Ulm is a German city with the tallest cathedral in the world. Also in Germany in the cities of Cologne and Hamburg are two more of the five highest churches on the planet.
This includes the French Cathedral in Rouen and the grandiose basilica in Yamoussoukro, the capital of the West African country of Côte d'Ivoire. The article provides a brief description, history and photographs of the tallest cathedral in the world, as well as four churches, which were a little inferior to it in this championship.
Ulm Cathedral
With stunning Gothic architecture, the church (with a total height of 162 m) is located in the center of the German city of Ulm, on the spacious Marktplatz square. This cathedral is the tallest in the world, it rises above all other city buildings, it can be seen from the Danube and even areas located on the opposite bank. The foundation of the Catholic church took place in 1377. The predominant part of the building was erected in the period from 1392 to 1405, after which a consecration ceremony was performed, and the church received the first parishioners. Despite the fact that the Ulm Cathedral, according to the plan, remained unfinished, construction work stopped, because the vaults reached the maximum weight that the walls of the side naves could withstand.
After the resumed construction of 1530-1543, the building together with the bell tower reached a height of 100 m. In connection with the strengthening of Protestantism in Germany, the cathedral became Lutheran by the middle of the 16th century, which remains to this day. The last stage of construction work took place from 1817 to 1890, after which the completed temple with its openwork tent of the bell tower became the tallest cathedral in the world. During the bombing by American aircraft in 1944, the city turned into ruins, but the building remained untouchable and was not damaged at all. Its magnificent architecture and interior design invariably attract many tourists to Ulm, which is not rich in sights.
Notre Dame de la Paix
This 158-meter-high basilica lacks just over four meters to be revered as the tallest cathedral in the world. But the construction area of 30,000 square meters. meters is considered the largest church in the world, which is recorded by the World Book of Records. It is located in Yamoussoukro, the new capital of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, once called the Ivory Coast. Built in honor of the Mother of God of Peace, the church became a copy of the Roman Cathedral of St. Petra, surpassing him in height and area, as well as striving to compete with the main Vatican temple in beauty and luxury.
The construction of such a large-scale Catholic sanctuary in a very poor African country, where Christians make up 33% of the population and Muslims make up 39%, was the decision of President Felix Ufue-Boanyipa. From the beginning of the construction of 1985 to its completion in 1989, about 300 million US dollars were spent, which doubled the republic’s external debt per capita, exceeding that of all African countries.
It is curious that the consecration of the cathedral took place after the completion of its construction in 1989. At the request of the president to consecrate the temple, the pope put forward a condition: a state hospital should be built near Notre Dame de la Paix. After the promise made by the president regarding the construction of the hospital, a pontiff personally laid a stone near the finished church, which served as the basis for the construction and is usually considered the first in temple construction. The consecration ceremony was held in September 1990, conducted personally by John Paul II, and a month and a half later from the Vatican, a decision was made to assign the cathedral the honorary position of the small basilica.
Cologne Cathedral
The 157-meter-high temple, ranked third in the list of tallest cathedrals in the world, again directs attention to the medieval architecture of Germany. The cathedral in the rich and powerful Cologne was originally conceived as an eclipse of other temples, a large-scale and magnificent building. It was supposed not only the main cathedral and the residence of the archbishop, but also as a repository of the remains of the Three Kings (Holy Magi). The relic was received from Emperor Barbarossa in gratitude for the service by the commander Raynald von Dassel in 1164, after which he transferred it to Cologne. From precious metals and stones for relics, cancer has been built for ten years, which is considered a masterpiece of Romanesque art. This shrine, together with no less valuable relics, a staff and a donor of St. Peter is still in the cathedral.
In 1248, the foundation stone was laid by the Cologne archbishop, which marked the foundation of the cathedral. This was followed by the first, almost two-century stage of construction, which lasted from 1248 to 1437. The construction was erected in accordance with the design of Gerhard von Riehl, the first and main architect of the Cologne Cathedral. Some roof installation work continued until the beginning of the 16th century. However, the cathedral was without towers, and a number of works remained incomplete.
Financing and construction have resumed since 1842, and in 1863 the construction of two identical towers began. By mid-October 1880, they were finished and reached a height of 157 meters. On this, the construction of Cologne Cathedral, which generally lasted 632 years, was completely over. The building is included in the UNESCO cultural heritage list, it is striking in its ancient grandeur and Gothic beauty, although it is not the tallest cathedral in the world. Photos only remotely convey its legendary grandeur and monumentality.
Rouen Cathedral
Reaching 151 meters, this temple is known for being crowned with the highest cast-iron tower in the world. The history of the Rouen Cathedral is marked by a series of destruction and rebuilding. Among the tallest churches on the planet, this structure is perhaps the most ancient.
The construction of the Romanesque building began in the 1020s, the crypt was preserved from the architecture of those times. The Romanesque nave collapsed after a fire, and after 1200 a new Gothic took its place. All parts of the church were gradually replaced, and the current image of the cathedral is fully consistent with the architectural canons of Gothic. In the 18th century, a severe hurricane caused significant damage. But the biggest damage was caused by air strikes in the city during the military operations in the spring of 1944. The most ancient element of the Rouen Cathedral was the tower of Saint-Romain built in 1145, from which after the bombing on April 1 there were only charred walls of the base. The April 19 blast severely damaged the chapels and nave, and the north tower burned out on May 31. The last damage to the building was the damage to the bell tower after the December 1999 storm. Due to frequent destruction, the temple undergoes constant reconstruction. Today, the current Rouen Cathedral is a monument of French national heritage.
St. Nicholas Cathedral
The architecture of most Christian churches includes belfries, spiers and towers. The vertical dimensions of the temples are mainly indicated by their height. The tallest cathedrals in the world include the 147-meter tower in the German city of Hamburg. It belonged to the Lutheran Church of St. Nicholas, the ruins of which have been preserved since the war, as a reminder of the victims of the arbitrariness of 1933 - 1945. Inside the tower there is an elevator that takes you to the observation platform, located under the spire. And nearby in the pavilion is a museum of temple history. The tower structure is considered to be the second building in Hamburg and the fifth among the tallest cathedrals in the world.
Orthodox churches
The highest Orthodox cathedral is the Peter and Paul Cathedral in St. Petersburg. It reaches 122.5 m and occupies 22nd place in the world ranking of the highest churches. Once buried in it, Russian tsars, now it is an inactive temple and architectural monument. Until the middle of the last century, the cathedral was the tallest building in Russia, and until 2012 - in St. Petersburg. Among the existing Orthodox churches, the Church of Christ the Savior Cathedral (103 m) in Moscow is considered to be the highest today. After him follows St. Isaac's Cathedral (101.5 m) in St. Petersburg.