Largest Religious Buildings and Art in the World
Visual size comparison of some of the largest sacred sites in the world.
This category is an growing database of some of the largest and tallest sacred sites, religious buildings, and religious objects in the world. Most of the data on the record-breaking religious places of the world is taken from Guinness Book of World Records, the most widely-accepted authority on everything that is biggest, tallest and otherwise extraordinary. Not all data has been filled in yet, but we'll continue to add to the table as we gather more information. Please contact us with any corrections or additional info.
Largest Religious Buildings in the World
| Category |
Building |
Location |
Volume |
Area |
Height |
Other |
| Largest Buddhist temple in the world: |
Borobudur Temple |
Central Java, Indonesia |
|
60,000 m³ |
34.5 m |
123 m x 123 m base |
| Largest church in the world: |
Our Lady of Peace Basilica |
Yamoussoukro, Côte d'Ivoire |
|
|
30,000 sq m |
|
| Tallest church in the world: |
Ulm Münster |
Ulm, Germany |
|
|
|
|
| Largest cathedral in the world: |
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine |
New York City, USA |
|
11,200 sq m (121,000 sq ft) |
37.8 m (124 ft) to nave vault |
183.2 m (601 ft) long |
| Largest cathedral in the world: |
Seville Cathedral |
|
|
|
|
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| Largest Orthodox cathedral in the world: |
Cathedral Church of Christ the Savior |
Moscow, Russia |
|
|
102.1 m (335 ft) |
|
| Largest Orthodox cathedral in the world: |
Cathedral of Saint Sava |
Belgrade, Serbia |
170,000 m³ |
8,162 sq m |
|
|
| Largest brick building in the world: |
Cathedral of St. Cecilia |
Albi, France |
|
|
|
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| Largest Mormon temple in the world: |
Salt Lake Temple |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
|
23,505 sq m (253,015 sq ft) |
|
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| Largest mud building in the world: |
Great Mosque of Djenne |
Djenne, Mali |
|
|
100 m long; 40 m wide |
|
| Largest mosque in the world: |
The Holy Mosque |
Mecca, Saudi Arabia |
|
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| Largest Muslim cemetery in the world: |
Wadi as-Salam |
Najaf, Iraq |
|
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| Largest synagogue in the world: |
Temple Emanu-El |
New York City, USA |
|
3,523 sq m |
|
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| Largest torii in the world: |
Heian Jingu |
Kyoto, Japan |
|
|
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| Largest pyramid in the world: |
Great Pyramid of Cholula |
Puebla, Mexico |
4.45 million m³ |
|
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| Largest wooden building in the world: |
Todaiji Temple |
Nara, Japan |
|
|
|
|
| Largest Roman temple in the world: |
Temple of Jupiter |
Baalbeck, Lebanon |
|
|
|
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| Largest ziggurat in the world: |
Ziggurat of Ur |
Muqayyar, Iraq |
|
|
|
61 x 45.7 m base |
Largest Religious Art and Objects in the World
| Category |
Site/Object |
Location |
Measurements |
| Largest altarpiece: |
Seville Cathedral |
Seville, Spain |
|
| Largest Buddha statue: |
Giant Buddha of Leshan |
Leshan, China |
71 m tall |
| Largest solid-gold Buddha: |
Wat Traimit |
Bangkok, Thailand |
|
| Largest working church organ: |
Liverpool Cathedral |
Liverpool, England |
Grand Organ has 10,267 pipes |
Largest Religious Sites in the Region
| Category |
Site/Object |
Location |
Measurements |
| Largest Hindu temple outside of India: |
Neasden Temple |
London, England |
6,071 sq m |
| Largest statue of Guru Rinpoche: |
Namchi |
Sikkim, India |
|
| Largest Jewish museum in Europe: |
Jüdisches Museum |
Berlin, Germany |
|
| Largest mosque in Europe: |
Central Mosque |
Madrid, Spain |
|
| Largest Orthodox church in western Europe: |
Uspenski Cathedral |
Helsinki, Finland |
|
| Largest clock face in Europe: |
St Peterskirche |
Zurich, Switzerland |
9m (28 1/2 ft.) diameter; minute hand 4m (12 ft.) long |
| Largest cathedral in Europe: |
Seville Cathedral |
Seville, Spain |
nave vault height: 42m; area: 11,520 sq m(src) |
| Largest cathedral in Latin America: |
Metropolitan Cathedral |
Mexico City, Mexico |
|
| Tallest spire in Benelux: |
Cathedral of Our Lady |
Antwerp, Belgium |
123m (403 ft.) high |
| Largest church in Benelux: |
Cathedral of Our Lady |
Antwerp, Belgium |
|
Various Largest Religious Sites by Country
| Category |
Site/Object |
Location |
Volume |
Area |
Height |
Other |
| Tallest church in the Czech Republic: |
Cathedral of St. Bartholomew |
Plzen, Czech Republic |
|
|
100m (333 ft.) |
|
| Largest Buddha in Japan: |
Daibutsu, Todaiji Temple |
Nara, Japan |
|
|
|
|
| Largest Buddha in Thailand: |
Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho |
Bangkok, Thailand |
|
|
15 m |
46 m long |
| Tallest wooden tower in Japan: |
Toji Temple's pagoda |
Kyoto, Japan |
|
|
57m (180 ft) |
|
| Largest church in Hungary: |
St. Stephen's Basilica |
Budapest, Hungary |
|
|
|
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| Largest stupa in Nepal: |
Boudhanath Stupa |
Kathmandu, Nepal |
|
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| Largest Romanesque church in France: |
Basilica of St. Mary Magdalen |
Vezelay, France |
|
|
|
|
| Largest cathedral in the UK: |
Liverpool Cathedral |
Liverpool, England |
|
9,687 sq m (104,275 sq ft) |
36.5 m (120 ft) nave vault |
188.7 m (619 ft) long |
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