Sitting at the highest point in Paris, in the Montmartre district, Sacre Coeur Basilica is one of Paris’s most famous landmarks. As the second highest viewing point in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Coeur Basilica provides one of the best views of Paris. Having been to Paris before, this cathedral definitely left a great impression on me, which is why Sacre Coeur Basilica was first on our list when arriving in Paris. This basilica is a great representation of Romano-byzantine architecture and how compelling this basilica is to tourism in Paris.
The construction of the Sacre Coeur started in 1875 by architect Paul Abadie and was finally finished in 1914. The architecture is so interesting and Finally in 1919, it was blessed a basilica and now is the only basilica in Paris. The idea for this basilica arose after the Franco- Prussian war. This church was built in part to show French nationalism after the war and was dedicated to the 58,000 Frenchman that lost their lives. Today, Sacre Coeur stands at 83 meters high, 83 meters wide and 35 meters long. It is certainly a great piece of architecture. This website has a lot of the history of the construction of Sacre Coeur: http://www.sacre-coeur-montmartre.com/us/basilique.html
As you look North all across Paris, the Sacre Coeur basilica highlights in the distance. The large dome predominates the structure and two symmetrical smaller domes sit beside it. It is a very pasty white color and has features that make it look like a mosque. The architecture is so unique for a church, which I think is why I was interested in it. Looking inside the cathedral, the dome boasts a large mosaic of Jesus Christ along with other great mosaics and paintings on the sides. It is pretty light and airy inside and is ordained with perfect stained glass. Inside, it boasts many pillars. It is quite a piece of work and you can tell that it took a long time to build this church because of all the incredible detail and thought put into it.
Perhaps my favorite part of Sacre Coeur is the dome. The centered, large dome is 272 feet in the air and for five Euros, it is available for visitors to climb. It takes about 15 minutes to ascend the 234 steps up to the breathtaking view of the city. Along the way up, visitors have a chance to walk on the outside of the rim on the church. Once all the way at the top, the view is gorgeous, especially on a bright, sunny day. You can spot the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, the Opera House, and the Invalides. It is an amazing feeling after climbing up all of the stairs and seeing that view!
Today, Sacre Coeur feels more like a tourist attraction than a sacred basilica. From the front, vendors, tour guides, tour buses and visitors pack the bright green lawn. When we arrived there, a daily mass was going on but it was still very noisy inside and people weren’t as considerate that people were actually attending mass and listening to the priest. This is a great tourist attraction I just wish that it kept some of its own holiness to it. I was talking to a native Parisian and she said that the tourism of Sacre Coeur has changed dramatically and now it has become hard to worship there since there is an extensive amount of people that venture there everyday, especially in high season. I found that it is more of a tourist attraction and not as sacred as the name leads it to be. It is obvious from the view why so many tourists flock here though.
There is definitely a lot more to the city of lights than the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Sacre Coeur is a great place to visit. Although it is a little touristy, it is a beautiful basilica, and atop the dome there is a picturesque view. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/france/paris-sacre-coeur.
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