Iceland: Beautiful Historic Churches
August 18, 2014 4 Comments
Vidimyrakirkja (Turf Church), Northern Iceland
Vidimyrakirkja Entrance
Glaumbaejarkirkja (Glaumbaer Church), Northern Iceland
Glaumbaejarkirkja Inside
Glaumbaejarkirkja Wooden Pipe Organ
Thingeyrarkirkja (Stone Church), Northern Iceland
Thingeyrarkirkja Stone Entrance
Thingeyrarkirkja Historic Altar
Thingeyrarkirkja Blue Ceiling with Gold Stars
Hallgramskirkja, Reykjavik
Kalfatjarnarkirkja, Near Reykjavik
Kalfatjarnarkirkja View of Whale Bone and Coast
Utskalakirkja, Near Reykjavik
Utskalakirkja Cemetery Ship’s Propeller Memorial
Utskalakirkja Cemetery Ship’s Wheel Memorial
Hvalneskirkja, Near Reykjavik
Hvalneskirkja Entrance
Strandarkirkja (Beach or Miracle Church), South Coast
Strandarkirkja Inside
Strandarkirkja Star Patterned Ceiling
Strandarkirkja Beaded Angel Tapestry
Strandarkirkja Foot-High Elf Houses
Vikurkirkja, South Coast
Every town in Iceland, no matter how small or isolated, seems to have its own historic church. Usually it is perched high on a hill or overlooking the water. We loved the attention to detail and beauty of these unique churches. Some of the buildings are made of concrete or colorful corrugated iron to withstand the harsh weather and winter wind; others are made of stone or turf (sod). Christianity was adopted in this country around 1000 AD, and 80% of the population is Lutheran. That said, Icelanders are free thinking and embrace people of all faiths. “Kirkja” at the end of a word means “church” in Icelandic. Click on any of these pictures to bring up further details and traveling advice.
About Pam
Such a beautiful place! Thank you for sharing your gorgeous images. 🙂
Lindy
That’s such a nice thing to say! 🙂
I just love the elegant simplicity of so many of these churches, Pam. Do they do the turf roofs strictly for insulation, or is there another reason? And of course my favorites are the Strandarkirkja Foot-High Elf Houses. 🙂 ~Terri
They were really beautiful. I loved the blue ceiling with gold stars, and their locations were inspiring. The turf is used mainly for insulation, and also reflects the lack of readily available building materials (there aren’t many trees in Iceland). And who wouldn’t like the elf houses – so excited to see them!