Cathedral of Notre Dame de la Paix

Notre Dame de la Paix Cathedral is a Catholic church in Yamoussoukro, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest church in the world. The basilica was erected in 1989, modeled after St. Peter’s Cathedral. Interestingly, although Notre Dame de la Paix surpasses its Vatican counterpart in terms of area – 30,000 m², as well as the height of the dome – 158 meters, it seats 18,000 people, while St. Peter’s Cathedral seats 60,000 people. The consecration of the church was performed on September 10, 1990 by Pontiff John Paul II. That same year, on October 30, the cathedral was granted the honorary status of minor basilica. In addition to its record, Notre Dame de la Paix is unique in that it is located in Côte d’Ivoire, where only 20% of the population is Christian.

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