images of local heroes buried here - two graves were cut in the floor of the church, and the city necropolis was located around it. According to another version, the fresco depicts St. George in three persons: protector, dragon slayer and savior.

Kizhi: the oldest wooden church

The oldest wooden church that has come down to us is the Church of the Resurrection of Lazarus in Karelia. According to legend, it was cut down in the 14th century, during the lifetime of the founder of the Murom Monastery, the Greek monk Lazarus.

This is the simplest and oldest type of wooden temple - Kletsky. It resembles an ordinary hut, has no external decorations and consists of three log cabins connected together. The dimensions are also modest: the total length of the church is about 9 m, the width is 3.6 m. portage windows- narrow slots, which were closed from the inside (clouded) with a board. After the death of Lazarus, the church became an object of worship and pilgrimage, it was considered a "healer of ailments."

In the 19th century, a wooden protective case was built over the temple, and in 1959 it was transported to Kizhi Island, restored and installed at the foot of the famous Transfiguration Cathedral.

Veliky Novgorod: a masterpiece of medieval architecture

Frescoes by Theophanes the Greek

Ilyina street of Veliky Novgorod leads to a snow-white church of rare beauty - the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior, or the Savior on Ilyin. It is not as majestic and ancient as Sofia Novgorodskaya, but it is also included in the list cultural heritage UNESCO and no less famous: this is the only church in the world where the frescoes of Theophanes the Greek have been preserved.

The Byzantine icon painter painted the temple at the end of the 14th century, and the frescoes of the dome, the drum and the Trinity chapel have survived to this day - bright, expressive images of Christ, angels and Old Testament heroes. Outside, the temple is no less expressive than inside: strict proportions, simplicity of lines, lace facade decor. The church was built at the expense of the inhabitants of Ilyina Street during the heyday of the Novgorod Republic and became one of the most perfect examples of architecture of that time.

Alexandrov: the first stone hipped temple

For a long time, the Ascension Church in Kolomenskoye was considered the oldest stone tent temple. But in the 90s of the XX century, a version appeared that the more modest and less well-known Intercession Church in Aleksandrov was built about 20 years earlier, in the 1510s. The house church of the Russian tsars was erected by the Italian architect Aleviz Novy, combining the techniques of the Renaissance and local traditions: the stone building resembles ancient Russian wooden hipped churches. But the plot-painted tent is the only one in Russia. On its inner surface are depicted biblical tsars, prophets and Russian princes, canonized as saints.

Prayed in this home church Ivan the Terrible, right next to the temple adjoined the royal chambers, erected simultaneously with it. Giant cellars were dug under the chambers - according to legend, untold riches are stored there, for example, the mysteriously disappeared library of Ivan the Terrible. You can learn about the secrets of the ancient church on an excursion - the temple is part of the Alexandrovskaya Sloboda Museum-Reserve and is open to the public.

The architecture of temples has a very rich and ambiguous history, which, however, shows that it was with the construction of temples that all architectural innovations, all new styles and trends all over the world began and spread.

Hallgrímskirkja, the Lutheran church in Reykjavik, is the fourth tallest building in Iceland. The project of the church was developed in 1937 by the architect Gudjoun Samuelson. It took 38 years to build.

The church is located in the city center and is visible from any part of it. The shrine, which is also used as an observation tower, is rightfully considered one of the main attractions of the Icelandic capital.

The construction of the Cathedral of Las Lajas (Las Lajas Cathedrale), one of the most visited temples in Colombia, was completed in 1948. The temple stands directly on a 30-meter arched bridge connecting the two sides of a deep gorge.

The Neo-Gothic Church is cared for by two Franciscan communities, one Colombian and the other Ecuadorian. Thus, Las Lajas Cathedral is a pledge of peace and union between the two South American peoples.

Notre Dame du Haut is a concrete pilgrimage church built in 1950-55. in the French city of Ronchamp.

The architect Le Corbusier, not being religious, agreed to take on the project on the condition that Catholic Church give him complete freedom creative self-expression.

