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105 comments to "10 Divinely Designed Churches."

Barjak
May 7th, 2007 at 6:07 am
La sagrada familia is threatened by a hi speed train project. Read http://www.worldtravelguide.net/news/2838/news/Barcelona-rail-tunnel-t hreat-to-Gaudi’s-Sagrada-Familia.html for more info
anon
May 7th, 2007 at 6:08 am
The Roman Catholic Cathedral in Liverpool is pretty impressive. It kind of looks like the dwelling for a thundercats villain.

http://www.liverpoolas.org/old_site/www.liv.ac.uk/_ggastro/images3/RC. cathedral.gif

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_Metropolitan_Cathedral
A Grue Not Here
May 7th, 2007 at 8:16 am
I’m not sure 8,9 and 10 belong there, I would say they were more ugly then divinely inspired.

Also, the dome wasn’t a new feature for Hagia sophia, it had been around for at least a couple of thousand years before that (Treasury of Atreus for example). The innovation was the system of pendentives they came up with to support the round down on a square base.
Sid
May 7th, 2007 at 8:16 am
The Cologne Cathedral (KÃ¶lner Dom) is definitely worthy of being on the list. It was the world’s tallest building at its completion in the late 19th C. (it was started in the 13th century!) and remains one of the world’s greatest examples of gothic architecture. If you are ever in Cologne, be sure to visit it, climb the tower, and see the treasury which contains a lot of remarkable art, scupture, and reliquaries. Check out the cathedral at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne_cathedral
Runa
May 7th, 2007 at 9:34 am
The first one (Las Lajas Cathedral) reminds me some Tolkien’s LOTR place…
Eugenio MartÃnez Sierra
May 7th, 2007 at 9:39 am
I think that the most beautiful churchs are S. Pablo, in Valladolid (Spain)

http://www.ojodigital.net/data/500/MG_2868.jpg
http://www.diputaciondevalladolid.es/imagenes/img_cultura/exposiciones /lengua_castellana/valladolid6G.jpg

and the LeonÂ´s Cathedral (Spain too)

http://software.jodda.de/bilder/catedral_leon.jpg

ItÂ´s HUGE and the interior is Shiny
Simon
May 7th, 2007 at 9:57 am
That huge cathedral in the middle of Africa is pretty neat, if not perhaps inappropriate:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Our_Lady_of_Peace_of_Yamousso ukro
Padraig
May 7th, 2007 at 10:59 am
I too feel the Cologne cathedral belongs in the list. As well as the churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia.
Alex
May 7th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Wow, great suggestions guys - keep ‘em coming!
hubs
May 7th, 2007 at 11:16 am
the chapel at the air force academy is probably worth mentioning too.

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Air_Force_Academy_Chapel.html
Nina
May 7th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
The interior shot that you have posted for Notre Dame de Paris is pretty, but it’s actually a shot of the interior of Notre Dame de Montreal. An honest mistake, since they’re both absolutely stunning cathedrals.
Cobwebs
May 7th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
Minor error - the Crystal Cathedral is in Garden Grove, CA (in Orange County), rather than Orange Grove.

I attended a wedding there once. The inside kind of reminded me of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, with all kinds of greenery in unexpected locations.

(Also, they advertise a “Glory of Christmas” pageant every year, with live camels and sheep and whatnot. They are nothing if not dramatic.)
steve
May 7th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Crystal Cathedral is in the city of Garden Grove, in Orange County, CA not Orange Grove.
Citizen B
May 7th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
The pictures at http://www.henrikin.fi/kappeli/kuva-arkisto.html of St. Henrik’s chapel in Finland do not do justice to its simple beauty and soft light. A 360 degree view is available at http://www.virtualturku.fi/360/kirkot/taidekappeli/taidekappeli.htm

Its simple, small and very soothing.
chris
May 7th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
I’ll second the Air Force Chapel.
Ricky G
May 7th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
Bellevue Baptist Church, Memphis, TN

http://three-w.net/gallery/album05?page=1

largest Southern Baptist Church in the U.S.
Ryan Pratt
May 7th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
Great List! You should consider putting a quick bullet version of it on ListAfterList.com. There are already thousands of lists just like it (and you can send people back here for the full article.)

