Oscar Fredrik Church, Gothenburg, Sweden

Oscar Fredrik Church was drawn by Helgo Zetterwall and completed in 1893. It represents the neo-Gothic style, but the influence is not the Nordic gothic style but rather the style one can find in the large cathedrals down in continental Europe. The church and the parish got its name from king Oscar II (Oscar Fredrik being his full name).

The church has been refurbished three times: 1915, 1940 and 1974. The 1940 refurbishment took away the side galleries and the decorations on the arches and capitals were painted over. During the latest renovation in 1978 the pulpit was moved back to its original position (south side of the choir) and older wall paintings and decorations were brought back to light.

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User Reviews

Ely Matos (2 years ago)
Very beautiful church, great organ

saffa Dafalla (2 years ago)
Super nice and flexible with parking, they got an understanding with what it means when it crowded and people can’t find parking

Kelsey Reviews (2 years ago)
How is this place not more popular??! In 30 countries this is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever seen!

Elise M (2 years ago)
I didn’t go inside the church but the architecture from the outside is stunning! Definitely a must see if you’re in the area.

Emil Gustafsson (2 years ago)
We went there only to look at the building, and boy is it a beautiful one. I can't speak for the interior of the church, but I definitely recommend going if you just want to see a majestic building.

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Photo from Flickr, copyright Makser

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Derbent Fortress

Derbent is the southernmost city in Russia, occupying the narrow gateway between the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains connecting the Eurasian steppes to the north and the Iranian Plateau to the south. Derbent claims to be the oldest city in Russia with historical documentation dating to the 8th century BCE. Due to its strategic location, over the course of history, the city changed ownership many times, particularly among the Persian, Arab, Mongol, Timurid, Shirvan and Iranian kingdoms.

Derbent has archaeological structures over 5,000 years old. As a result of this geographic peculiarity, the city developed between two walls, stretching from the mountains to the sea. These fortifications were continuously employed for a millennium and a half, longer than any other extant fortress in the world.

A traditionally and historically Iranian city, the first intensive settlement in the Derbent area dates from the 8th century BC. The site was intermittently controlled by the Persian monarchs, starting from the 6th century BC. Until the 4th century AD, it was part of Caucasian Albania which was a satrap of the Achaemenid Persian Empire. In the 5th century Derbent functioned as a border fortress and the seat of Sassanid Persians. Because of its strategic position on the northern branch of the Silk Route, the fortress was contested by the Khazars in the course of the Khazar-Arab Wars. In 654, Derbent was captured by the Arabs.

The Sassanid fortress does not exist any more, as the famous Derbent fortress as it stands today was built from the 12th century onward. Derbent became a strong military outpost and harbour of the Sassanid empire. During the 5th and 6th centuries, Derbent also became an important center for spreading the Christian faith in the Caucasus.

The site continued to be of great strategic importance until the 19th century. Today the fortifications consist of two parallel defence walls and Naryn-Kala Citadel. The walls are 3.6km long, stretching from the sea up to the mountains. They were built from stone and had 73 defence towers. 9 out of the 14 original gates remain.

In Naryn-Kala Citadel most of the old buildings, including a palace and a church, are now in ruins. It also holds baths and one of the oldest mosques in the former USSR.

In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

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