Get to know the biggest church in the world (largest church in the world). We’ll also reveal the largest churches in the world. They have been examined from different angles and perspectives. If we assume here that are main angle of view is in terms of church building, our normal measuring criteria would be either volume or area. Whatever the case, coming up with the biggest church in the world is definitely not the easiest thing to do. The complexity of this subject keeps many people wondering how to go about. When we talk of the largest church in the world in terms of superficial structures, are we going to include ancillary buildings or other parts of the building which are not used for worship? This is a complicated question to answer. Such will lead to many opinions about the largest church in the world.
There are various criteria which can be used to measure the size of a church. Some of these include capacity, area, volume, length, Width, and height. It is generally because of any of these criteria that many individual churches claim to be the biggest church in the world. Some churches go to the extent of claiming to be the biggest because of their many branches in different countries and continents. Other churches claim this title in terms of the number of souls they’ve won into the kingdom of God. And others look at this topic in terms of the efficiency a church has in spreading the Holy Gospel to the ends of the world. Whatever the case, the generally accepted standard of perception is in terms of size, capacity, volume, extension, and area.
The Biggest Church in the World
St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City is unarguably the biggest church in the world. It has an Interior surface area of 15,160 m² and an external surface area of 21,095 m². For centuries, the st Peter’s Basilica has been considered as the largest cathedral in the world. This cathedral stretches over a 186 meters in length with a magnificent central dome which rises to 136 meters in height. It happens to be the most important church in Roman Catholicism. This mega cathedral has a carrying capacity of 60,000. It was belt from 1506 to 1626.
St Peter’s Basilica was originally built in 320 AD by Emperor Constantine. It was not until the 15th Century that it was redesigned and enlarged by pope Nicolas V. Michelangelo is the skillful Italian artist who designed the 41 meters high of saint Peter’s cathedral. The Colonnade’s top level contains 140 statues of various saints. It was in 1662 that the sculpting of the status began and proceeded for the next 41 years. This vast cathedral houses 100 tombs including Popes, Roman Emperor Otto II and the Swedish Queen by name Christina. Worth noting here is that there is a Holy Door in the cathedral which is only opened during Holy Years.
However, a controversy on the biggest church in the world was recently brought by the Guinness Book Of Record. According to them, the Basilica Of Our Lady Of Peace of Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast is the biggest church in the world. The say that it surpasses the St Peter’s Basilica with an exterior surface area of 30,000 m².
The largest Churches in the world
Basilica Of The National Shrine Of Our Lady Of Aparecida, Aparecida, Brazil, 12000 square meters
The vast Basilica Of The National Shrine Of Our Lady Of Aparecida is one of the largest churches in the world. This cathedral has a surface floor area of 12,000 m². It is currently the most important Marian Pilgrimage center in Brazil. It is located in the city of Aparecida and has an accommodation capacity of 45,000 worshipers. According to mythology, a group of fishers who were carrying out their fishing activity in 1717 got a headless statue of virgin Mary from Paraiba river. The story continues that they also haul up the head of the statue on another cast of their nets. These fishers went back to their home with the statue of virgin Mary. They further housed it in 1945 in the shrine. This statue of the virgin Mary was believed to have been sculptured by a Brazilian monk in the person of Frei Agostino de Jesus.
It was not until 1834 that a new church was built on the spot of the shrine. The construction of this church went from 1834 to 1888. The current version of the cathedral which we have today was built in the 20th century. The towers of this vast cathedral rise up to 102 meters and its magnificent dome is 70 meters high.
The Seville Cathedral, Seville, Spain, 11520 square meters
The Seville Cathedral is located in the city of Seville, Spain. It is regarded as the largest church in the world which serves as a resting place for Christopher Columbus. As we all know, Christopher Columbus is the great Genoese explorer. Considered by many as the largest cathedral in the world, it is one of UNESCO heritage sites in Spain. This mega cathedral was built to commemorate the power and wealth of the city. It was constructed between 1402 and 1528 on the site of Almohad Mosque. This very act was to mark the power of the city upon Reconquista of Iberia from Moors. The Mega Seville Cathedral was designed by the skillful and famous French Architect named Rouen Cathedral.