Check it out
http://www.ListAfterList.com
robert
May 7th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Tadao Ando’s churches in Japan (specifically the Church of Light and the Church on the Water) could be considered modern interpetations of the traditional Christian building with a healthy dose of nature thrown in. It’s surprising to see no mention of them here.
G. R. Briggs
May 7th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Mormon Temple in San Diego ought to be on the list.

http://www.lds.org/temples/main/0,11204,1912-1-81-2,00.html
Chad Edge
May 7th, 2007 at 1:36 pm
The “White Church” in Germany is another great addition to this list.
(http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2471836960039420793cCJJJJ)
What you can’t see in detail in that photo is the “Christ in chains” statue behind the alter.

There’s an amazing story to that statue, and the story of the church (it’s in the middle of a field - alone, and looking brilliant!).

When I visited this church in the 80’s and 90’s, it was under heavy construction (local military exercises and years of wear were showing). Now it appears to be in final repair and looks incredible!
protogenes
May 7th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
Interior HDR of Notre Dame (Image Credit: mircea tudorache [Flickr])

That is Montreal, not Paris…
Adam
May 7th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
What about the St. Joseph Oratory in Montreal?
Ben
May 7th, 2007 at 1:46 pm
One of my favorites is the Chapel of the Transfiguration in Jackson Hole, WY. The building itself isn’t impressive, a simple log cabin chapel. It is the view out the picture window that couldn’t be more perfect. No stained glass needed.

http://virtualguidebooks.com/Wyoming/JacksonTetons/Moose/TransfigInter ior_FS.html
Philipe
May 7th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Please, put the Brasilia Cathedral (Brazil)
http://www.caminandosinrumbo.com/brasil/brasilia/imagenes/Brasilia1.jp g
And

Rio de Janeiro Cathedral
http://www.rioon.com/fotos/catedral1.jpg

ItÂ´s awsome
Carl
May 7th, 2007 at 1:59 pm
A synagogue designed by Frank Lloyd Wright was honored yesterday as a national historic landmark:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/home_top_left_story/20070507_Mt__Sinai_ in_the_suburbs.html
Lasse
May 7th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
Modern churches are rubbish, except Le Corbusiers.
Fernando
May 7th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Here’s a ’60s take on the cathedral. By Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, who also designed the rest of Brasilia:

http://www.aboutbrasilia.com/travel/brasilia-cathedral.html
R. Bloodworth
May 7th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
The Cologne Cathedral must be on this list.

KÃ¶lle Alaaf!
Lora
May 7th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
where is the duomo, milan and the sacre coeur, paris?? those are two magnificent churches and you’ve missed them out!
Mark
May 7th, 2007 at 2:43 pm
The Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was built over a period of 40 years (1853-1893) and is quite impressive, particularly for a group of people just getting going.

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/saltlake/
MrBeat
May 7th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
I’m surprised not to see the Seville’s Cathedral in this list because “It is the largest of all Roman Catholic cathedrals (Saint Peter’s Basilica not being a cathedral) and also the largest Medieval Gothic religious building”. More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seville_Cathedral
Wicked blog btw^^
aeolist
May 7th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Neuschwanstein should definitely be there.
chinita_jill
May 7th, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Hi! I vote for The Cologne Dome / Cologne Cathedral to be included in the list. (I’m proud to see that I’m not the first one to suggest it :o))

It’s location right smack next to the train station makes it even more gigantic. One walks out of the train station to be immediately faced by this majestic giant. You just look up…and up…and up…there is truly no words to describe it.
Dan
May 7th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
How about the Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. One of the most recognized chapels in the U.S.

http://www.thorncrown.com/
Jim
May 7th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
>Fernando Says:
“By Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer…”

That guy was such a weiner.
Christopher Chan
May 7th, 2007 at 4:20 pm
This is a fantastic series ! I enjoyed the photos and your writeup of each church. And I’m very happy to see one of my photos of La Sagrada Familia here as well.

