(Image: Orderinchaos, cc-sa-3.0)
When war devastates a community, often the most lasting ruins are churches and cathedrals. Houses are demolished or rebuilt in order to provide shelter, but places of worship have sometimes been left, intentionally or unintentionally, as sombre reminders of lives lost. Whilst many communities lack the resources to reconstruct large churches destroyed by war, or simply need to relocate to another area, others preserve their crumbling heritage and treat the ruins with an added reverence. But throughout history, due to many communities keeping their records within the very places of worship that have been destroyed, there is limited information on many abandoned churches, leaving myriad anonymous structural skeletons of these beautiful buildings to be forgotten. This article examines 10 abandoned churches destroyed by war and conflict.
The Abandoned Orthodox Churches of Kayaköy, Southwestern Turkey
(Image: Darwinek, cc-sa-3.0)
Less a victim of bombing and more a victim of war time diplomacy, the deserted village in Southwest Turkey has been preserved as a ghost town and a reminder of a time long forgotten. Kayaköy was home to thousands of Anatolian Greeks, and was built on the site of the ancient settlement of Carmylessus. The stunning churches and other buildings were ravaged by an earthquake in 1856, a major fire in 1885, and were then stripped and abandoned following the population exchange agreement signed in 1923 after the Greco-Turkish War. Another earthquake in 1957 has wreaked havoc on the already devastated remains of the churches but they are still accessible for those willing to make the trip.
Temple Church, Bristol, UK
(Image: John Harwood, cc-4.0)
There are few tales in history that conjure up more vivid images than the controversial story of the enigmatic Knights Templar. The Temple Church in Bristol was one of many across England belonging to the order. This 14th century church was bombed during World War Two and from the ruins a few historical gems were retrieved including the medieval chandelier which was relocated to Bristol Cathedral. Many of the more elaborate sections have been demolished for safety reasons, but the famously leaning tower still stands. The angle of the tower was not the result of the bombing but was instead caused by errors during construction. Stone masons were able to stabilise the tower by 1460, and their efforts are still visible.
Abandoned Varosha Church, Cyprus
(Image: Dickelbers, cc-sa-3.0)
Varosha was once a glitzy and glamourous beachfront holiday resort that drew the rich and famous from all over the globe. After the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus the once bustling beachside town became deserted. One of the many buildings stripped and abandoned during that period was Varosha Church, which stands amongst the ruins of the crumbling luxury resort, its grounds littered with rusty oil drums and other signs of urban decay. The damage inflicted on the town and the church is largely a result of post war looting and neglect but some still hold out hope of restoring this beach-side ghost town to its former glory. This is currently impossible due to the access restrictions placed on the area.
Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Berlin, Germany
(Images: Null8fuffzehn, public domain; Manfred Bruckels, cc-sa-3.0)
No longer in use as a church, the spire of the old Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial church stands as a permanent monument to the original structure built in the 1890s, as well as a reminder of the bombing that destroyed much of the church in 1943. This famous landmark has been preserved in its damaged state and the ground floor has been converted into a memorial hall. The upper floors of the spire are kept in a safe but decaying state as a sombre reminder of the devastation of war. The modern chapel and belfry constructed behind are all but shadowed by the enormity of the ruin.
St Michael’s Cathedral, Coventry, England
(Image: E Gammie, cc-sa-4.0)
Amongst the many iconic buildings that fell victim to the bombing of the United Kingdom in World War Two, St. Michael’s Cathedral in Coventry is arguably the most romantic and beautiful. The cathedral ruins are not the only historically significant point of interest on the site. The excavated remains of an earlier church – the Benedictine Priory of St. Mary founded in 1043 by Lady Godiva and Earl Leofric – can also be seen. The priory was dissolved during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. The culturally significant site is still considered to be consecrated ground and the epic tower crafted from medieval sandstone is a magnificent, if slowly crumbling, monument to the history that was lost during World War Two.
Christ Church Greyfriars, England
(Image: David Hawgood, cc-sa-4.0)
Another example of the skeletal remains of churches destroyed in the Second World War lies opposite the magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral in London. This 13th century monastic structure was converted, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries, into a parish church. It met its first misfortune in the Great Fire of London in 1666, being rebuilt in accordance with the original designs of Sir Christopher Wren. Then nearly 300 years later it was almost completely destroyed by the bombing of World War Two. The tower and ruined shell of Christ Church Greyfriars are still visible in what serves now as a public garden. The eerie remains of the abandoned church lend a beautiful if somewhat ghostly air to this verdant public park.
Sant Pere de Corbera, Spain
(Image: Enfo, cc-sa-3.0)
Urban explorers may have missed their chance to observe the natural decay of the Sant Pere de Corbera due to an unusual restoration undertaken by architect Ferran Vizoso. But for those interested to see the roofless remains of the church that was all but destroyed during the Spanish Civil War 75 years ago, there is still plenty of original damage and devastation visible. The church, which once featured a high arched roof, has been cleaned up but rather than recreating the original design the architect has instead installed a transparent protective plastic roof that will hopefully preserve the remaining structure and prevent wind and rain erosion. It is still a beautiful and eerie sight to behold although a move to install a plexiglass ceiling is not universally popular.
L’église Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux, France
(Image: Ikmo-ned, cc-sa-3.0)
This 10th century church was already decommissioned and falling into disrepair long before it was hit by German shells in 1944, but this was the final blow that destroyed the nave. The ruin is in the process of being restored and is not open to the public. World War Two was not the only war that the church of Saint-Étienne-le-Vieux incurred damage in. Its exposed walls were also damaged substantially during the Hundred Years War and were rebuilt after the British occupation. The dilapidated ruins are hauntingly beautiful and a reminder of all that the region of Caen has been through in the last millennia.
Ablain-Saint-Nazaire, France
(Image: Daniel Villafruela, cc-sa-3.0)
The old Ablain-Saint-Nazaire church is an elaborate Gothic construction which was badly damaged in the First World War as German and French forces battled for control of the region. The eponymous church was originally built under the instruction and financial support of a local lord, who believed that Saint Nazarius had a hand in healing his sick daughter. The Ancient Monuments Commission made a conscious decision not to rebuild the church and left it as a crumbling reminder of the war and intense German shelling. But locals maintained that it was actually French shells that had destroyed their beloved local church. Nevertheless, the authorities would not commit to its renovation.
Old Sheldon Church, United States of America
(Image: Bill Fitzpatrick, cc-sa-3.0)
Once believed to have been destroyed in a fire started by the army of General Sherman during the American Civil War, the Old Sheldon Church located in South Carolina was built on the site of Prince William’s Parish church, which was also thought to have been burnt to the ground, this time by the British, in 1779. The charred remains of the churchyard are still visible with plenty of historical markers to help visitors find various points of interest. It is now believed, however, that the later church wasn’t destroyed by fire but was effectively looted, or salvaged for materials to rebuild surrounding homes devastated by General Sherman’s forces in 1865. Records detailing the devastation have surfaced that suggest the church was relatively unscathed by the blaze.
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