Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.
Today: Top 10 most beautiful churches in the world
In ancient times, churches were religious place where people could prayer and connect with gods. Today, churches remain religious places, although most people will only visit them for special occasions or for sightseeing. There are uncountable churches in this world, but only few with dazzle their visitors with eye-catching beauty and giant dimensions, making them so much more than just places of worship. From recognisable city icons to cathedrals-turned-museums, here's my selection of the world's most beautiful churches that should be on your travel bucket list.
There is more information (with YouTube videos) below the slideshow. What's the world's most beautiful church in your opinion? Leave a comment.
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Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík is both a parish church and a national sanctuary in Iceland. Designed by the architect Gudjon Samuelsson in 1937 and completed in 1986, the concrete structure took over 40 years to build. The soaring modernist church features a stepped concrete facade that was designed as an ode to modernism and a reminder of the basalt lava flows found in Iceland's natural landscape, especially the basalt columns around Svartifoss waterfall. The church is named after the 17th-century clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson, author of Hymns of the Passion. Hallgrímskirkja is an Evangelical-Lutheran church and is a part of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Iceland. The iconic building is 75 m (240 ft) high, and a visit to the top will reward you with awe-inspiring views of Reykjavik and even Snaefellsjokull glacier on a clear day. Its wonderful acoustics and enormous pipe organ (designed and constructed by the German organ builder Johannes Klais of Bonn) make the church an ideal venue for classical music concerts.
Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow is a proud survivor of the city's tumultuous history. Rising majestically from Red Square, it provides a striking contrast to the monochrome buildings characteristic of the Soviet era that fill much of the city. It has remained standing despite several fires, Napoleon's invasion and the demolition of other churches in Moscow like the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour under Stalin. Enchanting visitors with its vibrant mix of bright colors, the towers topped with differently designed onion domes - some swirled like ice creams, some textured with diamond patterns - St Basil's Cathedral is the most famous building in Moscow, offering an unforgettable postcard image for everyone who visits the city, whether at day or night. Inside the unique exterior is a small temple made up of a labyrinth of nine different chapels, one of which is topped by the central bell tower. Each small chapel is exquisitely decorated with Orthodox iconology, gilt details and colorful murals.
A breath-taking mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, Canterbury Cathedral in Kent has been the seat of the spiritual head of the Church of England for nearly five centuries. The imposing cathedral building, set in beautiful gardens, was built around 597 AD. The UNESCO World Heritage monument is often described as 'England in stone' as its history is intrinsically linked to the country's history. From its first Archbishop, Augustine, who established Christianity in England to Archbishop Langton's role in the Magna Carta negotiations and the power struggle between King Henry II and Archbishop Thomas Becket, Canterbury Cathedral's history is as rich as it comes. Whether you go on a tour or take things at your own pace, don't miss the fantastic stained glass windows, - including one of England's largest collections of early medieval stained glass - and the Water Tower from the 12th century (possibly earlier) with piping that has survived and is still functioning today.
Florence Cathedral was designed at the end of the 13th century by Arnolfo di Cambio and is dedicated to Santa Maria del Fiore, a reference to the lily, the city's symbol. The third largest cathedral of the world (after Saint Peter's in Rome and Saint Paul's in London), at the time of its consecretation in 1436 it was the largest in Europe. The building was erected on top of the earlier Cathedral of Santa Reparata, the remains of which are accessible via the nave. The exterior, now clad in polychrome marble, remained incomplete for a long time; the original façade, which had been partially built to the design by Arnolfo di Cambio, was demolished at the end of the 16th century, and the current one was only erected at the end of the 19th century. Inside, the nave and two side aisles end in a vast choir where the main altar stands, surrounded by the tribune on which the Cupola rests. The 44 stained-glass windows were the work of leading 15th-century masters, including Donatello, Andrea del Castagno and Paolo Uccello.
The Spanish city of Cordoba's period of greatest glory began in the 8th century after the Moorish conquest, when some 300 mosques - including the Great Mezquita - and innumerable palaces and public buildings were built to rival the splendors of Constantinople, Damascus and Baghdad. In the 13th century, under Ferdinand III, the Saint, Cordoba's Great Mosque was turned into the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. Although only the Christian religion is practized in it today, the official title of the Great Mosque of Cordoba as Mosque-Cathedral makes it the only religious monument in the world with this distinction. The integration of the cathedral, with its construction being carried out within the mosque in the 16th century by the Christians, lends the compound its unique and surprising combination. The building's design - with its many horseshoe arches, domes, and decorative tile work - is the epitome of Moorish architecture. Because of its cultural and artistic value, UNESCO declared the Mosque-Cathedral a World Heritage Site in 1984.
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