A Hobbit’s Haven: The Icelandic “Turf Churches”

Hofskirkja Church

Daniel Esparza - published on 05/02/16

In all of Iceland, only six of these temples still remain

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Imagine a small church, built for a small congregation, out of strictly stone and wood. Now, add a thick layer of soil, both in your walls and your roof. Now, plant some grass on it. Yes, you read that right.

Voilá! You just built yourself a nice, cozy, classic Icelandic “turf church”.

Sadly, the last time one of these churches was built in Iceland, following these traditional, original patterns, was back in the 19th century. In the whole country, only six of these still stand. Here, we offer you both a video and some pics that might encourage you to either pray or built your own turf chapel in your backyard

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Catholicism

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