Jesus Christ didn’t need fancy churches, but thank goodness that some people didn’t listen too well and built magnificent buildings to glorify God. Today, there are thousands of churches: some small and simple, whereas others are humongous and ornately decorated.

Let’s take a look at some divinely designed churches around the world, both classic and modern in style:

St. Basil’s Cathedra

The Cathedral of Intercession of Theotokos on the Moat, popularly known as Saint Basil’s Cathedral, is a Russian Orthodox cathedral erected on the Red Square in Moscow in 1555–1561.
The original building, known as “Trinity Church” and later “Trinity Cathedral”, contained eight side churches arranged around the ninth, central church of Intercession; the tenth church was erected in 1588 over the grave of venerated local Fool Vasily.

In the 16th and the 17th centuries the cathedral, perceived as the earthly symbol of the Heavenly City, was popularly known as the “Jerusalem” and served as an allegory of the Jerusalem Temple in the annual Palm Sunday parade attended by the Patriarch of Moscow and the tsar. The building’s design, shaped as a flame of a bonfire rising into the sky, has no analogues in Russian architecture.

Church of St. George

The Church of St. George is a monolithic church in Lalibela, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Built in the early thirteenth century, it is the most well known and last built of the eleven churches in the Lalibela area, and has been referred to as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”. The dimensions of the complex are 25 meters by 25 meters by 30 meters, and there is a small baptismal pool outside the church, which stands in an artificial trench.

Paoay Church

Paoay Church (also known as the St. Augustine Church in Paoay) is a historical church located in Paoay, Ilocos Norte. During the Philippine Revolution in 1898, its coral stone bell tower was used by the Katipuneros as an observation post. Paoay Church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List. It currently is a property of the Diocese of Laoag, Ilocos Norte. Construction of Paoay Church was started by the Augustinian friars in 1694. It was completed in 1894 led by Fr. Antonio Estavillo and was re-dedicated in 1894.

Church Ruins

The rock cut ruins of a church by persecuted Christians. Not sure when it was built, but definitely look very ancient. How did those guys carved the inside of these rocks? The Cappadocia valley, where this church stands, is very popular for its rocks that the people of the villages at the heart of the Cappadocia Region carved out to form houses, churches, monasteries. There are an estimated 150 churches and several monasteries in the canyon between the villages of Ihlara and Selime. Those rocks are volcanic deposits, so that means they are soft rocks, making it possible to carve such structures.

Borgund Stave Church

Borgund stave church (Bokmål: Borgund stavkirke, Nynorsk: Borgund stavkyrkje) is a stave church located in Borgund, Lærdal, Norway. It is classified as a triple nave stave church of the so-called Sogn-type. This is also the best preserved of Norway’s 28 extant stave churches.

Church of Panagia Paraportiani

The Church of Panagia Paraportiani is situated in the neighbourhood of Kastro, in the town of Chora, on the Greek island of Mykonos. Its name literally means “Our Lady of the Side Gate” in Greek, as its entrance was found in the side gate of the entrance to the Kastro area. The building of this church started in 1425 and was not completed until the 17th century. This impressive, whitewashed church actually consists of five other churches attached all together: the four churches are all on the ground and constitute the base of the fifth church that has been built on top of them. This architectural spottiness has made Panagia Paraportiani the most photographed church on Mykonos.

Sagrada Familia

The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, commonly known as the Sagrada Família, is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in November 2010 was consecrated and proclaimed a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XVI.

Hallgrímskirkja

The Hallgrímskirkja is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At 74.5 metres (244 ft), it is the largest church in Iceland and the sixth tallest architectural structure in Iceland after Longwave radio mast Hellissandur, the radio masts of US Navy at Grindavík, Eiðar longwave transmitter and Smáratorg tower. The church is named after the Icelandic poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614 to 1674), author of the Passion Hymns