regards,

Chris
ylon
May 7th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I have to say that I think that the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are far nicer in design and functionality than those shown above. They are majestic and elegant buildings truly built as houses of the Lord. The designs and materials are *exquisite* for each one and they are often designed to blend in to their surrounding environments which is very interesting in and of itself. I have to say that I favor a few in particular, however they are all magnificent. In terms of their practicality, they are also designed amazingly well. I have heard some statistics where they will withstand some of the most severe earthquakes and disasters so the foundational work that you don’t see is really just as spectacular.
Noelegy
May 7th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
One of my favorite bands, The Alan Parsons Project, did an album inspired by Gaudi’s life, called, well, “Gaudi.” It includes a song called “La Sagrada Familia.” There was a musical as well, but I don’t think it ever performed in the States. I have a German import CD of it. Because of this music, it’s now one of my ambitions to make it to Barcelona someday and see Gaudi’s architecture.

Thank you for the link. Gorgeous pictures!
Saint Jude
May 7th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Hey, don’t forget about Saint Jude’s igloo church:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Jude%27s_Cathedral_%28Iqaluit%29
JP
May 7th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Durham Cathedral, in the north east of England, ought to be on the list too. In a BBC poll a couple of years ago, it was voted the UK’s favourite building not long ago. And Bill Bryson thinks its wonderful, too.
Steve
May 7th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
If you are into Mormonism, you should check out the church they built in Independence, Mo. Absolutely magnificent!
Aragost
May 7th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
“Indeed, many aspects of Tolkienâ€™s work was inspired by Norse mythologies and many of the fictional names in the book are Norse in origin, although there is no reference that HallgrÃmskirkja served as a model any of the towers in the book.”

well duh, i doubt the church could serve as a model for any towers, considering the church was finished in 1986, and Lord of the Rings was published in 1954, almost 30 years earlier. jeez, who writes this stuff?
Tom G
May 7th, 2007 at 7:30 pm
The Rock Church (Temppeliaukio Kirkko) in Helskinki is rather unprepossessing from the outside–but spectacular on the inside. And once inside you understand why the exterior is what it is–it’s built into the rock there.
Matt
May 7th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
Liking the list, no doubt you could have made it 100 and we’d still be finding missing buildings!

I liked the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (which I remember as The Duomo, Florence); and the Basilica Notre-Dame de FourviÃ¨re atop the cliff overlooking Lyon in France. Awesome position (impossible to ignore), and as I’ve been brought up protestant, I found the interior absolutely stunning.
tempr707
May 7th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
I had to throw this in….

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Cathedral%2C_San_Francisco

..former home of the cosmic mass, before it was moved to Oakland.
ylon
May 7th, 2007 at 8:14 pm
The temple in Mo. is by the RLDS (Reorganized Latter-day Saints or now known as Community of Christ). I’ve personally never really liked the corkscrew-like structure they built there. Its certainly neat, but very much lacking in many areas.
hoho
May 7th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
“La Sagrada Familia [official site | wiki], or Catalan for “The Holy Family”, is a yet-to-be-finished Roman Catholic basilica in Barcelona, Spain.”

“La Sagrada Familia” is not in catalan.In catalan it is “La Sagrada FamÃlia”. It is written in spanish or castilian .
phil_style
May 8th, 2007 at 12:40 am
Chapel of Futuna, in Wellington NZ. Small but great design.

http://www.johnscott.net.nz/pages/futuna.html
Mindaugas
May 8th, 2007 at 3:52 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Anne%27s_Church%2C_Vilnius

St. Ann Churc in Vilnius, Lithuania

It was built using 33 different kinds of clay bricks. (picture illustrates this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Annes_Church_Facade.jpg)

There is a well-known legend that Emperor Napoleon, after seeing the church during the course of the Franco-Russian War in 1812, expressed a wish to carry the church home with him to Paris ‘in the palm of his hand’. In reality, however, he gave it to his cavalry instead.
beajerry
May 8th, 2007 at 9:28 am
If only such inspiration could do more beyond creating these gorgeous structures.
MrBeat
May 8th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Now u can do another another list
Jacques
May 8th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Thanks for your site. I see there are lots of places I have to visit.
Jeebus
May 8th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
All that wasted money and effort to please an invisible sky daddy…
phil_style
May 8th, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Jeebus,

I didnt think Churches were designed to please a deity, but rather to reflect Human creativity and ideas about divinity. essentially, they are designed to be places for human reflection.

