Look up at the world's most stunning ceilings

The Palace of Versailles near Paris is full of valuable treasures, but an undoubted highlight is the Hall of Mirrors. One of the royal palace's most emblematic rooms, the hall is, of course, noted for its mirrors. But above is a beautiful collection of ceiling paintings honoring the successes of Louis XIV.

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Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato, Italy -

Genoa's Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato features a magnificent ceiling of 17th-century Baroque paintings set over the nave.

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Gran Hotel Ciudad de México, Mexico -

An iconic element of this luxury Mexico City hotel is its magnificent Tiffany-style stained glass window, created by the Frenchman Jacques Gruber in 1908.

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Sistine Chapel, Italy -

The frescoes that decorate the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City were painted by Michelangelo (1475–1564) between 1508 and 1512, the centerpiece of which is The Creation of Adam.

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Tomb of Hafez, Iran -

The enameled tile mosaic on the ceiling of the pavilion set over the tomb of the celebrated 14th-century Persian poet Hafez in Shiraz, southwest Iran, represents an outstanding example of Islamic geometric craftsmanship.

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Sagrada Família, Spain -

Barcelona is synonymous with Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926). His Sagrada Família is simply breathtaking. Inside, the nave is overlooked by an extraordinary ceiling, supported by columns designed by Gaudí to mirror trees and branches.

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Notre-Dame de la Garde, France - The Notre-Dame de la Garde is a Marseille landmark. The interior is blessed with a stunning collection of intricate mosaics including those in the nave, which is topped by three sumptuously decorated cupolas.

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The Alcázar of Seville, Spain -

Seville's richly decorated royal palace, the origins of which date back to the 11th century, include numerous architectural highlights, including the Hall of Ambassadors and its dazzling ceiling.

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Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Russia - The late 19th-century Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in Saint Petersburg is noted for the fine mosaic of Christ Pantocrator peering out from under the central dome.

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Grand Central Terminal, USA -

New York City's Grand Central Terminal is known for its zodiac ceiling, a design based on medieval maps and outlined in gold leaf on a blue-green backdrop evoking autumn and winter night skies of Greece and Southern Italy.

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Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Turkey -

Constructed between 1609 and 1616, Istanbul's Sultan Ahmed Mosque, often referred to as the Blue Mosque, boasts five main domes and eight secondary domes, the undersides of which constitute the mosque's vast ceiling. The interior is coated with more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles.

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St Mary's, Studley Royal, England -

Set in the grounds of Studley Royal Park at Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, the Church of St Mary is one of the finest examples of High Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in England. The extravagantly decorated interior extends to the remarkable arched ceiling.

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Solna Centrum metro station, Sweden -

Solna Centrum metro station is one of several Stockholm subway stations that have been decorated with paintings, installations, mosaics, and sculptures. Solna Centrum is especially impressive for its crimson ceiling, the design of which resembles a menacing lava flow.

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Theology Hall, Strahov Monastery, Czech Republic -

The Strahov district of Prague is the location of the 12th-century Strahov Monastery. In 1670, the outstanding Theology Hall was inaugurated, a library which was later embellished with fabulous stucco wall and ceiling decoration and paintings from the 1720s.

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Ely Cathedral, England -

One of the greatest feats of medieval structural engineering and design can be admired at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire—the graceful timber lantern over the cathedral's central octagonal tower that appears like the eye of a huge, eight-pointed star.

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Sammezzano, Italy -

The extraordinary Peacock Room housed in the Castle of Sammezzano in Tuscany exemplifies the Moorish Revival architectural style the building is famous for. The room's fanned, rainbow-hued ceiling is unique in Europe.

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Ranakpur Jain Temple, India -

Also known as Chaumukha Temple, this 15th-century architectural gem is found at Ranakpur in Rajasthan. The main temple building is constructed of white marble carved in exquisite detail, including its distinctive domes.

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Würzburg Residence, Germany -

Climbing the grand staircase of the Würzburg Residence is to step under a vast ceiling fresco that's gradually revealed the further you ascend. This is the largest ceiling fresco in the world, and depicts an allegorical scene–Apollo and the Four Continents.

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Chicago Cultural Center, USA -

The city's cultural center was opened in 1897, and guests visiting the building can wander through several halls featuring either coffered or domed ceilings. Pictured is the Preston Bradley Hall with its Tiffany glass dome.

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Galeries Lafayette, France -

The flagship Galeries Lafayette Boulevard Haussmann in Paris is distinguished by a stunning 43-meter (141 ft) high Neo Byzantine dome set into the store's curved ceiling.

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St Stephen Walbrook, London -

Erected to the designs of Sir Christopher Wren (1632–1723), this church in the City of London is crowned by a magnificent coffered dome supported by columns to make it one of the architectural wonders of late 17th- century Europe.

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Church of the Society of Jesus, Ecuador -

The Church of the Society of Jesus in Quito is one of the best-known churches in the capital, decorated as it is in a profusion of gold leaf, gilded plaster, and wood carvings, adornments that extend up to and across the ceiling.

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Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius, Rome -

An absolutely magnificent ceiling painting by Andrea Pozzo (1642–1709) executed in trompe-l'œil style can be admired at Rome's Church of St. Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius.

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Debre Berhan Selassie Church, Ethiopia -

One of Ethiopia's most beautiful and overlooked churches, Debre Berhan Selassie, located in Gonder, features an interior covered with paintings showing stories from the Old and New Testaments as well as miracles from different saints. The artwork is painted on a fabric that was glued to the walls and ceiling, and dates back to the late 18th-century.

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Bellagio Hotel, USA -

The handblown glass flower ceiling set over the lobby at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas wins admiring glances from all those checking into this iconic hotel property.

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King's College Chapel, England -

One of the great ecclesiastical masterpieces of the age, King's College Chapel in Cambridge contains the world's largest fan-vaulted ceiling. The chapel was consecrated in 1443.

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Chapel of Thanksgiving, USA -

The spiritual center of Thanks-Giving Square in Dallas, Texas, the Chapel of Thanksgiving spirals from the ground to a point in the roof, a design feature that incorporates the splendid stained glass "Glory Window."

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Temple of Heaven, China -

Beijing boasts many religious buildings, and a standout is the Temple of Heaven complex. It's here that you'll find the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the ceiling of which is made from colorful timber components representing various evocations of good fortune, happiness, wealth, and the glory of imperial rule.

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Shah Mosque, Iran -

Isfahan's magnificent Shah Mosque dates back to the mid-17th century, its walls and ceilings featuring a wondrous display of seven-color mosaic tiles and Islamic calligraphic inscriptions.

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Thomas Jefferson Building, USA -

The entrance hall to the Thomas Jefferson Building in Washington, D.C. is as grandiose as befits the location. The Library of Congress, the national library of the United States, is housed here.

Sources: (British Listed Buildings) (The Guardian) (Home in Italy) (DailyArt Magazine)

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Look up at the world's most stunning ceilings

The best is above

11/05/21 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Architecture

A decorative ceiling often proves the crowning architectural achievement of a church or palace. But ornate ceilings can also be found topping out hotels, malls, libraries, and other structures. So, where can you admire some of the best ceilings in the world?

Click through and crane your neck finding out.