Largest Sacred Sites in the World
The following information on the record-breaking religious places of the world is taken from Guinness World Records, the most widely-accepted authority on everything that is biggest, tallest and otherwise extraordinary.
- Largest Buddhist Temple in the World
- The largest Buddhist temple in the world is Borobudur, built between 750 and 842 AD.
- Largest Cathedral in the World
- The largest church that is a cathedral is either the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York or Liverpool Anglican Cathedral in England (the title is disputed).
- Largest Cemetery in the World
- Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg, Germany is the largest cemetery, covering an area of 400 ha (990 acres), with 982,117 burials and 413,589 cremations (figures ending 1996). It has been in continuous use since 1877.
- Largest Church in the World
- The world's largest Christian church was for centuries St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, but the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, completed in 1989, has now taken the number one spot with a floor area of area of 30,000 sq m.
- Largest Hindu Temple Outside Of India
- The largest traditional Hindu temple outside of India is the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir, in Neasden, London, England, which
- Largest Mud Building in the World
- The Grand Mosque in Djenne, Mali, in west Africa, is the largest mud building in the world, measuring 100 m (328 ft) long and 40 m (131 ft) wide. For generations, skilled craftsmen, the Baris, have maintained the architecture of the mosque, as well as the rest of the mud-built town, which tends to melt in the rainy season. Entry to the mosque is forbidden to non-Muslims.
- Largest Mormon Temple in the World
- The largest Mormon temple is the Salt Lake City Temple, Utah, USA, dedicated on April 6, 1893, with a floor area of 23,505 sq m (253,015 sq ft).
- Largest Orthodox Cathedral in the World
- The Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior, Moscow, Russia, is 102.1 m (335 ft) high. Built to commemorate Russia's dead in the Napoleonic Wars, it was not completed until 1883.
- Largest Underground Temple in the World
- The world's largest underground temple has been excavated over 16 years by members of the Damanhur religious community living in Baldissero, Italy. Dug into the side of a hill, it takes up a total volume of 6,000 cu m (211,888 cu ft).
- Largest Synagogue In the World
- The largest synagogue in the world is Temple Emanu-El on Fifth Avenue and 65th Street, New York City, USA. It has an area of 3,523 sq m (37,921.2 sq ft).
- Largest Surviving Ziggurat in the World
- The Ziggurat of Ur (now Muqayyar, Iraq) was built with a 61 x 45.7 m (200 x 150 ft) base, three storeys, and a summit temple, during the reign of Ur-Nammu, c.2113-2095 B.C. The first storey and part of the second now stand at 18 m (60 ft) high.
- Largest Pyramid in the World
- The largest pyramid, and largest individual structure by volume of material is the Great Pyramid of Cholula, Mexico, with an estimated volume of 3.3 million m³ (4.3 million yd³).
- Largest Wooden Building in the World
- The Todaiji temple in Nara, Japan holds the claim for largest wooden building in the world, though this is disputed. The current building is 30% smaller than the former (otherwise identical) temple which was destroyed in a fire.
And... The World's Largest and Oldest Tourist Places
- World's Oldest Hotel
- The Hoshi Ryokan in the village of Awazu, Japan, is the world's oldest hotel. It dates back to AD 717, when an inn was built near a hot-water spring said to have miraculous healing properties. The waters are still celebrated for their recuperative effects, and the Ryokan now has 100 bedrooms.
- World's Tallest Hotel
- The all-suite Burj Al Arab (The Arabian Tower), 15 km (9 miles) south of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the tallest hotel in the world. It's 320.94-m (1,052-ft) tall. It's built on a man-made island and shaped like a sail. The hotel was designed by architects WS Atkins and Partners.
