Where is the largest number of churches. The greatest temples in the world

Below is a list of the ten highest churches in the world. It did not include temples, which for various reasons were destroyed and they no longer exist. For example, the Old Cathedral of St. Paul, which in height reached 150 meters. However, it was completely destroyed during the Great Fire in London in 1666.

New Cathedral in Linz - 135 yards

The new cathedral in Linz is also known as the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, a Catholic cathedral located in Linz, Austria. The construction of the church was started in 1862, at the initiative of the bishop Franz Josef Rudiger. In 1924 the church was consecrated. It is the largest church building in Austria, which can simultaneously accommodate up to 20,000 people.

St. Peter's Cathedral - 136.6 m

St. Peter's Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in the Vatican. It is the largest and central building in the state. It is considered as one of the most revered Catholic shrines. The construction of the cathedral began on April 18, 1506, and was completed on November 18, 1626.

St. Stephen's Cathedral - 136.7 m

St. Stephen's Cathedral is a Catholic cathedral located in the center of Vienna. It is a symbol of Austria, as well as one of the most popular and recognizable sights of the Austrian capital. The cathedral, executed in Romanesque and Gothic styles, was built on the ruins of the two previous temples. I got a modern look by 1511.

The Basilica of the Most Holy Theotokos of Lihon - 141,5

The Basilica of the Most Holy Theotokos of Lichyńska is a Roman Catholic church located in the village of Liheny Stary, near the town of Konin, Poland. It was built at the expense of donations of pilgrims, according to the project of Barbara Beletskaya in 1994-2004. It is one of, and also one of the main places of pilgrimage in Poland.

Strasbourg Cathedral - 142 yards

Strasbourg Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Strasbourg, Alsace region, France. It was built in 1439. In the interval from 1647 to 1874 (227 years) was. Today it is the largest cathedral in the history of European architecture, as well as the world's largest sandstone building.

Church of St. Nicholas - 147 yards

The Church of St. Nicholas is one of the five Lutheran churches in the city of Hamburg, Germany. It is executed in the Neo-Gothic style according to the project of the English architect George Gilbert Scott. Since its construction in 1874 to 1876, the church has been the tallest building in the world. In late July 1943, after the bombing of the city (Operation Gomorra) was destroyed. Now it is only a tower, which acts as a memorial and an important architectural monument.

Rouen Cathedral - 151 yards

The fourth place in the list of the highest church buildings in the world is occupied by the Rouen Cathedral - a Catholic church, made in the Gothic style. Located in the center of Rouen, 330 meters from the right bank of the River Seine, France. Between 1876-1880 it was the tallest building in the world. Now it is the highest church in France.

Cologne Cathedral - 157.4 m

Cologne Cathedral is one of the most famous Gothic cathedrals, located in the city of Cologne, Germany. Its construction began in 1248, and was frozen in 1473, leaving the cathedral incomplete. The construction of the temple was resumed only in the middle of the XIX century, and was completed according to the original plan in 1880. This Roman Catholic cathedral is Germany's most popular tourist attraction, with an average attendance of 20,000 people every day.

Notre-Dame de la Paix - 158 yards

Notre-Dame de la Paix or the Basilica of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Peace is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Our Lady of Peace. It is located in the city of Yamoussoukro, the capital of the state of Côte d'Ivoire. It was built between 1985-1989. The Basilica of Notre-Dame de la Pêa with a total area of ​​30,000 square meters is the largest church in the world.

Ulm Cathedral - 161,5 m

The Ulm Cathedral is a Lutheran church located in Ulm, Germany. The first stone was laid in 1377, since that time the cathedral was gradually being completed and expanded. May 31, 1890 was completely completed. Its spire reaches an altitude of 161.53 meters, which is driven by 768 steps. This is the highest church in the world, and the 4th tallest building, built before the XX century.

