Sunday, January 18, 2015

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Basilica of Our Lady of Peace: The largest Church in the world

By asad russel –

About the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast:
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (in French the Basilique de Notre Dame de la Paix de Yamoussoukro) in the Yamoussoukro incongruously located in the West African bush and in the world is the largest charge. There are only 20 percent to 30 percent Christian in the Ivory Coast (Cote d’Ivoire), adhering to indigenous animist religions of 25 percent to 40 percent and Islam is about 35 percent to 40 percent with the remainder. The Catholic former president of Ivory Coast, to be a monument to himself who wished it the great Basilica of Our Lady of Peace was the project of him.


The history of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace:
In 1983 as the new capital of the Ivory Coast the Cote d’Ivoire president Felix Houphouet-Boigny chose his birthplace which is the Yamoussoukro. For the city as part of the plan, with the construction of what would be the greatest church whole over the world the president wished to memorialize himself. Beside a gallery of stained glass of Jesus and the apostles of his image the president commissioned a stained glass window.


Between the 1985 and 1989 was constructed the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace which cost about US$300 million. After the Basilica of Saint Peter in Rome it was internationally modeled, to become the largest church in the world whose size it intentionally surpassed. On August 10, 1985, was laid the cornerstone, and by the Pope John Paul II on September 10, 1990, was consecrated. In Rome like its model, not a cathedral is the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. The seat of the bishop of the Diocese of Yamoussoukro is the nearby Cathedral of Saint Augustine and for the city is the principle place of worship.


Much international controversy the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace has aroused, with Italian marble for the lavish building glittering, of an impoverished African city which sits in the middle where running water and adequate sanitation only a minority of homes have, and the national debt of Cote d’Ivoire doubled the cost of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace. Despite this for the monument are proud many of the country’s Catholics.


What to see at the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace:
Closely on the St. Peter’s Basilica is modeled the design of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, but to be slightly lower constructed the dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace the architect Pierre Fakhoury and to be larger the cross on the top. 158 meters (518 feet) is the finished height. With standing room for about 11,000 people in the nave there is enough space to seat about 7,000 people.
 Imported from the Italy the basilica is constructed and from France with 7,000 square meters of contemporary stained glass is furnished. Throughout the basilica columns are plentiful but in style are not uniform. There are two identical buildings next to the basilica, respective serving as the rectory and as the private papal villa. For the papal visits only once which has occurred is reserved the villa. 


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