Top 10 Most Beautiful Temples in the World

Everyone knows that a monastery or a church is a special place. However, in addition to their main spiritual component, temples also contain physical beauty. After all, the shrine is also a building whose execution and architectural style can be appreciated without being a representative of a particular religion. Millions of tourists around the world every year admire the performance of prayer structures. Many temples are the main attractions of their cities. So, today the objects of our attention will be the 10 most beautiful temples in the world. Getting started.

10 Taktsang Lhakhang 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 around 3120 meters from the ground. Yes, yes, from the window of the cell you can look and wave your hand straight over the abyss. In 1998, the monastery suffered a sad fate – a fire broke out here, which claimed several lives and partially destroyed the monastery. However, diligent monks managed to restore the temple, recreating the original configuration as accurately as possible. Now the “tigress’s nest” (this is how 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 there!

9. Milan Cathedral, Italy

The famous cathedral in Italy, whose spiers are known throughout the world. Everyone who has ever been to Milan has certainly seen this huge and majestic temple, located in the historic center of the city near the Duomo metro station. By the way, do you know what long-term construction is? Do you think 10 or 20, well, or on the verge of 50 years is too much? Not at all. Milan Cathedral, for example, was built from 1386 until the very beginning of the 3th 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 400 statues on the territory of the temple alone, and in terms of capacity, the legendary monastery willingly competes with a football stadium – up to 40 people can be accommodated inside at the same time.

8. Sagrada Familia, Spain

Sagrada Familia, if we turn to the Catalan language. After all, it is in Barcelona that the next temple from our list is located. Along with the Milan Cathedral, the Sagrada Familia is known far beyond its location – it is not for nothing that the church is the most visited cultural site in all of Spain (about 3,2 million tourists annually). The holy cloister is the life work of the famous architect Antoni Gaudí. The Catalan was not only a master of his craft, but also a deeply religious person, so he simply lived in a temple being built with his own hands. The interior of the church looks amazing. The filigree precision 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 a cladding – this is mirror glass. Due to the natural brilliance 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 people. The already fascinating view of the temple is completed by a unique illumination consisting of 500 different shades.

6. Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Slovenia

And 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 consisting of 99 steps leads to the monastery. According to the legend, the couple will be together all their lives if the groom carries the bride through the entire staircase. In addition, there is a bell near the church, striking which your most cherished desire must certainly come true. Needless to say, monks on a small island are almost never lonely.

5. Notre Dame Cathedral, France

Oh yes, celebrity again. This time we make a stop in the capital of France, where the world-famous shrine of Notre Dame de Paris is located. The stone church, made in the Gothic style, did not appear overnight either. Almost 2 centuries have passed from the moment of its foundation to the adoption of the final form by the cathedral. In the south tower of Notre Dame there is a 13-ton Emmanuel bell (the weight of its tongue is 500 kg), and the treasury of the temple contains a relic – a crown of thorns, the same one that was on Christ’s head. The cathedral itself became the subject of chanting 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 abode was erected in Delhi in 2005. Despite this, the church is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most grandiose and majestic Hindu temple in the world. Is it necessary to talk about the scale, when the cost of construction amounted to 0.5 billion dollars? 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 a fairly strict order inside. Cell phones, cameras and photo cameras are strictly prohibited. These and some other items should be put away by the guest in the storage room.

3. Sheikh Zayed Mosque, UAE

Another modern building on our list. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque opened in Abu Dhabi (the capital of the United Arab Emirates) in 2007. The temple is one of the six largest mosques in the world. The shrine looks truly grandiose and impressive – 82 snow-white marble domes adorn the main building. The courtyard is also lined with marble tiles, covering an area of ​​17 square meters. The capacity of the temple is 400 parishioners. In addition to the above, the mosque has also become famous for a couple of world records. On its territory lies the largest carpet in the world weighing 40 tons and an area of ​​000 “squares” and hangs the largest chandelier in the world of those installed in mosques. Surprisingly, not only adherents of Islam can enter the temple – excursions are held for everyone, and for free.

2. Blue Mosque, Turkey

It is the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. 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 7th century, erected in a very short time – only 23.5 years passed before a large temple arose out of the blue. The building is really impressive: the diameter of the dome is 40 meters, its height is 10 meters, the mosque can simultaneously accommodate up to 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 (Masjid al-Haram) had so many. However, in order to emphasize this very supremacy, it was quickly decided to build a seventh minaret in Mecca.

1. Temple Wat Rong Khun, Thailand

Our list of shrines is crowned by a temple, which seems to have come down to us from the pages of a fairy tale. This is Wat Rong Khun in Thailand. The White Church is an architectural complex that includes the main building, bridge, fountains and pavilions. The temple was built not so long ago, in 1997, but it is already known (primarily because of its color and configuration) all over the world and even managed to become a victim of an earthquake. On May 5, 2014, the church was seriously damaged due to tremors. Initially, specialists led by the architect of the temple stated that the building could not be restored, however, a little later, the idea of ​​restoring the church to its original form began to be implemented.