Churches & Cathedrals

Hagia Sophia

📍 Istanbul, Turkey · 🕐 537

Originally built as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral by Emperor Justinian I, Hagia Sophia was the world's largest cathedral for nearly 1,000 years. Its massive 31-meter dome appears to float on a ring of light from 40 windows. It served as a mosque, then a museum, and was reconverted to a mosque in 2020.

St. Basil's Cathedral

📍 Moscow, Russia · 🕐 1561

The iconic symbol of Russia, St. Basil's features nine chapels topped by colorful onion domes, each unique in design and color. Built by Ivan the Terrible to commemorate the capture of Kazan, legend claims the Tsar blinded the architects so they could never create anything so beautiful again.

Milan Cathedral

📍 Milan, Italy · 🕐 1965 (began 1386)

The largest church in Italy (excluding St. Peter's in Vatican City) and the fifth-largest in the world. Built over nearly 600 years, it features 3,400 statues, 135 spires, and a golden Madonnina statue atop the highest spire at 108 meters.

Canterbury Cathedral

📍 Canterbury, United Kingdom · 🕐 1077

The mother church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury. It has been a pilgrimage destination since the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket in 1170, immortalized in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.

Cologne Cathedral

📍 Cologne, Germany · 🕐 1880 (began 1248)

A High Gothic masterpiece that took 632 years to complete. At 157 meters, its twin spires made it the world's tallest building from 1880 to 1884. The cathedral houses the Shrine of the Three Kings, said to contain the relics of the Biblical Magi.

Westminster Abbey

📍 London, United Kingdom · 🕐 1269

The coronation church of English and British monarchs since 1066, Westminster Abbey has hosted every coronation since William the Conqueror. It is also the burial place of 17 monarchs and many of Britain's greatest figures including Newton, Darwin, and Hawking.

Florence Cathedral

📍 Florence, Italy · 🕐 1436

Brunelleschi's dome, the largest masonry dome ever constructed, remains an engineering marvel to this day. The cathedral's distinctive green, white, and pink marble exterior and Giotto's 85-meter campanile dominate the Florence skyline.

Sistine Chapel

📍 Vatican City, Vatican City · 🕐 1481

Chartres Cathedral

📍 Chartres, France · 🕐 1220

Seville Cathedral

📍 Seville, Spain · 🕐 1507

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

📍 Jerusalem, Israel · 🕐 335

St. Paul's Cathedral

📍 London, United Kingdom · 🕐 1710

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe

📍 Mexico City, Mexico · 🕐 1976

Church of the Nativity

📍 Bethlehem, Palestine · 🕐 565

Basilica of the Sacred Heart

📍 Paris, France · 🕐 1914

Basilica of San Marco

📍 Venice, Italy · 🕐 1094

Amiens Cathedral

📍 Amiens, France · 🕐 1270

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral

📍 Sofia, Bulgaria · 🕐 1912

Basilica of the National Shrine

📍 Washington, D.C., United States · 🕐 1961

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

📍 Santiago de Compostela, Spain · 🕐 1211

Church of Our Lady before Týn

📍 Prague, Czech Republic · 🕐 1511

Hallgrímskirkja

📍 Reykjavik, Iceland · 🕐 1986

Las Lajas Sanctuary

📍 Ipiales, Colombia · 🕐 1949

Cathedral of Brasília

📍 Brasília, Brazil · 🕐 1970

Borgund Stave Church

📍 Borgund, Norway · 🕐 1180

Basilica of the Holy Blood

📍 Bruges, Belgium · 🕐 12th century

Lalibela Rock Churches

📍 Lalibela, Ethiopia · 🕐 12th–13th century

Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood

📍 Saint Petersburg, Russia · 🕐 1907

Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar

📍 Zaragoza, Spain · 🕐 1681

Basilica of Saint-Denis

📍 Saint-Denis, France · 🕐 1144

Reims Cathedral

📍 Reims, France · 🕐 1275

Strasbourg Cathedral

📍 Strasbourg, France · 🕐 1439

Church of Saint George, Lalibela

📍 Lalibela, Ethiopia · 🕐 13th century

Cathedral of Our Lady (Antwerp)

📍 Antwerp, Belgium · 🕐 1521

Wieskirche

📍 Steingaden, Germany · 🕐 1754

Church of Our Savior (Copenhagen)

📍 Copenhagen, Denmark · 🕐 1752

Basilica of Our Lady of Peace

📍 Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire · 🕐 1989

Meiji Jingu Church (St. Mary's Cathedral Tokyo)

📍 Tokyo, Japan · 🕐 1964

Frauenkirche

📍 Dresden, Germany · 🕐 2005 (rebuilt, orig. 1743)

