Top 10 Religious Sites: Sagrada Família, Barcelona, Spain

Sagrada Família - Barcelona, Spain

After the cross was placed on top in the Spring of 2026. photo not taken by me. 

Disclaimer: As I continue this series, I understand that many or most of you will not be able to see all of these.  I just want to make sure you understand that if you have the opportunity by visiting near any of these sites, they are must-see places to visit.  I also want to add that I am focusing on international sites for this list.  Since there is a long and rich history of religion in Europe, the list will predominately focus there.  I have also been to the Holy Land in my early travels and almost all of those places would be on this list.  This list focuses on travel since 2010.  

I was able to visit Barcelona a couple of years ago when visiting former exchange student, Mario, who lives in Madrid.  We took a train to Barcelona and stayed a couple of days.  One the main reasons that I had wanted to go to Barcelona was to visit this famous church.  I was intrigued by its long construction history, its design by artist Gaudi, and the dimensions.  I had also heard about its amazing interior.  

Travel Tip:  Do not go to Barcelona and not go inside of the Sagrada Familia.  Although impressive on the outside - especially now with its cross on the top spier, the interior is why it makes my list - utterly breathtaking.  

Here is some general information about the Sagrada Familia and then the amazing photos that I took on my visit below.  

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sagrada Família, is a Catholic church under construction in the Eixample district of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed by the Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí, it is the tallest church in the world. On 7 November 2010, Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church and proclaimed it a basilica.^[5][6][7] Parts of the Sagrada Família (Nativity façade and Crypt) were declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, under "Works of Antoni Gaudí".^[8]

On 19 March 1882, construction of Sagrada Família began under the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar. In 1883, when Villar resigned,^[8] Gaudí took over as chief architect, transforming the project with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaudí devoted the remainder of his life to the project, and he is buried in the church's crypt. At the time of his death in 1926, less than a quarter of the project was complete.^[9]

Relying solely on private donations, Sagrada Família's construction progressed slowly and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. In July 1936, anarchists from the Iberian Anarchist Federation (Federación Anarquista Ibérica, or FAI) set fire to the crypt and broke their way into the workshop, partially destroying Gaudí's original plans.^[10] In 1939, Francesc de Paula Quintana took over site management, which was able to go on with the material that was saved from Gaudí's workshop and that was reconstructed from published plans and photographs.^[11] Construction resumed with intermittent progress in the 1950s. Advancements in technologies such as computer-aided design and computerised numerical control (CNC) have since enabled faster progress, and construction passed the midpoint in 2010. In 2014, it was anticipated that the building would be completed by 2026, the centenary of Gaudí's death,^[12] but this schedule was threatened by work slowdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[13]

The central Tower of Jesus Christ reached structural completion on 20 February 2026, when the final piece was installed,^[14][15] and it was inaugurated and blessed by Pope Leo XIV on 10 June 2026 during his visit to Spain, coinciding with the centenary of Gaudí's death.^[16] The tower, with a height of 172.5 m (566 ft), makes the Sagrada Família the world's tallest church.

Describing Sagrada Família, the art critic Rainer Zerbst said "it is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art",^[17] and Paul Goldberger describes it as "the most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages".^[18]

Some of my photos from the outside:

We were able to go up to the top of one of the spires.  Here are some pictures of the views and details of the outside of the building up close.  

And now, the interior - otherworldly - heavenly! 

 

Quotes from Antonio Gaudi about Sagrada Familia:

My client is not in a hurry. (referring to God)

The creation continues incessantly through the media of man. But man does not create... he discovers.

Nothing is art if it does not come from nature.

Nothing is invented, for it's written in nature first.

Top 10 Religious Sites: Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey

One of the main reasons for my recent trip to Istanbul was to visit this place.  I really didn't know much about it before visiting and soon learned that it is one of the most important religious sites in the world.  

Below is information about what makes this building so special.  

Google AI Overview

The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, is a world-famous architectural masterpiece. Completed in 537 AD as a Byzantine Christian cathedral, it became an Ottoman mosque in 1453, a museum in 1935, and was reconverted into an active grand mosque in 2020. 

History

Built by Emperor Justinian I between 532 and 537 AD.
Served as the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years.
Converted to a mosque by Sultan Mehmed II after the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Changed to a secular museum by Turkey's first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in 1935.
Reopened for Muslim prayers and designated a mosque again in 2020.  

