I admit to a sense of trepidation when Ben & Maria took me to see this incredible feat of Colombian architecture. Focusing on rational thoughts like the fact hundreds of people go through this mine every day, did little to calm my racing heart, fueled by my irrational claustrophobia.
The Salt Cathedral is Roman Catholic church, 200m underground in a Halite mountain near Zipaquira; about 50km from Bogota. Zipaquira is the old human settlement in Colombia and the most ancient remains have been found here. The “muiscas”, the indigenous people of the area, have been mining and trading salt here since pre-Colombian times, dating back to 5th Century BC.
The mine itself is the biggest halite mine in the world and the walls do not require supports, making it very economical. A long time ago, the miners carved a place for daily prayers to ask for protection before beginning their work each day. In 1932 a church was carved into the mine and from 1950 – 54 it was extended into a much more elaborate and larger church. It had three naves and a monumental cross, six main columns and a capacity for 8000 people. In 1990 the church was shut down by the authorities due to concerns about safety.
After wining a contest for a new design, the architect Roswell Garavito Pearl began overseeing the construction of a new cathedral in 1995 into old, unused caves and tunnels. The new church is HUGE! It has 15 chapels and 3 naves and over 3000 people attend mass here Sunday.
The whole salt “park” itself covers 32 hectares, so no wonder we were inside for over 5 hours! There is just so much to see, including a salt dome, an auditorium, museum, mirro lake, cinema with a 15 minute presentation about the mine and its history, and tunnels to explore. We also went on a short excursion as “miners”. This was not easy for me as it meant going off the main tourist track and out of the cathedral and into smaller tunnels – eeek!!
Overall it was an amazing experience and one of the most incredible things I have seen!
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