Basilica of the Annunciation

📍 Nazareth, Israel · 🕐 1969

King's College Chapel

📍 Cambridge, United Kingdom · 🕐 1515

Uppsala Cathedral

📍 Uppsala, Sweden · 🕐 1435

Monastery of Batalha

📍 Batalha, Portugal · 🕐 1517

Basilica of Bom Jesus

📍 Old Goa, India · 🕐 1605

Temppeliaukio Church

📍 Helsinki, Finland · 🕐 1969

Metohi of the Holy Sepulchre (Church of Panagia Kapnikarea)

📍 Athens, Greece · 🕐 1050

Trinity Church, Boston

📍 Boston, United States · 🕐 1877

Basilica of San Vitale

📍 Ravenna, Italy · 🕐 547

San Agustín Church

📍 Manila, Philippines · 🕐 1607

Meteora Monasteries

📍 Kalambaka, Greece · 🕐 14th century

Rila Monastery

📍 Rila Mountains, Bulgaria · 🕐 10th century

Church of the Transfiguration (Kizhi)

📍 Kizhi Island, Russia · 🕐 1714

Basilica of Superga

📍 Turin, Italy · 🕐 1731

Église du Dôme (Les Invalides)

📍 Paris, France · 🕐 1706

Cathedral of León

📍 León, Spain · 🕐 14th century

Church of Our Lady of Health (Salute)

📍 Venice, Italy · 🕐 1687

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

📍 Liverpool, United Kingdom · 🕐 1967

Basílica de la Sagrada Familia (Crypt)

📍 Barcelona, Spain · 🕐 1889

Sveti Stefan Church

📍 Ohrid, North Macedonia · 🕐 13th century

Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá

📍 Zipaquirá, Colombia · 🕐 1995

Christ the Saviour Cathedral

📍 Moscow, Russia · 🕐 2000 (rebuilt, orig. 1883)

Saint Sava Temple

📍 Belgrade, Serbia · 🕐 2004 (begun 1935)

St. Vitus Cathedral

📍 Prague, Czech Republic · 🕐 1929 (begun 1344)

Church of the Light

📍 Ibaraki, Japan · 🕐 1989

Sagrada Corazón Church (Tibidabo)

📍 Barcelona, Spain · 🕐 1961

Dormition Cathedral (Vladimir)

📍 Vladimir, Russia · 🕐 1189

Monastery of Haghpat

📍 Haghpat, Armenia · 🕐 10th century

Church of the Resurrection (Sucevița)

📍 Sucevița, Romania · 🕐 1596

Paoay Church

📍 Paoay, Philippines · 🕐 1710

Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church)

📍 Kutná Hora, Czech Republic · 🕐 1870

Selimiye Mosque (as former Church)

📍 Edirne, Turkey · 🕐 1575

Nidaros Cathedral

📍 Trondheim, Norway · 🕐 1300

Santuário do Bom Jesus do Monte

📍 Braga, Portugal · 🕐 1837

Church of San Francisco

📍 Lima, Peru · 🕐 1774

Christ the King (Almada)

📍 Almada, Portugal · 🕐 1959

Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana

📍 Copacabana, Bolivia · 🕐 1805

Etchmiadzin Cathedral

📍 Vagharshapat, Armenia · 🕐 303

Basilica of the Valley of the Fallen

📍 San Lorenzo de El Escorial, Spain · 🕐 1958

Duomo di Siena

📍 Siena, Italy · 🕐 1380

Basilica of San Clemente

📍 Rome, Italy · 🕐 12th century

Mission San Xavier del Bac

📍 Tucson, United States · 🕐 1797

Church of São Roque

📍 Lisbon, Portugal · 🕐 1553

Grace Cathedral

📍 San Francisco, United States · 🕐 1964

Helsinki Cathedral

📍 Helsinki, Finland · 🕐 1852

Basilica of San Francesco

📍 Assisi, Italy · 🕐 1253

Wat Phra That Phanom

📍 Nakhon Phanom, Thailand · 🕐 535 BCE

Church of the Gesù

📍 Rome, Italy · 🕐 1584

São Bento Monastery Church

📍 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · 🕐 1641

Cathédrale de Notre-Dame de l'Assomption

📍 Cap-Haïtien, Haiti · 🕐 1670

Basilica of St. Therese

📍 Lisieux, France · 🕐 1954

Cathedral of Junk (Parody) — San Fernando Cathedral

📍 San Antonio, United States · 🕐 1750

Church of Panagia Paraportiani

📍 Mykonos, Greece · 🕐 17th century

San Miniato al Monte

📍 Florence, Italy · 🕐 1207

Monastery of Geghard

📍 Goght, Armenia · 🕐 4th century (caves), 13th century (main)

St. Andrews Cathedral

📍 St Andrews, United Kingdom · 🕐 1318 (ruined)

Basilica de la Mercè

📍 Barcelona, Spain · 🕐 1775

Christ Church Cathedral

📍 Christchurch, New Zealand · 🕐 1904 (damaged 2011)