Even if you disagree with Christian thought, surely you can appreciate the value of human expression through arcitecture. If not then many great archeological works Ancient and Modern become a “waste of money and effort”.
Jeebus
May 8th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
phil style,

Well said. I guess my only real beef is that they get to do it all tax free!
Mobius
May 8th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Article writer is a moron. I see no evidence to suggest that god has designed these churches. In fact, the architects of record are quite clearly human, meaning the headline is utterly inaccurate.

“Amazingly designed chruches” is accurate.

“Divinely designed churches” is religious bullshit.
Tony
May 9th, 2007 at 1:58 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_St._George,_Lalibela
Alex
May 9th, 2007 at 2:20 am
Thanks for the corrections, Nina, Cobwebs, Steve, and Protogenes. I’ve fixed the errors.

Aragost, HallgrÃmskirkja was commissioned in 1937 and Tolkien started to write LOTR between 1937 and 1949. I think it’s entirely possible (although there is no evidence for it as outlined in the article) that Tolkien had heard of the project.

Mobius, see additional definition of divine (other than being a deity) from The American Heritage Dictionary: “supremely good or beautiful; magnificent.”
Kelly
May 9th, 2007 at 9:16 am
â€œDivinely designed churchesâ€ is religious bullshit

Ummm, Mobius, I think since the subject matter is churches using the word Divine is completely appropriate. Since it’s many definitions include: addressed, appropriated, or devoted to God. Are churches not intended as a devotion to God?

Another meaning is:of superhuman or surpassing excellence Do these buildings not fit that description?
name
May 10th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Beautiful

Especially the old ones, modern architectrure lacks beautiful detail. But why the hell has good architecture to be build around religious belief?

No one having to do better than building this beauty for a thought? Build it for someone, or at least some thing (conzept). If you are sure thet a god exists, he will hate you for being unable to use the power of understanding he gave you.
Connie H.
May 12th, 2007 at 5:55 am
Two churches that should definitely be considered:

The all-steel Eiffel-designed church in Baja California Sur, Santa Rosalia.

The cathedral in Avila which is actually a retrofitted Moorish mosque! I’ve been there, and it’s a strange but harmonious blend of styles.
Martijn R
May 12th, 2007 at 7:14 am
There is a church entirely made of Cast Iron.
A Bulgarian orthodox church in Istanbul
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/bulgarian_St_Stephen_Church

Greetings,
Martijn
Motorcycle Guy
May 13th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I dunoo about the “Notre Dame du Haut” it doesn’t look divinely inspired to me. The two modern ones are questionable too but they are quite unique churches. I think St. Peter’s should have been higher up on the list.
Jose A
May 14th, 2007 at 5:19 am
#6, mejores vistas de la Catedral de Leon en:
http://www.catedraldeleon.org/galeria_de_imagenes/catedral/exterior/ca text001.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_of_Le%C3%B3n
Gary Calamar
May 15th, 2007 at 5:37 am
Santiago de Compostela Cathedral is a wonderful eclectic construction.
You could see some pictures in:
http://www.catedraldesantiago.es/
Yorky John.
May 15th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
Come, come, young man… York Minster has got to fill the bill.
Scarecrow
May 15th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
What about the Borgund Stave Church in Norway?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borgund_stave_church
Terra
May 15th, 2007 at 10:52 pm
I think this site is wonderful. Keep up the good work.
blondy
May 16th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Very interesting post!!

http://www.figure-ground.com/travel/image.php?st_mary3

There is a church in Red Deer Alberta Canada…St Mary’s Church built in 1968 and at that time was very out there. The entire structure…walls…roofline even the roof itself is curved !! Bare brick inside…the floor slopes a little towards the altar. The coolest thing about this church is it is the first building in the entire world that was built with computer assistance.

Thank you
Anonymous
May 17th, 2007 at 1:28 am
Mormon temples aren’t exactly churches. So definitely doesn’t belong on the list. Good try though,G. R. Briggs.
Respiro the logo design guy
May 19th, 2007 at 2:16 pm
I am very impressed by Las Lajas Cathedral. It would be great to have interior images, too.
caro y fredy
May 19th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
hello
very beatiful church
Regards from punta arenas, chile
telepnone 221941
Leila
May 20th, 2007 at 12:42 pm
There has been discussion about the temple built in Independence, MO. It is indeed Community of Christ (certainly NOT Mormon). But, it is NOT a corkscrew, as previously mentioned. Perhaps whoever said that (and anyone else interested) should tour it (all are welcome–free tours and organ recitals, as well as daily prayers for peace and lots of church services are held there).