Initially, the non-standard building caused violent protests from local residents who refused to supply water and electricity to the temple. However, nowadays tourists are one of the main sources of income for Ronshans.

The Church of the Merciful God the Father (Dio Padre Misericordioso) or, as it is also called, the Jubilee Church, is a community center in Rome, which was built by architect Richard Meyer in 1996-2003 with the aim of enlivening the life of the inhabitants of the area

The temple was built of precast concrete on a triangular platform on the border of the city park, surrounded by 10-story residential and public buildings with a population of about 30 thousand inhabitants.

St. Basil's Orthodox Cathedral, located on Red Square in Moscow, is a well-known monument of Russian architecture and one of the most famous sights of Russia.

The temple was built in 1555-1561 by order of Ivan the Terrible in memory of the victory over the Kazan Khanate.

According to legend, after the construction was completed, the architects were blinded so as not to be able to build another equally beautiful cathedral.

The world-famous, fourth largest temple in the world, Milan Cathedral (Duomo di Milano), is located in the very center of Milan and is its symbol.

Sagrada Familia (Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família) in Barcelona, ​​built on private donations since 1882, is the famous project of Antonio Gaudí.

The unusual appearance of the temple made it one of the main attractions of Barcelona. However, due to the difficulty of manufacturing stone structures, the cathedral will be completed no earlier than 2026.

The dazzling whiteness of the Church of Paraportiani is located on the Greek island of Mykonos.

The temple was built in the 15th-17th centuries and consists of five separate churches: four churches are built on the ground, and the fifth is based on these four.

One of the most ancient (1150-1180) surviving frame churches - Stavkirka in Borgund (Borgund stavkyrkje) - is located in Norway. One of distinctive features of this shrine is the complete absence of metal parts.

The number of wooden parts that make up the church exceeds 2 thousand. Sturdy frame the racks were assembled on the ground and then climbed into vertical position with long poles.

Cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brasilia - Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Aparecida (Metropolitana de Nossa Senhora Aparecida) - built in the style of modernism according to the project famous architect Oscar Niemeyer.

In 1988, Niemeyer received the Pritzker Prize for the design of the Cathedral. The building consists of 16 hyperboloid columns, symbolizing hands raised to the sky. The space between the columns is covered with stained-glass windows.

Grundtvig's Church (Grundtvigs Kirke) - a Lutheran church located in Copenhagen - is one of the most famous churches in the city and the rarest example of a religious building built in the expressionist style.

The Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Glorious Port (Basílica Menor de Nossa Senhora da Glória) is the highest Catholic cathedral in Latin America. Its height reaches 124 m, of which the height of the cross is 10 m.

The initial project of the cathedral was proposed by Don Jaime Luis Coelho, and the architect José Augusto Bellucci designed the cathedral. The shape of the temple, built between July 1959 and May 1972, was inspired by the impression of Soviet satellites.

The Church of Solace is located in the Spanish city of Cordoba. A very young church was designed by the architectural bureau Vicens + Ramos last year according to all the rules of strict minimalist canons.

The only deviation from strictly white color is the inner golden wall in place of the altar.

Temple of St. George (Church of St. George) - a cave church, entirely carved into the rocks - is located in the Ethiopian city of Lalibela. The building is a cross 25 by 25 meters and goes underground for the same amount.

St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Chicago was built in 1956.

The Cathedral of Our Lady of Tears (Santuario della Madonna delle Lacrime) in the form of a concrete tent rises above the Italian city of Syracuse.

In the middle of the last century, an elderly couple lived on the site of the cathedral, who had a statuette of the Madonna. Once the figurine began to “cry” with human tears, and pilgrims from all over the world rushed to the city.

In honor of this miracle, a huge cathedral was built, perfectly visible from anywhere in the city.

The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira in Colombia is carved into a solid salt rock. A dark tunnel leads to the altar. The height of the cathedral is 23 m, the capacity is over 10 thousand people.

Historically, this place was a mine used by the Indians to obtain salt. When the need for mining disappeared, a temple appeared on the site of the mine.