Hagia Sophia in the News

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/turkeys-president-formally-makes-hagia-sophia-a-mosque

You could say the outside is a little underwhelming; however, when you go inside you are immediately in awe.  You will notice in many cases that some of the mosaics had to be recovered.  After becoming a mosque after the fall of Constantinople (Istanbul), many of the mosaics were plastered over.  

Note:  In Islam, viewing and creating images depends on the subject and purpose. Depictions of God (Allah) and all prophets—including Prophet Muhammad—are strictly prohibited to prevent idolatry.

Below you will also see where some were covered up in order to not be viewed from the worship area below.  Remember is was still a museum until just a few years ago.  Now, the second floor is still considered a museum.  You are not allowed on the bottom floor, except for worship.  

      

A famous inscription by a Viking Visitor.  

The hidden faces of Icons.  The Muslims worshipping below are not allowed to be in the presence of images other than Allah. 

The oldest mosaic in the church and the most detailed with the smallest mosaic squares.  

The back door. 

 (Kievan Rus' emissaries describing their visit to the cathedral in 987): 

"We knew not whether we were in heaven or on earth... for on earth there is no such splendor or such beauty, and we are at a loss how to describe it. We only know that God dwells there among men." 

Top 10 Religious Sites: Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida

I am beginning a new series of posts focused on my visits to Churches and Cathedrals around the world.  For those who have traveled with me you know that I want to look in every church.  In many cases I try to visit during one of the services.  I love hearing the organs and choirs when they perform and the feelings of being drawn to look upwards and inwards.  These truly are God-inspired, man-made edifices to the magnificence of God.  As such, I have visited hundreds of churches around the world.  Coming up with my top 10 will be difficult.  

Also, I wanted to thank you for reading and indulging me in my memories.  It has been helpful for me to pause and reflect on the blessings I have experienced through travel.  As I get older, it may be harder and harder for me to remember so these pictures and words will help.  I also want to add that all of the pictures included in my posts are ones that I have taken.  

My first choice (these are in no particular order) is one that will be the least familiar for you.  I didn't know about it until I visited some exchange students in Brazil.  Vinicius said he thought I might enjoy this trip outside of Sao Paulo and he was right.  Here is some information about it and why I was so excited to have visited it.  

Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Cathedral Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady Aparecida is a prominent Catholic basilica in Aparecida, Brazil. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Aparecida, the principal patroness of Brazil. It is the largest cathedral in the world, and the second largest Catholic church by interior area and volume, after St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

The site has its origins in the finding of a small dark clay statue of the Virgin Mary.^[5] According to local tradition, three fishermen were attempting to catch a large amount of fish in the Paraíba River for a banquet honoring the visit of São Paulo governor Pedro de Almeida in 1717.^[6] Despite their prayers, their attempts were fruitless until late in the day, one of the fishermen cast his net and pulled it back to find a headless statue of the Virgin Mary.^[7] Upon his next cast, he found the head.^[7] The group cleaned the statue, wrapped it in cloth, and returned to their task to find their fortunes had changed and they were able to obtain all the fish they needed. The statue is believed to be the work of Frei Agostino de Jesus, a monk residing in São Paulo.

From Google AI

The Basilica of Our Lady of Aparecida in São Paulo, Brazil, is the world's largest Marian shrine and second-largest Catholic church. Drawing 10 to 12 million pilgrims yearly, it honors the 1717 miraculous black terracotta statue of Our Lady of Aparecida—the patroness of Brazil.

One of the things that impressed me was the number of pilgrims that it attracts each year.  I also read that October 12 is the official feast day and that over 1 million pilgrims descend on the site that day.  Travel Tip:  Don't go on October 12. :) There are many outlying buildings to help take of the pilgrims since the Basilica is not close to any major city.  Below is a picture of the walkway leading pilgrims to the church, some of the outlying buildings for pilgrims, and a mural of the fisherman that marked this site as important.  

The inside of the church is cavernous with multiple areas for services.  There are masses each hour of every day to meet the needs of the pilgrims coming to this place.  Here is a picture of what they come to see and why they worship at this place.  

The dark clay statue of the Virgin Mary they found in the river.  

Inside the amazing space created for worship.  

Thank you, Vinicius, for knowing that I would enjoy this stop.  Just a little different than the Baptist Church he went to when he was with us.  

“From Mary we learn to surrender to God’s Will in all things. From Mary we learn to trust even when all hope seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God!”  Pope John Paul II