Everyone knows that a monastery or church is a special place. However, in addition to its main spiritual component, temples also contain physical beauty. In the end, the shrine is also a building, to evaluate the performance and architectural style of which is possible without being a representative of a particular religion. Millions of tourists around the world annually admire the performance of prayer buildings. Many temples are the main attractions of their cities. Getting started.
List
- 10. Taktsang Lakhang Monastery, Bhutan
- 9. Milan Cathedral, Italy
- 8. Temple of the Holy Family, Spain
- 7. Crystal Mosque, Malaysia
- 6. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Slovenia
- 5. Notre Dame Cathedral, France
- 4. Akshardham Temple, India
- 3. Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE
- 2. Blue Mosque, Turkey
- 1. Wat Rong Khun Temple, Thailand
10. Taktsang Lakhang Monastery, Bhutan
The unusualness of this temple lies in the fact that it is located on a rock, or rather, at its very edge at a mark of 3120 meters from the ground. Yes, from the cell window you can look and move your hand straight over the abyss. In 1998, the monastery suffered a sad fate - there was a fire, which claimed several lives and partially destroyed the monastery. However, diligent monks were able to restore the temple, accurately recreating the original configuration. Now the "tigress nest" (the name of the monastery is literally translated) is again open to pilgrims and tourists. The latter, by the way, are few - try to get some more!
9. Milan Cathedral, Italy
The famous cathedral in Italy, the spiers of which are known throughout the world. Everyone who has ever been to Milan certainly saw this huge and majestic temple located in the historical center of the city near the Duomo metro station. By the way, do you know what a long-term construction is? You think 10 or 20, well, or to the edge of 50 years - is it too much? Not at all. Milan Cathedral, for example, was built from 1386 until the very beginning of the 19th century, when the facade was completed. However, some improvements were carried out for another one and a half centuries. However, not only the timing is impressive. There are 3,400 statues on the temple’s territory, and the legendary monastery willingly competes with a football stadium in capacity - up to 40,000 people can be accommodated inside.
8. Temple of the Holy Family, Spain
Sagrada Familia, if you turn to the Catalan language. After all, it is in Barcelona that the next temple from our list is located. Along with the Cathedral of Milan, the Sagrada Familia is known far beyond its location - it is not without reason that the church is the most visited cultural site throughout Spain (about 3.2 million tourists annually). The holy cloister is the life-long work of the famous architect Antonio Gaudi. The Catalan was not only a master of his craft, but also a deeply religious person, so he simply lived in a temple under construction with his own hands. The interior of the church looks amazing. Filigree accuracy of figures, unusual columns and colorful stained-glass windows in their combination give rise to a truly magical interior.
7. Crystal Mosque, Malaysia
Perhaps the most modern prayer building from today's rating. In addition, unlike previous temples, the Crystal Mosque was built literally in the blink of an eye - in just 3 years from 2006 to 2008. The mosque owes its name to the material that serves as the cladding - this is mirror glass. Thanks to its natural luster and reflective abilities, the decoration gives the temple a unique look. The mosque is surrounded by 4 high minarets - the building itself is small and can accommodate a maximum of 1,500 people. The already bewitching view of the temple is completed by a unique illumination consisting of 7 different shades.
6. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Slovenia
Once again, the temple is in an outstanding place. The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is built on a lonely island in the middle of Lake Bled in Slovenia. However, the picturesque location and architectural aesthetics are not the only reasons why the temple is very popular, especially among newlyweds. The fact is that a staircase of 99 steps leads to the monastery. By giving the couple will be together all his life if the groom carries the bride through the stairs. In addition, near the church there is a bell, striking into which your most cherished desire must certainly come true. Needless to say, the monks on a small island are almost never alone.
5. Notre Dame Cathedral, France
Oh yes, again by celebrities. This time we make a stop in the capital of France, where the world-famous shrine Notre Dame de Paris is located. The stone church, made in the Gothic style, also appeared in more than one night. From the moment of its foundation to the adoption by the cathedral of its final form, almost 2 centuries passed. In the south tower of Notre Dame is a 13-ton bell Emmanuelle (the weight of his tongue is 500 kg), and in the treasury of the temple contains a relic - a crown of thorns, the same one that was on Christ's head. The cathedral itself has become the subject of praise in literature (the most famous is the novel by V. Hugo), films and musicals.
4. Akshardham Temple, India
The history of this temple has 13 ... no, not centuries. Akshardham is also a “young” building, the holy monastery was erected in Delhi in 2005. Despite this, the church is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most ambitious and majestic Hindu temple in the world. Is there any need to talk about scale when the cost of construction was $ 0.5 billion? Akshardham is located on a vast territory, the building itself contains 234 columns, 9 domes, and 148 figures of elephants. Along with the modern appearance, the temple has quite strict orders inside. Cell phones, cameras and cameras are strictly prohibited for carrying. These and some other items must be put away by the guest.
3. Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE
Another modern building on our list. Sheikh Zayed Mosque opened in Abu Dhabi (capital of the UAE) in 2007. The temple is one of the six largest mosques in the world. The shrine looks really grandiose and impressive - 82 snow-white marble domes adorn the main building. The courtyard is also tiled with marble, an area of 17,400 square meters. The capacity of the temple is 40,000 parishioners. In addition to the above, the mosque is also famous for a couple of world records. On its territory lies the largest carpet in the world weighing 47 tons and an area of 5 627 "squares" and the largest chandelier in the world hanging from mosques. Surprisingly, not only those who adhere to Islam can enter the temple - excursions are provided for everyone, and free of charge.
2. Blue Mosque, Turkey
She is the mosque of Sultan Ahmed. The temple is the main attraction of Istanbul, as well as an important monument, as evidenced by the recognition of the mosque as an outstanding example of Islamic and world architecture. The mosque is a grandiose building of the XVII century, erected in a very short time - it took only 7 years before a large temple appeared out of the blue. The building is really impressive: the diameter of the dome is 23.5 meters, its height is 40 meters, the mosque can simultaneously accommodate up to 10,000 believers. The main feature of the temple is the presence of 6 minarets at once - at the time of construction, only the main mosque in the world had so much (Masjid al-Haram). However, in order to emphasize this very primacy, a decision was quickly made to erect a seventh minaret in Mecca.
1. Wat Rong Khun Temple, Thailand
The temple is crowned with our list of shrines, which seemed to come down to us from the pages of a fairy tale. This is Wat Rong Khun in Thailand. The snow-white church is an architectural complex, which includes the main building, bridge, fountains and gazebos. The temple was built not so long ago, in 1997, but is already known (primarily because of color and configuration) around the world and even managed to become a victim of an earthquake. May 5, 2014 due to tremors, the church was seriously damaged. Initially, experts led by the temple architect said that the building is not subject to restoration, however, a little later, the idea to restore the church to its original form began to be realized.