Zipaquira Salt Cathedral

It is so good to be back home!  It was almost a month long vacation visiting Colombia S.A. and this time I'm going to give you a small tour of this magnificent place I had the pleasure to visit. A Salt Cathedral in the town of Zipaquira, 48 Km. from Bogota.

When I told my kids we were going to visit a salt Cathedral they couldn't believe it. How could they possible build a church made out of salt? They asked me. I couldn't answer. I didn't know. That made the trip more exciting ;)

The structure is a masterpiece built by miners' hands and then it was turned into a magnificent temple.

The church was built within the tunnels of a salt mine 180 meters (590ft) underground, in this Halite (commonly known as rock salt, is the mineral form of sodium chloride), mountain.

Here at the entrance to the Cathedral we could smell the minerals.

A bit into it, darkness took its place.

A little farther down, lights let the visitors to discover the carved rock.

We kept walking down looking at the tunnels that house the Stations of the Cross.

The tour guy here, explaining this Station to my kids.

Each Station has a Cross and several kneeling platforms.

I'm here posing in front of one of those beautiful creations!

The rock salt beautifully carved.

At the end are three naves.  Each nave has beautiful sculptures carved by miners and sculptors.

These naves represent Jesus' birth and baptism, his life and death, and his resurrection.  Each one has an altar.

The main nave has a monumental cross, illuminated from the base up.

Posing with my kids and sister on a balcony overlooking the main nave.

A nativity.

 I liked all those layers on the walls.

But I also admired all the work done to create such an amazing art.

There are shops for you to get small salt sculptures or jewelry with diamonds or emeralds from around the area.

There is also a coffee chamber, where you can have a delicious Colombian coffee 180 meters underground!

Outside posing in front of the miner's monument.

Around Zipaquira, a small colonial town,

considered one of the oldest human settlements in the Americas.

A beautiful city that preserves some of its colonial times, like in its balconies, windows, and invaluable history!

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