Top 10 Largest Churches in the World

Tap to Read ➤ Batul Nafisa Baxamusa

Churches are a place of worship for followers of Christianity. There are many large churches in the world which are determined by measuring various factors such as area, length, height, width, volume, or capacity. We shall have a look at the top 10 largest churches in the world measured on the basis of either of these factors.

1. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican

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Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world. It is over 186 m in length and has an area of 15,160 m2. It was built in 320 AD by Emperor Constantine originally and later expanded in the 15th century by Pope Nicolas V.

2. Basilica Of The National Shrine Of Our Lady Of Aparecida, Brazil

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Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. This 2nd largest church in the world has a floor area of about 12,000 m2. The statue of the Virgin Mary was found by a group of fishermen in 1717. It was placed in the home of one of the men and a small chapel was built to house this statue. A larger chapel was built in 1734 and further expanded to hold 45,000 believers at a time.

3. Seville Cathedral, Spain

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Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. This largest cathedral in the world is about 11,520 m2. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and stands 42 m in height. Its incredible Gothic altarpiece carved in wood is covered in gold. This makes it the richest altarpiece in the world. It was built on the site of Almohad mosque whose minaret still stands beside the cathedral.

4. Milan Cathedral, Italy

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Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. It took 6 centuries to complete the 11,700 m2 of this largest church in Italy, 3rd largest in Europe and 4th largest in the world. This church is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan. It is dedicated to the Nativity of St. Mary, i.e. Santa Maria Naascente.

5. Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York

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Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. This is the largest Anglican cathedral in the world which has an internal area of 11,200 m2. The dome reaches a height of 162 feet. It has the 5th largest stained-glass window in the world and largest in the US made of 10,000 pieces of colored stained glass.

6. Basilica of Our Lady of Licheń, Poland

This Roman Catholic Church is one of the tallest and largest churches in the world. The internal area of the church is 10,090 m 2 and the tower height is 141.5 m. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland and is one of the principal pilgrimage sites in Poland.

7. Liverpool Cathedral, UK

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Your browser doesn't support HTML5 video. This is the largest cathedral in the UK with an internal area of 9,687 m2. It is also the longest cathedral in the world with a length of 188.7 m. Liverpool Cathedral is also known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King.

8. Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Portugal

This Roman Catholic Church and minor basilica in the Sanctuary of Fátima has received the Outstanding Structure Award by IBSE - the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering. It has an internal area of 8,700 m 2 and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Around 9000 worshippers can be accommodated at a time in the church.

9. Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, Rome

This is one of Rome’s four ancient, papal, major basilicas with an internal area of 8,515 m 2 . Commonly called as St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, it was founded by Emperor Constantine I over the final resting place of St. Paul.

10. Cathedral of the Nativity in Cairo, Egypt

This Coptic Orthodox cathedral is the largest church in the Middle East. It was built along with Egypt’s largest mosque after the twin terrorist’s attacks that killed 27 Coptic Egyptians at the St. Peter and St. Paul’s church in Cairo. It has now become the symbol of co-existence and national unity within the country.

These top 10 largest churches in the world have impressive architectures and are symbols of rich religious and cultural history. Do visit these marvelous structures during your trip to these countries.