What is there to see at the Salt Cathedral near Bogotá?
In Colombia there are different tourist destinations, each and every one of them with their own characteristics that make them stand out, but none like the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira.
Curiously, around the world some of the most interesting tourist attractions are those related to religious aspects, not necessarily temples and the like, but images or structures.
Some examples of these are highly recognised internationally, such as the images or representations of Buddha found in Asia, the Buddhist temples and mosques where religious acts are performed, and the statue of Christ the Redeemer in São Paulo, Brazil, among others.
Salt Cathedral in Colombia
In Colombia there are also some similar places, among which we highlight the salt cathedral located in Zipaquirá, which has some truly amazing features that you will not easily find anywhere else in the world.
Important aspects of the Zipaquirá salt cathedral:
- Location of the Salt Cathedral
The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is located in the Salt Park, which is in the municipality of Zipaquirá, department of Cundinamarca in Colombia.
- How to get to the Salt Cathedral
This municipality is located approximately 49 kilometres from the capital of Colombia, Bogotá. There are different ways to get there. One of these is by public transport, in which you must board a bus at the Transmilenio portal that takes you to the north station and there you will walk to the exit of the inter-municipal buses that will take you to the municipality of Zipaquirá , for 7000 Colombian pesos you can take a taxi that will take you to the entrance of the Salt Cathedral ,
- Option of private transport to the Cathedral
If you want comfort and safety to go to the Salt Cathedral near Bogotá, you can also go with a transfers & tours service that will pick you up at the door of your hotel, guide you during the tour telling you the main features of the city of Bogotá and its surroundings, and in the municipality of Zipaquirá, it will show you the main squares after visiting the cathedral of salt and enjoying a delicious traditional lunch, and then return to the hotel in the afternoon. It is a good alternative.
History of the Salt Cathedral
One of the most important aspects of this destination is its architectural composition. The cathedral is located 180 metres underground inside a salt mine that, as a curious fact, has been exploited since 1801. It is embedded in the Zipaquira hill which is 2652 metres above sea level.
To tell you a little more about the history of the salt cathedral, it is worth mentioning that although the mine has been in operation since 1801, the cathedral was not built until the 1990s. However, the story goes that in 1930, when miners were working there, they built a makeshift chapel in one of the tunnels, so that they would have a place to pray.
However, it was closed in 1992 because it was considered unsafe, which led to the construction of the new church in 1995, for which it was necessary to extract 250,000 tons of salt and which initially managed to accommodate up to 10,000 believers and pilgrims.
What to see in the Salt Cathedral
So that you can learn a little more about how it is laid out, we can tell you that this project by architect Roswell Garavito Pearl comprises three specific points.
- The Stations of the Cross:
In which the entrance door is located, this leads to the tunnel where the Stations of the Cross structures are located, which are made up of small altars carved in salt rock, this tunnel leads to the next point known as the dome.
- The dome:
This point has a descent ramp and balconies, and here you can see a large cross carved in bas-relief. From here you can reach the balconies above the chambers, the choir and the stairs of the Narthex labyrinth.
- The naves of the cathedral:
At the last point of the site we find the naves of the cathedral which lead to the centre of the cathedral, where its spatial structures are divided, and which are connected by a crevice that symbolises the birth and death of Christ.
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The Zipaquirá salt cathedral is undoubtedly one of the tourist destinations that you cannot miss if you come to Colombia and specifically to this area of the country.