Churches around the world are not only houses of worship but offer a wide array of architectural styles and forms, from modest structures, such as St. John's Church in Waimate North, New Zealand, to the striking artistic innovations and ornamentation of buildings such as the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey.
The word church comes from the Old English cirice, meaning a place of assembly for Christian worship, and evolved into the Middle English word kirke, then kirk, before the modern English church, having the same meaning. Churches were first established in the homes of believers in the 1st century, and the oldest church building extant is the Dura-Europos Church located in Dura-Europos, Syria, dated to between 233-256.
The Dura-Europos Church is a fine example of the earliest buildings used in Christian services as it was formerly a residence and was converted into a house of worship. From these modest buildings, churches evolved into grand architectural masterpieces, designed to draw one's thoughts from the mundane to the sacred and ineffable, whether experienced from within or from outside.
During and after the Protestant Reformation (1517-1648) churches were simplified by Protestant congregations with a focus on the pulpit from which the minister would deliver the sermon, while Catholic churches continued to impress upon their congregations the majesty of God and the overall experience of communing with the divine.
This gallery presents various churches from around the world, from the simple to the ornate, but all intended to elevate people's hearts and minds in contemplation of a higher power.
