5 Most Amazing Religious Structures In The World
Do you know that most religions claim to adhere to principles of poverty? We totally understand
that shocked look on your face, after all, some of the most magnificent structures in
the history of world architecture are religious houses! Since we have always appreciated good
architecture and culture, we thought how about we mix the two and come up with a list of
the most amazing religious structures! There are so many of them, each depicting a different
culture, religion, timeline and style so you’d probably be intrigued by at least one of them.
Are you ready for a ride to the spiritual realm?
Number 1. Angkor Wat One of the most important archaeological sites
in South-East Asia, Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious
monument in the world! Come on, when a temple complex stretches over 1,626,000 square meters,
there is little to doubt about crowing it as the largest of its kind! You’ll be surprised
to know that the interesting bit is not its size but the fact that it was originally constructed
as a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Vishnu for the Khmer Empire. Why is that shocking?
Well, gradually it transformed into a Buddhist temple towards the end of the 12th century!
As for the aesthetic appeal, the temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the
architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.
If you are still thinking of giving it a miss from your itinerary, Angkor Wat is a symbol
of Cambodia by appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for
visitors!
Number 2. St Peter’s Basilica One of the world’s holiest catholic shrines,
St Peter’s Basilica is situated on Vatican Hill in the UNESCO world heritage site of
Vatican City. There is no way that a trip to Rome will not include a stop at Vatican
City and if you do stop there you have to be plain crazy to miss out on St Peter’s
Basilica! With a capacity of over 60,000 people and covering 22,300 square meters, it is one
of the world’s largest churches and also one of only four Major Basilicas in the world!
Do you know how it got the status of a basilica? That’s because it was built on the site
where St Peter was buried in 64 AD. You’ll be wowed by the building due to its size and
beautiful architecture but the history behind it is the actual highlight. After the first
Basilica was knocked down, it took over 100 years to rebuild, and some of the most famous
architects of the time contributed to its design. You’ll get plenty of photo opportunities
so make sure you do a basic research beforehand to not miss out on something important. What
are you waiting for, pack up and jet off!
Number 3. Akshardham Temple With a touch of spirituality and remnants
of 10,000 years old Indian culture and tradition, this spiritual-cultural campus in Delhi, India
has been beautifully engraved! The temple is a brilliant masterpiece of ancient Indian
architecture and timeless spiritual messages dedicated to Lord Swaminarayan. If you have
any plans of visiting India, do visit Akshardham because it isn’t just a pilgrimage tour
but also a historical voyage that will leave you truly astonished. After all, the temple
attracts approximately 70 percent of all tourists who visit Delhi! It was officially opened
on 6 November 2005 by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. It rises 43 m high, spans 96 m wide, and extends
109 m long and is intricately carved with flora, fauna, dancers, musicians, and deities.
Do you know how it gets that pretty pink look? The entire structure is constructed from Rajasthani
pink sandstone and Italian Carrara marble! But the most shocking thing is that it has
no support from concrete or steel structures! Such is the power of traditional Hindu architectural
guidelines, can you beat that?
Number 4. Wat Rong Khun The White Temple, as it is better known as,
is a contemporary, unconventional, privately-owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple
in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed,
and opened it for visitors in 1997. The temple is unlike any other, it depicts the teachings
of Buddhism with a modern take. Its inclusion of characters from The Matrix, Hello Kitty,
and Angry Birds helps us re-imagine how religious buildings are supposed to be! Any guesses
how much has already been spent on the temple? Around THB40 million because he believes the
project will give him immortal life, now that’s interesting! But this isn’t the end, the
work is ongoing and is not expected to be completed until 2070. Woah, this man is going
to pay a lot for immortality but is he going to get it? Anyway, you can watch the intricately
designed temple for free if you are Thai or pay an affordable fee of THB50 if you are
a foreigner. You can even donate to the temple if you feel like but your donation cannot
exceed THB 10,000 because apparently Kositpipat doesn’t want to be influenced by big donors!
Number 5. Cathedral of Christ the Saviour Let’s just say when you look at the Cathedral
of Christ the Saviour, you’ll feel that the church itself reaches heaven. Yes, it’s
that tall- oh wait, with an overall height of 103 meters, it is the tallest Orthodox
Christian church in the world! Believers from all over Russia gather here in the honor of
the main Orthodox holidays. The monumentality and grandeur of the temple, its magnificent
interiors - everything speaks about the special status of the temple and its significance
for the Russian Orthodox Church. You have to be out of your mind to miss a chance to
visit this skyscraping cathedral! Wait, did we forget to tell you that this isn’t the
original church? The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour’s construction began in 1839 on
the bank of the Moskva River where it was visible from any point of Moscow. It stayed
for 48years before being demolished to make way for a colossal Palace of the Soviets,
which by the way was never made! In February 1990 the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox
Church appealed to the government for permission to restore the great temple. In 2000, the
cathedral fully restored in its original form, was consecrated and began services. That’s
a long and complicated history and a lot of people associate it with the legend of the
curse of the nun, who cursed that no building will last on the site for more than 50years.
We’ll have to wait till 2050 to see the truth!
Are there any more astounding religious structures that should be on this list? Tell us in the
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