Places near me Random place
All the Philippines Manila San Sebastian Church
AO Edited

San Sebastian Church

A church made of steel.

Manila, Philippines

Added By
Jon Opol
San Sebastian Church   Jon Opol / Atlas Obscura User
San Sebastian Church  
Church interiors   Jon Opol / Atlas Obscura User
  icatsstaci / Atlas Obscura User
San Sebastian Church   Jon Opol / Atlas Obscura User
Unpainted steel doors showing its age   Jon Opol / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the middle of the city of Manila, a soaring church with a green-painted gothic twin spire dominates the skyline. What is not obvious from afar is that this church is made of steel, in fact, the steel building is the San Sebastian Basilica, a minor basilica of the Roman Catholic Church in Manila.

Completed in 1891, the church was built with the intentions to withstand fire, which has been an issue in this dense part of the city. It was also designed to withstand earthquakes. The design is a fusion of baroque and neo-gothic inspired from the Burgos Cathedral in Spain. The church was listed as one of the most endangered monuments in the world by the World Monuments Fund in the 2010 World Monuments Watch

Related Tags

Design History & Culture Architecture Churches

Know Before You Go

Located a few minutes walk from Legarda Station of the LRT 2 (light rail) and a few blocks away from Carriedo station in Quiapo of LRT1 (light train).

Community Contributors

Added By

Jon Opol

Published

August 31, 2022

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos

Nearby Places

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Manila

Manila

Philippines

Places 10
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Chalmers Memorial Church

    Port Seton, Scotland

    Chalmers Memorial Church

    The true beauty of this church is showcased in the hand-painted stencils across the ceiling.

  • Pine Valley Chapel built without nails in 1868.

    Pine Valley, Utah

    Pine Valley Chapel

    This church was constructed by a shipbuilder and designed like an upside-down boat.

  • St. Rumbold’s Cathedral

    Mechelen, Belgium

    St. Rumbold's Cathedral

    The tallest church in Mechelen might have been the tallest in the world if not for a lack of funds.

  • Dome of San Lorenzo.

    Turin, Italy

    The Dome of San Lorenzo

    The intricate geometry inside this Baroque-style dome was designed to create "terror of the human soul."

  • Looking up from the bottom of the hill.

    Minot, North Dakota

    Gol Stave Church Museum

    This museum is a full-size replica of an original church constructed during the 13th-century.

  • Church of St. Sophia in Nessebar

    Nessebar, Bulgaria

    Hagia Sophia Church

    This fifth-century church is one of the oldest Christian sites in the Balkans.

  • Murals inside the Church of St. Stephen in Nessebar

    Nessebar, Bulgaria

    Church of St. Stephen

    Step inside this medieval Orthodox gem and travel back to the 16th century.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member

Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member