Author: John Otis / Source: NPR.org
The tunnel leading to Colombia’s most famous church feels more like a byway into the bowels of the earth. It’s dark and dank, with a faint smell of sulfur in the air.
But after a few hundred yards, the shaft gradually widens to reveal Roman Catholic icons, like the Stations of the Cross and Archangel Gabriel.And they’re all carved out of salt.
Colombia’s Salt Cathedral is located about 600 feet underground, in a former salt mine in Zipaquirá, just outside Bogotá. It’s especially busy during Easter, with thousands attending services marking the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.
But the cathedral is also an architectural wonder, built in the caverns and tunnels left behind by miners, who extracted millions of tons of rock salt starting two centuries ago.
At the bottom, the temple opens up to reveal three naves representing the birth, life and death of Christ. There is a basilica dome, chandeliers and an enormous, floor-to-ceiling cross illuminated with purple lights. The pews are jammed with the faithful and when a choir breaks into song ahead of Mass, the sound envelops the chamber.
“I found it to be incredibly impressive,” said Reagan Jeffries, a Dallas-area schoolteacher, after touring the site. “How do you even make this? How do you bring the equipment down?”
For all of its…
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