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Many of the largest temples known to us were created thanks to the efforts of many people. Specially trained masters processed the materials necessary for the manufacture of structures, and then installed them at the agreed places. The first temples were intended for adherents of pagan religions, and later - for professors of Orthodoxy, Islam, Judaism, etc. In this article, it will mainly deal with the largest architectural structures. And in them, as is known, appeals were made to the ancient deities and other great sacraments.

The greatest temples in the world

The first in this rating will be the Cathedral of Seville. It was built by the Spanish, the inhabitants of Andalusia, in the sixteenth century. To all who ever saw him, he was remembered for his splendor and sophistication of architecture.

Not only simple philistines, but also experienced researchers are of the opinion that the Cathedral of Seville is an unsurpassed example of the Gothic style, famous for its huge size. Even the temples of St. Paul and Peter, located in Europe, can not be compared with him. In addition to a large area, this structure has one more feature - the presence of the most expensive altar, the material for which is pure gold.

Moreover, the Cathedral of Seville is also the most original, built in an inimitable style and thus different from other shrines. At the entrance to it, you can see the hall striking with its area in the form of a rectangle, the decoration of which has something in common with the Arab mosques. Its length is almost one hundred and fifty meters. The chapels and side chapels in the temple surround the retaining walls.

The central nave includes a chapel and a choir. It is at the expense of such an internal arrangement that the temple resembles a separate structure associated with visitors with a huge palace full of adornments and precious elements.

It would be superfluous to mention also that in addition to Gothic in the Cathedral of Seville there are elements of the Renaissance style. For example, in this style, the main sacristy, the Chapter Hall, the Royal Chapel, are made. Even with the naked eye, you can see traces of a style such as the Spanish Baroque - it prevails in the southwestern part of the building.

The temple of St. Sava Serbian is also boldly one of the largest religious buildings. Its location is the city of Belgrade. In contrast to the Cathedral of Seville, this building appeared not very long ago. His architectural design was ready in the nineteenth century, and construction began only a hundred years later. Such a delay in construction was due to the war of 1941-1945, as well as the financial difficulties that the state was experiencing at the time. The doors of the church were opened for the parishioners only at the beginning of the XXI century.

The length of the structure from the south to the north is about 80 meters, and from the west to the east - about 90 meters. In terms of area, the temple surpasses even the Moscow Church of Christ the Savior - it can simultaneously accommodate about a thousand singers and several thousand parishioners.

Since the height of the building is 130 meters above sea level, it is not difficult to see it even to people living in remote corners of the city.

As for the style in which the temple is built, the specialists define it as Serbian-Byzantine. No less interesting for tourists is one curious fact: during the Middle Ages at the site of the church there was a foray of the Ottoman invaders, who burned the relics of Savva of Serbia.

Among the most large temples  in the world belongs also Angkor Wat, which is on the UNESCO list. Thousands of people professing Hinduism, go to the place where this structure is located. They go to worship the god Vishnu, for whose sake Angkor Wat was built. For many Hindus, the temple is of great value. This is partly due to the fact that the history of the structure began in the twelfth century; Its construction began on the orders of King Suryavarman of the second.

the location of the temple, which is a huge structure - the Asian country of Cambodia. This name was not chosen by chance: after all, in the past, in place of its location, there was the state of Angkor, in which people who belonged to such nationalities as Khmers lived. Surprisingly, every second inhabitant of this ancient Asian city has visited it at least once in his life. And the population in this small town, I must say, was very large - about five hundred thousand people.

The Angkor Wat temple stretched over a distance of over two hundred meters in a square. Moreover, according to a recent assessment of specialists, the area of ​​the building is much smaller than it should have been.

Despite the fact that the temple was built in honor of the deity Vishnu, on its walls one can see images of other gods of the Hindu pantheon. For the Hindus, this shrine is the symbol of Mount Mera, on which, according to local legends, various deities lived.

Outside, Angkor Wat looks really like a mountain looking upwards. On all sides the temple is surrounded by a moat filled with water, as well as a wall whose height is two hundred meters. The very same building rises to sixty meters.