The Cadet Chapel is located in Colorado on the territory of a military camp and a training base of a branch of the US Air Force Academy of Pilots.

The monumental profile of the building of the chapel is created by seventeen rows of steel frames, ending with peaks at a height of about 50 meters. The building is divided into three levels, and in its halls services are held for the Catholic, Protestant and Jewish denominations.

Religion occupies an important place in the life and history of mankind. It is not surprising that religious monuments have always been distinguished by their beauty and scope. Temples and churches, mosques and cathedrals, chapels and synagogues - no matter what religion is practiced in them - they are all architectural sights, interesting for their centuries-old history or modern ideas. Most of them are included in the lists of world cultural heritage and are protected by the state. It is the temples that are in any city in the world that primarily attract the attention of tourists. We offer you to get acquainted with the most beautiful and most impressive temples in the world.

1. Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Israel

One of the greatest and most beautiful shrines for the entire Christian world is the Jerusalem Temple of the Resurrection of Christ, better known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, Israel. It is here that the miracle of the Descent is performed every year during the bright holiday of Easter. Holy Fire which is transported to all corners the globe. According to legend, the temple was built on the site of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus Christ. Today it is a large complex containing many Christian relics, for example, the stone of chrismation, the cave of the Holy Sepulcher, the burial bed, Golgotha ​​and many others. Inside the temple is divided between numerous denominations: Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Syrian, Coptic and Ethiopian. Liturgies on the Holy Sepulcher are served in turn, and the keys to the temple are kept in the Muslim family in order to avoid conflicts between confessions.

2. Hagia Sophia, Turkey

Hagia Sophia - the Wisdom of God - is an ancient Orthodox church in Istanbul, Turkey. The church is a world-famous architectural monument of Byzantine architecture, at one time it was both a mosque and an Orthodox church, and today there is a museum inside. The first church on the site of the modern cathedral was built at the beginning of the 4th century under Emperor Constantine. The temple that we see today was built by Emperor Justinian in the 6th century, its construction absorbed three annual incomes from the entire (!) Byzantine Empire, and for many centuries it remained the largest church in the world. The appearance of the temple is still striking in its scale, and the interior decoration is luxurious and rich. In addition to Orthodox images, here you can find quotes from the Koran, as well as runic inscriptions.

3. Notre Dame de Paris, France

Notre Dame Cathedral or Notre Dame de Paris is one of the most ancient monuments of religious architecture. The location of the temple on the Ile de la Cité in Paris is by no means accidental. In ancient times, there was a pagan temple of Jupiter, later - the first Christian church of the city - the Basilica of St. Stephen, and in 1163 the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral began, which lasted more than 200 years. The main architectural style of the temple is Gothic, but the towers are very different in their appearance, this is due to the participation of many architects in the construction. The cathedral houses the greatest Christian relic - the Crown of Thorns of Jesus Christ - transported here from Jerusalem. There are no paintings on the walls inside, but the largest colored stained-glass windows at the time of construction illustrate scenes from the Bible. An interesting legend is the story of the casting of the Emmanuel bell weighing 13 tons: it was created from melted female jewelry. The famous book by Victor Hugo about the Hunchback of Notre Dame and the beautiful Esmeralda brought particular popularity to the cathedral.

4. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican

The Cathedral or Basilica of St. Peter is considered the largest christian church around the world, capable of accommodating up to 60 thousand people at the same time. It is also the central and largest structure of the Vatican. In 324 AD Emperor Constantine built a church on the site of the cathedral, which stood for about 1200 years. In 1506, they decided to remake the church into the largest Christian cathedral. The most prominent artists and architects of the Renaissance took part in this: Bramante was the first architect, after his death construction works headed by Rafael; Michelangelo designed the dome and vaults of the cathedral, while Bernini designed the main square. Interior decoration The cathedral strikes with its harmony and beauty: there are many statues and sculptures, tombstones and altars, wonderful works of art.