It is a nautilus shell.
Here are a couple of pics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independence_Temple
Leila
May 20th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Oh, and another outside pic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_of_christ
Leila
May 20th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
And, though this isn’t an actual church, it is used as a church often:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auditorium_%28Community_of_Christ%29

Right across the street from the Temple I listed just above.
Noelia
May 20th, 2007 at 4:01 pm
Another wonderful cathedral,(I thnik hat is the best) is Burgos Cathedral,the most beatiful gothic cathedral (with leon’s) in Spain
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/316/gallery/
Mark
May 21st, 2007 at 11:12 am
Greetings,

Thanks for stopping by my Island.

Well God is the architect of all things, Jesus was a carpentar; so it’s natural He puts up some cool places.
Jess
June 3rd, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Dunedin NZ has some awesome churchs. There is the First Church:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Church%2C_Dunedin#First_Church.2C_D unedin_1862

St Pauls Cathedral and St Joseph’s Cathedral :

http://reecesanford.travellerspoint.com/co/150/
Pieter Uithol
June 8th, 2007 at 2:42 am
Magnificent. Ironic that the world’s most splendid architecture was inspired by something which requires no building at all. Jesus was not impressed by ceremony or displays of grandeur and would have been just as pleased with an open field or a simple structure, if anything at all.

Like religion itself it is more for the mortal and the egos of priests or rulers to show off on the world stage. I wonder if the money the poor donated to build these stone jewels would not have been better spent on the needy themselves; but that is one of the many ironies of religion.

Perhaps one day the Pope will hold a divine auction and give the cash to what God would like to spend it on instead of hoarding it for no good reason. That’s Catholicism for you…. They are just a bunch of old drag queens in gaudy dresses putting on a show on very fancy stages. They, the buildings are never-the-less truly splendid and a testament to the glory of man’s talent and craftsmanship…. oh, yes - and the wonder of the magic man in the sky.
Markus
June 9th, 2007 at 8:40 am
I didn’t read all the entries above.
A church that is also missing on the list is
http://www.ludd.luth.se/users/silver_p/kutna-1.html
This Czech Republic’s church’s interior is full of human bones …
Pastor Art
June 9th, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Two magnificant church buildings you should consider adding to your list are:

1. Washington National Cathedral, Washington, DC

2. The chapel at the US Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO.

Pastor Art
Pastor Art
June 9th, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Here is the link to the Air Force Academy Chapel:

http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Air_Force_Academy_Chapel.html

Here is the link to Washington National Cathedreal.

http://www.cathedral.org/

Pastor Art
Jo
July 2nd, 2007 at 11:07 am
It’s not a cathedral, per se, just a parish church, but a personal favorite of mine; what I like isn’t so much the architecture as the art - Old St Pat’s in Chicago.

This really doesn’t do it justice, but here’s a link.

http://www.oldstpats.org/about/tour/index.html

More pictures here (among other Chi. churches)

http://chicagochurches.blogspot.com/
sal g.
July 24th, 2007 at 3:21 am
Have you looked into the Church of Our Savior on the Spilled Blood in St Petersburg, Russia?? The interior boasts the most mosaics (murals with semi-precious stones) than any other religious monument/building in the world. Here is a link:
http://www.saint-petersburg.com/virtual-tour/church-of-savior.asp
sal g.
July 24th, 2007 at 3:33 am
Here is another link with mosaic photos of St Petersburg’s Our Savior Church in Russia: http://mosaik.wordpress.com/2007/04/09/the-church-of-the-saviour-on-sp illed-blood/
c
August 10th, 2007 at 1:57 pm
The amazing Greek Meteora Montasteries, while not cathedrals, are worth mentioning:

http://www.photoseek.com/greece/Meteora.html
Javi
August 25th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Does anybody know about Sevilla’s Cathedral? It’s pretty impressive too. Actually, it’s one of the cathedrals represented for it’s length compared to St. Peter in the Vaticane, wich means this is one of the biggest catholic churches in the world, and it’s also more than 500 years old.
K
September 3rd, 2007 at 4:03 am
Leila @ 74:

