Top 10 Beautiful Temples



Temples around the world fascinate with their extraordinary architecture. No wonder: the designers have put their hearts and souls to honor deities. Take a look at these beautiful sanctuaries and visit them once in the region.


10. Gawdawpalin Temple, Bagan, Myanmar

The pagoda was built between 12-13th centuries. The temple is used for meditation and other Buddhist rituals.

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9. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE

A contemporary temple’s exceptional beauty is supposed to unite religion, historical and modern values with architecture and art. The mosque also unites the world, thus the construction materials were used from all around the globe.

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8. The Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China

The taoist temple was built in 13th century and was visited by the Chinese emperors. The complex and its yard is a favorite spot for meditation and even exercises.

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7. St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City

The largest church in the world among others was designed by Renaissance genius Michelangelo. The church enchants with its greatness and beauty. St. Peter is buried here, according to the Catholic tradition.

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6. St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia

The impressive Russian Orthodox church was built in 16th century. The beautiful architecture is supplemented with colorful towers, that attract attention.

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5. Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai, Thailand

The magnificent contemporary Buddhist temple will be fully finished in 2070 only. However, the brainchild of artist Chalermchai Kositpipat already looks stunning.

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4. Shwedagon Pagoda, Yangon, Myanmar

The golden pagoda honors Buddha and rises to a 98 meters height. Among its religious relics are hair from the head of Buddha.

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3. Sri Ranganathaswamy, Srirangam, India

The unusual Hindu shrine is the most important temple to Vishnu. Colorful building’s architecture is a fine example of Dravidian style.

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2. Prambanan, Central Java, Indonesia

The Hindu temple was built in 9th century and dedicated to the Trimurti: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The walls are all covered with impressive carvings, telling the religious stories.

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1. The Harmandir Sahib, Punjab, India

The Sikh temple, built in 16th century, is also known as the "Golden Tmple". Marble, gold and precious stones were used to build it by the lake, where Buddha and Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, used to meditate.

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Photography: Martien Jansse, Anuparb Papapan, Sanjay Pradhan, Randy Legaspi, Brian Furbush, Dr. Green, Dan Silvershine, Arief Hidayat, Feriansyah Pz

 

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