5. Paraportiani Church, Greece

The inhabitants of the island of Mykonos in Greece claim that there are exactly 365 churches on its territory - one for every day of the year, and the most beautiful is the Paraportiani church, the construction of which dates back to the 15th-17th centuries. The snow-white building, which has survived to this day, looks especially impressive against the backdrop of the azure sea and the bottomless blue of the sky. The temple consists of four churches, standing with their foundations on the ground. And the fifth church is located on the next floor above them. The temple was built of stone, strictly adhering to the canons of Byzantine architecture. The absence of external decorations gives it a certain severity and special holiness. Rumor has it that the beautiful streamlined forms of this particular church inspired the great Gaudí to create his famous masterpieces.

6. Sagrada Familia, Spain

By the way, about Antonio Gaudi. The magnificent Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia or Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, ​​Spain, designed by the great Spanish architect, is considered one of the hallmarks of this country. The construction of the temple lasted 40 years under the leadership of Gaudi, and has not been completed to this day. According to one version, the initiators of the construction made it a condition that the temple be built solely on donations from parishioners. Modern craftsmen suggest that construction work will be fully completed by 2026, but the local population called the church "The Cathedral that will never be completed." The plan of the temple is made in the form of a Latin cross, the facade is decorated with sayings from the Bible, and such a long construction of the temple is also explained by the duration of the manufacture of stone blocks, which form the bizarre forms of the church.

7. St. Basil's Cathedral, Russia

The most beautiful Orthodox church on Red Square in Moscow is named after the holy fool Vasily, who dared to express his dissatisfaction with his reign to the great Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Another well-known name is also the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Holy Mother of God, and until the 17th century the temple was called Trinity. The cathedral was built in the middle of the 16th century. According to legend, the architect who built it was blinded by the order of Ivan the Terrible, so that nothing more beautiful would ever be created. The temple is considered the hallmark of Moscow and all of Russia, it is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Today, a branch of the State Historical Museum is located inside. The height of the cathedral is 65 meters, and total number domes - 11.

8. Las Lajas, Colombia

The Catholic Cathedral of Las Lajas is located in the department of Nariño, Colombia, and is one of the most visited cathedrals in the country, not only by church parishioners, but also by numerous tourists. The church was built directly on the bridge over the river Guaitara. The construction of the cathedral dates back to 1916-1949, and the main architectural style of the building is neo-Gothic. A beautiful legend is connected with the construction of the cathedral: there was a cave here, which was notorious among the local population. Once a mother with a deaf-mute daughter passed through it, and a miracle happened: the Mother of God healed the sick girl, and her mother Mary, as a token of gratitude, painted a beautiful portrait of the Mother of God on the walls of the cave. By the way, experts still cannot determine what kind of paint was applied to the walls of the temple. The only thing that could be found out was that the stones were soaked through with paint.

9. Taj Mahal, India

In addition to Christian religious monuments, it is worth mentioning the masterpieces of architecture related to the Muslim world. One of these is the mausoleum-mosque of the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. It was built in the 17th century by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum-mosque is considered the most outstanding example of Mughal architecture, combining elements of Islamic, Persian and Indian styles. The Taj Mahal is included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List and is not only the mausoleum itself, but also the whole complex around it. Translucent marble was used in the construction, which makes the mosque colorful at different times of the day, as well as the most beautiful inlays of gems - turquoise, agate, carnelian, malachite and others.

10. Crystal Cathedral, USA

The most valuable in terms of architectural sights are ancient churches and cathedrals, which have miraculously survived to this day. However, we cannot fail to mention the modern attempt to combine latest trends with religion. The result of this can be considered the Crystal Cathedral in California, USA, built in the late 80s of the 20th century. This staggering Protestant church is almost entirely made of over 10,000 glass blocks. The exterior of the church is a four-pointed crystal star, but the cathedral is most striking from the inside, especially when the sun's rays penetrate through the glass. One of the special attractions of the church is a huge organ with 16,000 pipes, and the building itself can accommodate about 3,000 parishioners.