Throughout history, humans have built churches to come together for worship. While many centuries-old buildings retain their original function, others fall by the wayside, victims of natural disasters or the changing needs and values of the communities and societies they once represented. However, demolition is often a step too far; instead, the ravages of time take their toll, leaving these derelict structures to slowly decay. Despite that, many travelers are still drawn to them — and for good reason. Take a look at six of the most beautiful abandoned churches you can visit.
Church of Viejo San Juan Parangaricutiro – Mexico
Parícutin is one of the planet’s youngest volcanoes, having risen unexpectedly from a Mexican cornfield in 1943. Unlike any other volcanic eruption in the world, Parícutin exploded from the earth seemingly out of nowhere and began to erupt lava, and within a year, grew to 1,345 feet. As the eruption progressed, lava eventually engulfed the nearby village of San Juan Parangaricutiro, and its residents at the time gathered up what they could of their possessions and fled.
Today, Parícutin’s cinder cone is dormant, and the volcano’s spectacular lava field has become a popular tourist destination. That’s largely thanks to the picturesque ruins of the village church, whose tower and altar remain largely intact many decades later. A popular way to visit the abandoned church is to arrange a guided hike or horseback ride in the neighboring village of Angahuan.
Kirkstall Abbey – Leeds, United Kingdom
When King Henry VIII authorized the Dissolution of the Monasteries Act in 1540, the writing was on the wall for many of England’s Catholic churches. Kirkstall Abbey — built by a community of Cistercian monks in 1152 on the bank of the River Aire — was one of them. When the order came, the abbey’s buildings were vacated rather than demolished and then were repurposed for agricultural use. However, time inevitably took its toll. Now part of the city of Leeds in central England, this impressive ruin is an incongruous sight amid 19th-century housing developments and modern buildings. Yet, that makes it easy to visit — a bus from the city center stops right beside the abandoned abbey.
City Methodist Church – Gary, Indiana
This grand church erected in the 1920s was once one of the largest places of worship in the Midwest. Built in the Gothic Revival style, it stood nine stories high, with vaulted ceilings, magnificent stained glass windows, and a chancel carved from oak. Over the years, the church’s congregation dwindled, while the costs of maintaining such a huge building soared. So, in 1975, City Methodist Church closed for good. However, that hasn’t deterred curious visitors, who come to see what remains of the once-beautiful structure. Be advised that it’s wise to admire it only from the outside, as the structure is considered too unstable for tours of its cavernous interior.
Churches of Ani – Kars, Turkey
Ani was once the capital of the medieval Armenian kingdom of the Bagratides, and today it is located on the Turkish side of the present border between the two countries. Sadly, time wasn’t kind to the settlement. It was the target of a Mongol invasion in 1239 and later suffered extensive damage during an earthquake in 1319. However, this once-thriving city is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has helped preserve what remains of its buildings. Several abandoned stone churches survive in various states of repair, among them Surp Asdvadzadzin (the Church of the Holy Mother of God), Surp Arak’elots Church (the Church of the Holy Apostles), the Church of St. Gregory of Abumarents, and the Church of St. Gregory of Tigran Honents.
Church of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island – India
Previously known as Ross Island, this small island opposite Port Blair was the administrative headquarters of a British penal settlement prior to India’s independence. For a short period during World War II, it was occupied by the Japanese military and used as a war prison, but it was largely abandoned by the end of the decade. However, it’s now possible to take a boat trip over to the island, where deer graze freely surrounded by lush vegetation.
One of the most interesting ruins here is the Presbyterian church of St. Andrew, which was likely built in the late 1850s out of local stone and Burmese teak, with stained glass windows that were imported from Italy. Its first vicar was Reverend Henry Fisher Corbyn of the Bengal Ecclesiastical Establishment, who held services here from 1863 to 1866.
Church of Falealupo – Savai’i Island, Samoa
In 1990 and 1991, two devastating cyclones, Ofa and Val, hit the island of Savai’i in Samoa. Afterward, displaced residents of the village of Falealupo were forced to move inland. They left behind the ruins of their homes and their Catholic church, which now stands alone as a poignant reminder of the tragedy, with a central statue that provides a focal point for visitors in its courtyard. About 40 miles east is another abandoned church, the casualty of an early 20th-century eruption of Mount Matavanu. Lava flows have swallowed up this church, filling its stone arches and causing irreparable damage to its walls and roof. Close by, however, you can visit the Virgin’s Grave, which was miraculously spared.
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