Unfortunately, in the history of this building there was a period when the temple was forgotten by all. In Europe, it became known only at the end of the nineteenth century. At the same time, the image of this unique building is adorned with the flag of Cambodia.

In sunny Egypt, in the village of Karnak, there is another monument of architecture, the dimensions of which can not but impress. A lot of builders worked hard to erect the Karnak temple back in the days of ancient Egypt. In accordance with the name of the area Shrine and was given the name Karnak Temple.

Speaking of ancient Egypt, it is impossible not to mention the city of Thebes, many centuries ago it is its capital. It was he who once was in the place of Karnak. And there, and not elsewhere, began the construction of the Karnak Temple. It was attended by a variety of rulers of ancient Egypt, making innovations in the architecture of the structure and improving it. But the main work was done by ordinary people, who for one reason or another found themselves in the service of the lords.

The Karnak temple is dedicated to several deities, which are in special esteem among the Egyptians. This Amon is the sun god, Mut is the queen goddess and Yah is the patron of the moon. Accordingly, for each of the deities was assigned a certain place in the temple. These three zones, divided into the structure, differed in their decoration and religious symbols. However, they had something in common. All three parts of the temple were decorated with many massive columns. At all of them colorful drawings depicting the life of the lords of Egypt were depicted. As it was said before, the duty of the new lord, who was just beginning his reign, included the addition of the Karnak temple with various architectural elements. As an example, you can consider all the famous pharaoh Thutmose, thanks to the work of which elegant statues were created.

The cathedral is always one of the main temples of the city, or a temple dedicated to some special event, therefore, unlike ordinary churches, cathedrals were built with special grandeur. To cease to be a cathedral the temple can not - this status is assigned to him once and for all. In principle, especially large dimensions for the cathedral are not necessary, but it is calculated from the very beginning for large worship services, so it simply has to be done more.

We offer a look at the highest and majestic cathedrals and churches of the world.

(Total 11 pictures)

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1. Ulm Cathedral (Germany), height 161,5 m.

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

2. Notre-Dame de la Paix (Côte d'Ivoire), height with a cross on the main dome of 158 m

This basilica is considered the largest of the Christian churches in the world. Here, more than 18,000 people will burn at the same time in worship. 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.

The construction of this beautiful Gothic cathedral began in 1248, and ended only in 1880. In the time of this 632-year-old construction, even a legend emerged, saying that the city of Cologne would not be threatened until the construction of the cathedral continued. This cathedral ranks third in the world in height among the Christian churches, but it is the tallest of all churches that have two identical towers. 533 steps allow you to climb to a height of 150 m.

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

This fourth highest cathedral has the highest cast-iron tower in the world. 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. Cathedral of St. Nicholas (Germany), height 147.3 m.

The cathedral was badly damaged as a result of the bombings during the Second World War, and remains undeveloped until now. 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 of sandstone and is one of the largest buildings in the world made of this material.

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

This is the largest basilica in Poland designed by Polish architect Barbara Bieleck. The temple was built from 1994 to 2004 on the donations of believers.

8. Cathedral of St. Stephen (), height 136.4 m.

This magnificent cathedral in the Gothic style is one of the main attractions of Vienna.

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

This cathedral is the largest, but not the highest cathedral in Austria, behind the height of only 2 meters St. Stephen's Cathedral. The cathedral was built in 1924.

10. Cathedral of St. Peter (), height 136.4 m.

It is the largest Vatican temple 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 built on the model of this cathedral. It surpasses it in area and height, but St. Peter's Cathedral is designed so that it can accommodate three times as many parishioners.

11. And, finally, St. Vitus Cathedral in the capital of the Czech Republic - Prague. It is not the highest 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.

The church is a Christian temple; A special structure intended for religious rituals and services. Since religion throughout the entire time of the existence of mankind played one of the most important functions in the world order, the churches were always on a special account - they were one of the most important buildings in the city. Moreover, it was with the construction of the temple that the development and growth of almost all cities began.