Seville Cathedral’s central nave stands 42 meters in height. Its spacious interior is highly decorated with gold. The church has 45 wooden carved scenes from the life of Jesus Christ. These 45 wooden carved scenes serve as a major attraction which brings people from all places in the world. It is currently the biggest alter piece in the world. This vast cathedral also has large choirs and chapels. Worth noting is the fact that the minaret of the Almohad Mosque still stands beside the cathedral till date.
The Cathedral Of Saint John The Divine, New York, United States, 11200 square meters
We can say without doubt that The Cathedral Of Saint John The Divine is the largest Anglican Church in the World. It is situated in New York, United States. This Mega Anglican Cathedral has an internal area of 112,000 Cathedral Of Saint John The Divine, New York, United States, 11200 square meters with a total length of 183.2 meters. It was in 1892 that its construction work began. Its structure was initially designed by two famous American architects named Christopher Grant Lafarge and George Heins. The construction of the magnificent dome vault and choir of the cathedral lasted for more than 20 years. When George Heins died, new architects showed preference to the Gothic Design for the Cathedral thereby living behind the initial designs. The construction of this Mega Cathedral lasted for so many years. During World War II, it was still under construction.
In 2001, part of the cathedral was destroyed by fire. The eye catching and magnificent dome of St John The Divine has an amazing height of 162 feet. At the main entrance of this cathedral, we can perceive beautiful images which are portraying St John witnessing the transfiguration of Jesus Christ. Popular Biblical verses are also engraved on the different stones which lay at the entrance leading to this cathedral. The main door leading into the Cathedral of St John the Divine is made up of Bronze. It is further decorated with 48 relief panels which are eye catching. The church also features a mega-large window which is made up of 10,000 pieces of colored stained glass. It is the largest stained-glass in the USA and the third largest in the whole world.
The Milan Cathedral, Milan, Italy, 10186 square meters
The Milan Cathedral is located in the Milan City of Italy. It would be a mistake to omit this mega cathedral when talking of the biggest church in the world. The Milan Cathedral is considered as the second largest Catholic cathedral in the world. It comes after the St Peter’s Basilica and it is a reflection of the best examples of Gothic Architecture. The church consist of 135 spires. These spires are crowned with the statues of important people in the overall history of Italy. The tallest spire of the Milan Cathedral has an amazing height of 108.8 meters. This spire is mounted with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary. It is popularly referred to as Milan The Madonnia.
The construction of the Milan Cathedral began back in the year 1386 and lasted for about 5 centuries. It has a length of 157 meters and has the capacity of accommodating 40,000 worshipers at a time. The entire cathedral is made beautiful with 3400 magnificent statues. These statues reflect different styles of sculpting. Visitors of this mega-cathedral can climb up to the roof in order to better appreciate its beauty. The Church also has exceptional collections of sculptures and paintings.
The Basilica Of Our Lady Of Lichen, Konin, Poland, 10090 square meters
The Basilica Of Our Lady Of Lichen is situated in the magnificent city of Konin, Poland. It is one of the largest churches in the world with a ground area of 10090 square meters. This basilica has an amazing height of 141.2 meters. The construction of this mega-church started in 1994 and lasted for 10 full years before completion.
There are 33 solid steps that lead into the church. These steps represent the early life of Jesus Christ. It features 365 windows, 52 doors, and 12 beautiful columns which represent the number of days and weeks in a year and the 12 immediate Apostles respectively.
The Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool, United Kingdom, 9687 square meters
The Liverpool Cathedral is located in the beautiful city of Liverpool, United Kingdom. We can’t forget it when talking of the largest church in the world. It is undoubtedly the largest cathedral in the United Kingdom. Being one of the biggest cathedrals in the world, it is worth writing about. It stretches over 189 meters in length thereby making it the longest cathedral in the world. It is a non spiral cathedral with a magnificent height of 101 meters. This mega-cathedral is popularly known as the Metropolitan Cathedral Of Christ The King. The construction works of this church began in 1904 with different phases of completions at different times in history.
