| Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (EFO) | |
|---|---|
Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix | |
 The basilica in 2007 | |
  Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (EFO) | |
| 6°48′40″N 5°17′49″W / 6.81111°N 5.29694°W | |
| Location | Rue de St. France, Yamoussoukro |
| Country | Côte d'Ivoire |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Minor basilica |
| Consecrated | 1990 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Pierre Fakhoury |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Renaissance Revival and Baroque Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 1985 |
| Completed | 1990 |
| Construction cost | US$175–600 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 18,000 |
| Length | 195 metres (640 ft) |
| Width | 150 metres (490 ft) |
| Nave width | 55 metres (180 ft) |
| Height | 158 metres (518 ft) |
| Dome diameter (outer) | 90 metres (300 ft)[1] |
| Materials | marble |
| Administration | |
| Province | Bouaké |
| Diocese | Yamoussoukro |
The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (French: Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix) is a Catholic minor basilica dedicated to Our Lady of Peace in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of la Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast). Guinness World Records lists it as the largest church in the world, having surpassed the previous record holder, Saint Peter's Basilica, upon completion. It has an area of 30,000 square metres (320,000 sq ft)[2] and is 158 metres (518 ft) tall.[3] However, it also includes a rectory and a villa (counted in the overall area), which are not strictly part of the church. It can accommodate 18,000 worshippers, compared to 60,000 for St. Peter's.[4] Ordinary liturgies conducted at the basilica are usually attended by only a few hundred people.[5] The basilica is administered by Polish Pallottines at a cost of US$1.5 million annually.[2]
The basilica was constructed between 1985 and 1989 with different cost estimates given by various groups. Some stated that it cost US$175 million,[6] US$300 million,[7] or as high as US$600 million.[8] The designs of the dome and encircled plaza are clearly inspired by the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City,[9] although it is not an outright replica.[10] The cornerstone was laid on 10 August 1985,[11] and it was consecrated on 10 September 1990 by Pope John Paul II, who had just formally accepted the basilica as a gift from Félix Houphouët-Boigny on behalf of the Catholic Church.[12][10]
The basilica is not to be confused with a cathedral. Our Lady of Peace is located in the Diocese of Yamoussoukro; the Cathedral of Saint Augustine—less than 3 km (2 mi) away[13]—is smaller in size than the basilica but the principal place of worship and seat of the bishop of the diocese.[14]
- ^ List of largest church buildings in the world, fr:Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix de Yamoussoukro
- ^ a b Strochlic, Nina (30 January 2014). "The Largest Church in the World Has The Fewest Worshippers". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
- ^ "The biggest, longest, tallest..." The Guardian. London. 17 July 2004. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
- ^ "Our Lady of Peace Basilica, Yamoussoukro". Churches Guide. Archived from the original on 12 January 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ^ Mark, Monica (15 May 2015). "Yamoussoukro's Notre-Dame de la Paix, the world's largest basilica – a history of cities in 50 buildings, day 37". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ Morrow, Lance (7 September 1992). "Africa: the Scramble for Survival". Time.
- ^ Macdonald, Jessica. "Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Ivory Coast". Tripsavvy. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
- ^ Stewart, Frances (22 January 2016). Horizontal Inequalities and Conflict: Understanding Group Violence in Multiethnic Societies. Springer. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-230-58272-9.
- ^ Ostling, Richard N.; James Wilde (3 July 1989). "The Basilica in the Bush". Time. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
- ^ a b Massaquoi, Hans J. (December 1990). "An African's gift to the Vatican: the world's largest church – Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Basilica of Our Lady of Peace". Ebony. pp. 118–122. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ Melton, J. Gordon; Martin Baumann (2010). Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, 2nd Edition [6 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 307. ISBN 978-1-5988-4204-3.
- ^ "Dédicace de La Basilique de "Notre-Dame de La Paix"" [Dedication of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace] (Press release) (in French). Holy See. 10 September 1990. Archived from the original on 14 January 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2009.
- ^ "distance between Basilique Notre-Dame de la Paix and Cathédrale Saint-Augustin in Yamoussoukro". Google. Retrieved 15 April 2018.
- ^ "Diocese of Odienné, Cote d'Ivoire". GCatholic. Retrieved 10 September 2010.