Colombia – interior of the Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá, located in old Halite Mine

Colombia - interior of the Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá, located in old Halite Mine

The interior of the Catedral de Sal, or the Salt Cathedral, in Zipaquirá, located about 49 kilometres north of the Capital city of Bogota, at an altitude of 2652 metres above sea level on the Andes, in the department of Cundinamarca, Colombia, South America. Though called a Cathedral, it is a church and not a Cathedral; it is in use every Sunday. The new Cathedral, located several hundred feet below the surface of the earth, in an old Halite mine, has been built about 200 feet below the older one. It was completed in 1995. Lit by LED lights which constantly change colour; the church is a popular tourist and pilgrimage destination. The cross behind the altar is said to be the largest ‘indoor’ cross in the world. The mines have been excavated from pre-Colombian times by the Muisca people dating back to the 5th Century BC. The photo shot in horizontal format, showing the main (barrel) vault that forms the actual church, was taken from from the Choir loft, about 50 feet above the actual floor level of the Church, with the camera on a tripod, and a slow shutter speed causing motion blur of people who appear in the photo. Mano Chandra Dhas

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