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All the United States Oklahoma Tulsa Praying Hands

Praying Hands

These massive mitts are made of 30 tons of devotional bronze.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

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sparepart23
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Praying Hands   jill,jellidonut... whatever on Flickr
Praying Hands   jill,jellidonut... whatever on Flickr
Praying Hands   jill,jellidonut... whatever on Flickr
Praying Hnads   Joseph Novak on Flickr
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
  michaelnhartman / Atlas Obscura User
Beautiful day for a visit!   ohboylroy / Atlas Obscura User
Beautiful day for a visit!   ohboylroy / Atlas Obscura User
  David Brooks / Atlas Obscura User
  David Brooks / Atlas Obscura User
Pretty creepy at night   notoriousFIG / Atlas Obscura User
Praying Hands statue May 2021   JulsMaya / Atlas Obscura User
  breaingram / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  mandofd13 / Atlas Obscura User
March 22, 2021   biodieselbarry / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Installed at the entrance to one of the country's most controversial universities, the sculptural work known as "Praying Hands" lets any visitors know exactly what the college is all about.   

The hands were originally built outside of the City of Faith Medical and Research Center, a massive modern complex established as a holistic Christian hospital by the ultra religious Oral Roberts University. The sculpture was cast in 1980 in Mexico and shipped to Tulsa in a particularly labor intensive bit of cost-cutting. At 60 feet tall and over 30 tons of pure bronze, the supplicating hands were one of the largest pure bronze statues in the world when built.  One hand is from a casting of Oral’s hand and the other is from a casting of his son Richard’s hand.

In 1980, after the imposing hospital citadel was converted mostly to office space. the giant hands were then moved to the entrance of the Oral Roberts University campus where they remain today. The ultra-detailed (if over-sized) hands are forever locked in a prayer that even if it is unanswered, can certainly not be missed. They can even be seen from the airplane when touching down in Tulsa, and don't miss taking a stroll through the equally surreal Oral Roberts University campus which is full of retrofuturistic architecture.   

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Statues Colleges Art

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Added By

sparepart23

Edited By

redheadcounselor, EricGrundhauser, notoriousFIG, ohboylroy...

  • redheadcounselor
  • EricGrundhauser
  • notoriousFIG
  • ohboylroy
  • Collector of Experiences
  • David Brooks
  • breaingram
  • JulsMaya
  • michaelnhartman
  • SemiruralYeti
  • biodieselbarry
  • mandofd13

Published

December 4, 2014

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Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/03/john-chau-christian-missionary-death-sentinelese
  • http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11895
  • http://www.worldslargestthings.com/oklahoma/prayinghands.htm
  • http://roadsidewonders.net/giant-praying-hands/
Praying Hands
7777 South Lewis
Tulsa, Oklahoma
United States
36.048159, -95.956082
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