Urnes Stave Church

The ancient wooden church in Urnes, located on Sognefjord in Norway, is a unique structure that belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage List. This temple building was given such an honor due to the fact that it is the most ancient Stavkirka in the whole world.

The version of the church that has survived to our time was built back in 1150. But this building was already the third, although it was located in the same place. A hundred years have passed between the first and the last buildings. The builders who were directly involved in the construction of this wooden masterpiece were well versed in architecture and were excellent carpenters. After all, all the work was done with high quality, but the most important thing is not from the usual stone, but from wood. The Stavkirka in Urnes is constructed in such a way that its side decks are dug vertically into the ground, and the roof is supported by large pillars. This building is considered very durable, although it suffers from dampness. Holes were found under the frame of the church, where the pillars of the previous temple were located.

The wooden stavkirka in Urnes is the oldest in the world, technologists claim that it is an absolute frame structure that is separated from the moist earth by a stone base.

In the past centuries, more than 1,000 churches were built on the lands of both Norway and the whole of Europe, but only about 30 have been preserved to this day.

Originally, this wooden church in Urnes belonged to a local influential family.

The main distinguishing feature of the church in Urnes from other similar structures is the port, as well as the remains of a building that was present on the same site more than a thousand years ago. And no one knows what the reason was for the destruction of the previous structure and why, when building the next temple, they used the remnants of the past. Thus, the northern wall of the church is decorated with decorative elements that were previously located on the primary building here. A distinctive feature of the execution of this church is the carved panels that adhere to the styles of "Urban", as well as "bestial". These ornaments carry various images of animals and gods.

On the altar itself, there is a candlestick in the shape of a Viking ship, which has been here for at least 800 years. It is one of the most magnificent symbols of the whole of Norway.

Photographs and various materials related to Stavkirka can be viewed in the museum, which is located near this church.