There’s something eerily beautiful about the ruins of
these old churches which were all abandoned and
forgotten for various reasons. Some played important
historical roles during times of war and civil unrest,
while others depict the challenges and hardships faced
by our modern world. Now, all that remains of these
architectural wonders are parts of the physical
structures which provide a strange and fascinating look
into what once existed.
1. Geamăna, Romania
The village of Geamăna Romania was destroyed when
the valley was flooded by polluted water from a nearby
open copper mine. Today the ruins of the village church
stand straight out of the toxic red colored waters.

2. Yaropolets, Russia
The Kazan Theotokos Church, though now a
guarded abandoned site is still the only Russian double-
domed church which was built by the Russian Count
and military General Zakhar Chernyshev.

3. Caen, France
The beautiful ruins of the St-Etienne-le-Vieux Church
still stand in Caen France Today. The church and much
of the city were destroyed during The Battle of
Normandy in World War II.

4. Rome, Italy
The ruins of the Church of San Bonaventura stand on
what was once the village of Monterano in Rome. The
village and sadly its occupants were set on fire by the
French Army during a brutal and unexpected attack at
the end of the 18th century.

Ancient of days..

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Bring back our churches

5. Detroit, Michigan
The city of Detroit was once the 10th largest city in the
United States, but due to job losses and many residents
vacating, the city suffered an economic crisis and was
forced to file for bankruptcy in 2013. Today many of
the cities buildings are abandoned.

6. Ross Island, India
Ross Island, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
of India was held under British occupation and used as
a seat of power for the British during World War II. In
1941, an earthquake shook the island causing damage
and also resulted in the eventual abandonment of this
site. Today many ruins remain of the once lavish
buildings including the church.

7. Coimbra, Portugal
The Portuguese Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha was
built in the 14th century on the Mondego River in the
city of Coimbra. The building had to be abandoned in
the 17th century due to repeated flooding. Today the
church has been restored and is open to visitors looking
to see a glimpse of it’s beautiful past.

8. Bodie, California
The town of Bodie in California’s Sierra Nevada
Mountain range boomed after gold was first discovered
in 1876 and the town boomed during this rush from
1877-1880. However, like most gold rush towns, all
good things must come to an end and Bodie was no
different. The decline started in the early 1900′s and
it’s now an abandoned ghost town with many
structures like the church still standing reminding us of
its once glorious past.

9. St. George’s, Bermuda
The Unfinished Church sits as a reminder of what never
came to be in the small town of St. George’s on
Bermuda’s northeast end. Construction on this site
began in 1874 after the existing church was damaged
‘beyond repair’ by a storm. Construction was quickly
halted after a decision to repair the original church
instead of building a new one and in 1926 a storm
destroyed much of what construction had been done on
the ‘Unfinished Church’. Today the site is part of the
St. Georges UNESCO World Heritage Site

10. Dumfries, Scotland
The beautiful ruins of Lincluden Collegiate Church sit on
the northern outskirts of Dumfries Scotland. Founded
circa 1160, this relic was later abandoned in 1700 and
today the remains are a heritage protected building
which can still be visited by the public.

11. Gary, Indiana
Once a booming steel town and birthplace of the
Jackson 5 musical group, this town near Chicago
Illinois has seen hard times as a result of the steel
industry which the city was built on. In 2013 an
estimated one third of all homes were reportedly
unoccupied or abandoned as are many public buildings
like the city’s Methodist Church featured below.

12. Ani, Turkey
Ani was once the capital city of the medieval Armenian
Kingdom that covered much of what is now Armenia
and Eastern Turkey. Between 961 – 1045 it played an
important role as it stood on many trade routes and its
building were considered some of the most
technologically and artistically advanced in the world.
Ani was later abandoned during the 16th and 17th
centuries but remnants of this ‘City of 1001 Churches’
still remain today including the Church of the Redeemer
seen below.

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