It was in 1978 that it was finally consecrated as a house of worship. Its eye catching and circularly designed alter is a reflection of superior craftsmanship. The interior of Liverpool Cathedral is beautifully designed with several colors. It is made up of 10268 pipes Grand Organ thereby making it the largest operational church organ in the world. Another beautiful attraction of this cathedral is its 67 meters high peak which is currently the heaviest peal in the whole world.
Church Of The Holy Trinity, Santarem, Portugal, 8700 square meters
This is one of the largest churches in the world that happens to be the biggest in Portugal. The Church Of The Holy Trinity is located in Santarem district of Portugal. It was given a modern Oval Design during construction. This large church has an interior area of 8700 square meters and can accommodate up to 9000 worshipers at a time.
The Church Of The Holy Trinity is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It was designed and built between 2004 and 2007 by a famous Greek architect named Alexandros Tombazis. This mega-church houses several chapels and religious buildings.
The Basilica Of Our Lady Of Pillar, Aragon, Spain, 8318 square meters
Popularly known as El Pilar Basilica, it is the first ever church to have been dedicated to the virgin Mary. Hence, we could not omit it in our presentation of the biggest church in the world. It is located in the Aragon community of Spain. According to the church’s hypothetical believes, the Virgin Mary appeared to Apostle Saint James during one of his intense prayer sessions at the bank of Ebro river in the well known Iberian Peninsula of Spain. It is further believed that she gave him a statue of herself made of wood and a pillar. She proceeded by giving him instructions to establish a church. St James followed the instructions and built a small church in Zaragova province. This took place in the 1st century AD.
As new years unfolded, more churches were established on the site. As time went by, the first chapel on the site got distorted. However, the statue of the virgin Mary and the pillar remained intact. The current El Pilar Basilica was built back in the 17th century. And a century later, the skillful and famous Spanish architect renovated it. However, it was in the 20th century that final works on the pillars were made. Today, it is perceived as a mega-church with an internal area of 8318 square meters. You can find a 15 inches tall statue of the virgin Mary which is located in the Holy Chapel of the Church. Today, it is one of the most visited pilgrimage centers in Spain.
Ulm Minster, Ulm, Germany, 8260 square meters
Ulm Minster is the tallest church in the world that is located in the Ulm city if Germany. That’s why we couldn’t afford to omit it from our writing on the biggest church in the world. It is 161.5 meters in height and has an internal area of 8260 square meters. The Ulm Minster is a complete reflection of the Gothic Church Architecture. The mega-church offers a magnificent panoramic view of Ulm city from its top level. Construction works of this church began back in 1377 but halter for long. The church was finally completed on the 31st of my 1890. Today, it is a protestant church which converted back in the 16th century. The tall spires of the Church are said to symbolize the way to heaven.
Ulm Minster has notable attractions like the 15th century choir stalls and magnificent carvings of hundreds of busts. Its stalls were sculpted by the famous and skillful German sculptor in the person of Jirg Syrin the Elder. This main hall of this church is crowned with the statue of a sparrow which represents the signature symbol of Ulm City.
The Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN)
The Synagogue Church Of All Nations (SCOAN) is a Prophetic and Apostolic Christ-centered organization. It has headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria. The General Overseer and Senior Pastor of the SCOAN is Prophet TB Joshua. SCOAN is one of the dwelling places of the Holy Spirit in Africa. At SCOAN, we can see all the manifestations of the Holy Spirit as promised in the Bible (Mark 16:15-17). Through the name of Jesus Christ, prophet Tb Joshua gives sight to the blind, heals all kinds of sicknesses, gives speech to the dumb and opens the ears of the deaf. He began this ministry in respect to divine instructions which came to him in a 3-days trance upon completing a 40-days fasting in the wilderness.
Surprisingly, the main architect behind the magnificent building of the SCOAN is the Holy Spirit. The prophet says that instructions came from above for him to build a church that reflects the majesty of Jesus Christ.
