St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest, Hungary

St. Stephen's Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c. 975–1038), whose supposed right hand is housed in the reliquary. It was the sixth largest church building in Hungary before 1920. Today, it is the third largest church building in present-day Hungary.

The basilica was completed in 1905 after 54 years of construction, according to the plans of Miklós Ybl, and was completed by József Kauser. Much of this delay can be attributed to the collapse of the dome in 1868 which required complete demolition of the completed works and rebuilding from the ground up.

The architectural style is Neo-Classical; it has a Greek cross ground plan. The façade is anchored by two large bell towers. In the southern tower is Hungary's biggest bell, weighing over 9 tonnes. Its predecessor had a weight of almost 8 tonnes, but it was used for military purposes during World War II. Visitors may access the dome by elevators or by climbing 364 stairs for a 360° view overlooking Budapest.

At first, the building was supposed to be named after Saint Leopold, the patron saint of Austria, but the plan was changed in the very last minute, so it became St. Stephen's Basilica.

The Saint Stephen Basilica has played an active role in the musical community since its consecration in 1905. The head organists of the church have always been very highly regarded musicians. In the past century the Basilica has been home to choral music, classical music as well as contemporary musical performances. The Basilica choir performs often in different parts of Europe as well as at home. In the summer months they perform every Sunday. During these months you can see performances from many distinguished Hungarian and foreign organ players alike.

User Reviews

Michel MRAD (2 years ago)
Amazing Catholic cathedral that faces a street that ends to the Danube riverside. Great architecture and beautiful view from the top of the towers on Budapest. I loved this place especially the square around it that is full of cafe and shops. A must visit place for praying or for taking pictures.

Frank S (2 years ago)
A large Cathedral in the main part of Budapest with a Square/Tér, in font of it that occasionally has different activities on it. The Cathedral is a large imposing building and is one of the many must see places in the city. In December during the Christmas season their is a lovely atmosphere, especially at night with an artificial ice, skating rink, a large decorated Xmas tree with fairy lights draped overhead and many many small stalls selling Food, drinks, and various souvenirs and trinkets.

Jayceon Scaglione (2 years ago)
Awesome basilica!! I have to admit this is the first time I had ever been in a Catholic church and this was mind blowing. Fantastic art and architecture. Also, went and saw the music concert at night which I highly recommend!! Definitely visit while in Budapest!!

Patrick Neumann (2 years ago)
A very beautiful church and definitively worth seeing. A a Pole I loved there is a St. Mary of Częstochowa chapel :) However, I did not like one thing: The relic of the right hand of St. Stephen is in a dark shrine. After throwing in some money the light goes on for 1-2 minutes and tourists can take photos. Please change that! Relics are no tourist attraction like in Disneyland. The shrine should be either dark or lit all the time for veneration of the relic without taking money for it. All in all the visit was a great experience, though! :)

AI WEN Yap (2 years ago)
Very beautiful historical building in Hungary. Most of the free tour starts here. The height of the church is 96 meters, 96 is a unique and special number to Hungarians. The Parliament building is also 96 meters. There is a law in Hungary saying all the buildings at the Pest side of Budapest cannot be taller than 96 meters because no one can be above God and government. The entrance of the church is free, but feel free to donate money to the church, or you can also buy a small coin token at the vending machine there. The interior of the church is also very beautiful. If you have time, please join the free tour, it is much more informative and the tour guides are very friendly and helpful. Of course, they earn by tips, feel free to give based on what you think the tour is worth. It is totally fantastic.

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Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The last of such reforms was carried out by Almanzor in 987. It was connected to the Caliph"s palace by a raised walkway, mosques within the palaces being the tradition for previous Islamic rulers – as well as Christian Kings who built their palaces adjacent to churches. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.

In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile, and the centre of the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features, such as King Henry II rebuilding the chapel in the 14th century. The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela"s captured cathedral bells. Following a windstorm in 1589, the former minaret was further reinforced by encasing it within a new structure.

The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century.

Architecture

The building"s floor plan is seen to be parallel to some of the earliest mosques built from the very beginning of Islam. It had a rectangular prayer hall with aisles arranged perpendicular to the qibla, the direction towards which Muslims pray. The prayer hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by arches of horseshoe-like appearance.

In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated a number of Roman columns with choice capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces. Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations. Marvellous mosaics and azulejos were designed. Later, the immense temple embodied all the styles of Morisco architecture into one composition.

The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously, as well as other Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were an innovation, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.

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