The construction of the temples involved the best builders and architects and it was the churches that were always decorated best, at times even richer than the palaces of rulers and kings. And now the main temple of any city is one of its most important sights.

It is interesting to know which churches are the largest in the world.

For a long time the largest Catholic church in the world was the main Catholic cathedral - saint Paul's Cathedral   in the Vatican. Its dimensions are impressive - 212 m in length and almost 150 m in width along the transepts (lateral rooms around the altar part) with an occupied area of ​​more than 22 thousand square meters.
  Height at the top of the cross on the dome - 136 m. The cathedral can accommodate about 60 thousand people! It was erected in the 16th century by such great masters as: Donato Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo.

St. Peter's Cathedral is undoubtedly a great architectural masterpiece.

The same applies to his ornate interior. It became a prototype for many other large churches, including the Basilica Notre Dame de la Pe   (Blessed Virgin Mary of Peace) in the capital of Côte d'Ivoire, Yamoussoukro. It was built in 1989 and is now listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest church in the world - its area is about 30 thousand square meters. Although its capacity is less than 20 thousand people, which is three times less than St. Peter's.

Similarly, the Vatican Council served as a model for the Anglican st. Paul's Cathedral   in London, which takes the third position on our list.

  Its size is 170 by 90 m. Since this temple, unlike the first, is Protestant, it was built in opposition to it in the late 17th century. The author of this outstanding building is the English architect Christopher Wren. The interior of St. Paul's Cathedral, as befits a Protestant church, in contrast to the Catholic one, is relatively modest. But the architectural forms themselves are beautifully executed.

  Then again we return to Italy. In the fourth place is Milan Cathedral . Its dimensions are 158 by 92 m. Unlike the previous three, it has a distinctly Gothic style, which, incidentally, is not characteristic of Italy. And in general the appearance of this temple is unique.

  It is all made of marble and is saturated with various decorative elements. In fact, the Milan Cathedral is almost the largest building of marble in the world.

  Just a little bit smaller than him Florence Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore , occupying the fifth place.
  Its dimensions are 153 by 90 meters, and the capacity is the same - about 40 thousand people. But he is the oldest of all. was erected in the 15th century. Thus, before the construction of the Cathedral of Milan in the 16th century. Florence Cathedral was the largest in the world.

  It should be noted one characteristic feature of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore - a gigantic orange octagonal dome of the work of the great Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi. Its diameter is 42 m and is equal to the domes of the Roman Pantheon and St. Peter's Cathedral, which are still considered the largest in the world.

For a long time the largest Christian church in the world was the main cathedral of St. Peter in the Vatican. Its dimensions are impressive - 212 m in length and almost 150 m in width with an occupied area of ​​more than 22 thousand m 2. The height at the top of the cross on the dome is 136 m. The cathedral can accommodate about 60 thousand people. It was erected in the XVI century by such great masters as Donato Bramante, Raphael and Michelangelo.

The cathedral became a prototype for many other large churches, including the Basilica of Notre Dame de la Pê (Blessed Virgin Mary of Peace) in the capital of Côte d'Ivoire, the city of Yamoussoukro. It was built in 1989 and is now listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest church in the world - its area is about 30 thousand m 2, its capacity is 20 thousand people. Also, the Vatican Council served as a model for St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Its dimensions are 170 by 90 m. The author of this outstanding building is the English architect Christopher Ren.

In the fourth place - Milan Cathedral. Its dimensions are 158 by 92 m. Unlike the previous three, it has a distinctly Gothic style, which, incidentally, is not characteristic of Italy. And in general the appearance of this temple is unique. It is made of marble and is saturated with various decorative elements. In fact, the Milan Cathedral is almost the largest building of marble in the world. The Florence Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which occupies the fifth place, is quite small in size. Its dimensions are 153 by 90 m, and the capacity is the same - about 40 thousand people.