Yeah that just looks like the tip of the KKK Hood.
Mircea Tudorache
September 5th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
I’m the author of the picture named “Interior HDR of Notre Dame” see well above.
No wwhen you look at this pic on the flickr is never mentioned even once is a HDR picture. The reason: is not!!!
Is just a picture I was taken with my modest film camera on the tripod. No photoshop what so ever!
onur
September 10th, 2007 at 7:08 am
amazing…
Moebius
September 19th, 2007 at 4:31 pm
Well for somebody who’s a complete, radical atheist, I must say I’ve been swept off my feet by Santa Maria del Fiore (The Duomo) in Florence. It’s absolutely your biggest mistake not to include it in the list. More so because it was the first of the grandiose renaissance churches and a template for St. Peterâ€™s Basilica. Not to mention Brunelleschi’s (the architect and engineer) pioneering constructional techniques, I mean the guy was a freak… You try building it with medieval mortar and bricks, getting them up there using an ox driven hoist… Unbelievable, there must’ve been aliens involved…
Fernando Bono
September 19th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
i must tell the people of neatorama that this looks good, but you missed:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churches_of_Chilo%C3%A9

too bad i dont have more information about them in english, but they are huge and around 100 or so, in the main island of Chiloe and in some of the smaller islands. Build completly with wood, even wooden nails !
Max Naydek
October 10th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
How about Eastern Europe, Ukraine, Kiev (Kyiv). Those are like nothing else, whith some of them being almost a 1000 years old:

St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:St._Michael%27s_Catheral_view.JPG

Kiev Pechersk Lavra
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kiev_Pechersk_Lavra_%28General%29.j pg

St Andrew’s Church
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:St_Andrew%27s_Church_Kiev.jpg

Saint Sophia Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Kyjiv_sofienkathedrale.jpg

St Volodymyr’s Cathedral
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:St_Volodymyr%27s_Cathedral_facade.J PG
Andy
November 3rd, 2007 at 7:43 am
Sri Swaminarayan aka BAPS temple in Chicago.

Beautiful intricate hand-carved marble and wood. ALL of it built by volunteers strictly out of love for God.

They even have fiberoptic strands running through the marble so that at night the whole thing lights up.

http://www.swaminarayan.org/globalnetwork/america/chicago.htm
Sara
November 5th, 2007 at 11:29 am
I’m from iceland … Hallgrímskirkja is a great chirch
Gugga
November 5th, 2007 at 5:17 pm
I’m from Iceland too, I was looking at the picture and noticed it was wrong, really wrong, anyone who has seen the church should see that the church is photo shopped, it looks too wide down below. . .
Shimju David
February 25th, 2008 at 7:18 am
http://www.doloursbasilica.com/home.asp
is a wonderful church located in Thrissur, Central City of Kerala, a Southern state of India.
bubbafett
March 1st, 2008 at 3:11 am
I agree with the above comments regarding Mormon temples. There are several that are quite spectacular. I don’t think the one in D.C. was mentioned, but it comes to mind and is definitely worth looking up.

As a Texan, I can’t imagine any list of beautiful churches omitting Mision San Antonio de Valero. I apologize for this in advance, but you just gotta “Remember the Alamo.” Now a museum/visitor center/tourist attraction, etc., it is nonetheless hallowed ground. The history of the Alamo is obviously part of what makes it such a powerful image, but it is a striking building.

As a side note, the Alamo is part of the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park. At least a couple of the missions are active parishes. I attended mass with a Catholic family member, at Mission San Jose if I remember correctly, and it was really cool.
Jane
March 15th, 2008 at 1:29 am
Joe
March 15th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Dominic
March 15th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Heel
March 15th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
ElSmiley
March 17th, 2008 at 10:05 am
No one is going to mention the historic, legendary Chartres?

Moebius, I agree about the Duomo. And–aren’t christians hilarious (except for all the people they’ve tortured and murdered in the name of their cult)?
Carrizo
April 8th, 2008 at 3:17 am
They are very impressive.

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