The largest religious structure in Russia is the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which is located in Moscow. Originally, the temple was created by the architect Ton, his construction began in 1839. However, in 1931 the temple was destroyed, and later recreated in the same place. Its reconstruction ended in 1997. The temple has grandiose dimensions: its height is 105 m, in general the building of the temple looks like an equilateral cross about 85 m wide, capacity - 10 thousand people. The architecture of the temple is inspired by Byzantine traditions, the interior decoration is also impressive with its luxury, borrowed from the Byzantine Orthodox religion.

The largest mosque in the world is the Mecca Forbidden Mosque, which is the main shrine of the Muslim world. In the courtyard of the mosque is the Kaaba. The mosque was built in 638. From 2007 to 2012, under the decision of King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, a new large-scale reconstruction of the mosque is under way. During the expansion, mainly in the northern direction, the territory increases to 400 thousand m 2 and it houses 1.12 million people. Two more minarets are being built, as well as the new Gate of King Abdullah, all the old and new premises are equipped with air conditioning. Taking into account also the reconstructed territory of the district, 2.5 million people can participate in ceremonies and events at the same time. The cost of reconstruction is $ 10.6 billion.

The Prophet's Mosque in Medina is the second largest in the world and the second most important shrine of Islam. The mosque in this place was still at the time of the Prophet Muhammad's life. The grave of the prophet is under a green dome. It is believed that he himself took part in the construction of the mosque, which was rebuilt many times, expanded, and at the moment its capacity - from 600 thousand people, and the territory - 400-500 m 2. It is believed that during the Hajj period it accommodates up to 1 million people.

The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the largest mosque in the UAE. Located in Abu Dhabi, it is named after Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan al-Nahyan, the founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates. The mosque is capable of simultaneously accommodating 40 thousand believers. The main prayer hall is designed for 7 thousand worshipers. At four corners of the mosque are four minarets, which rise about 107 meters. The outer row of the main building covers 82 domes. The domes are decorated with white marble, their interior decoration is also made of marble. The inner courtyard is lined with colored marble and has about 17,4 thousand m 2.

In Russia, the largest in area is the Makhachkala Juma mosque, the main mosque of the Dagestani capital, built in the image of the famous Istanbul Blue Mosque. After the reconstruction in 2007 Juma mosque can accommodate up to 15 thousand people. The second largest mosque in Russia - the Grozny beauty - "The Heart of Chechnya", which holds more than 10 thousand parishioners. The mosque is part of the Islamic complex of the republic, the total area of ​​which is 14 hectares. The mosque has its own television and radio station.

Kazan mosque "Kul Sharif" is the fifth in capacity and one of the most beautiful in Russia. It accommodates more than 2 thousand people. It is the main mosque of Tatarstan, located on the territory of the Kazan Kremlin. The construction of the temple was started in 1996 as a recreation of the legendary multi-purpose mosque of the capital of the Kazan Khanate, the center of religious enlightenment and development of the sciences of the Middle Volga region of the XVI century. The mosque was destroyed in October 1552 during the assault of Kazan by the troops of Ivan the Terrible. Named after her last imam Seid Qul-Sharif, one of the leaders of the defense of Kazan.

Borobudur - the largest Buddhist temple in the world - was built around 800 AD. e. on the island of Java. The builders of this Buddhist sanctuary tried to reproduce the legendary Mount Meru from ancient Indian mythology, its huge golden peak, on which the entire universe rests. If viewed from a height, Borobudur (the name means "many Buddhas") appears as a huge geometric sign and sacral symbol of the mandala, that is, a diagram of the universe in which the sky (the three round upper terraces of the complex) and the ground (the four lower terraces) are combined. The complex was built on a hill and around a hill, so in shape it is a stepped pyramid. The foundation is square with a side of 118 m. The temple has eight tiers, the five lower ones are square, and the top three are round. On the upper tier there are 72 small stupas, each in the form of a bell with a lot of ornaments. Inside the stupas are placed 504 Buddha statues and 1 460 bas-reliefs on religious subjects.

The size of the temple is of functional importance - it can gather for prayer more believers. But in the symbolism of architecture and the decorative decoration of the temples, ideas about the universe are also revealed.