Old Karasjok Church ( no, Karasjok gamle kirke) is a former
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
of the
Church of Norway
The Church of Norway ( nb, Den norske kirke, nn, Den norske kyrkja, se, Norgga girku, sma, Nöörjen gærhkoe) is an evangelical Lutheran denomination of Protestant Christianity and by far the largest Christian church in Norway. The church b ...
in
Karasjok Municipality
( se, Kárášjohka ; fkv, Kaarasjoki) is a municipality in Troms og Finnmark county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Karasjok. Other villages include Dorvonjárga, Šuoššjávri, and Váljohka.
Th ...
in
Troms og Finnmark
Troms og Finnmark (; sme, Romsa ja Finnmárku ; fkv, Tromssa ja Finmarkku; fi, Tromssa ja Finnmark, lit. Troms and Finnmark in English language, English), is a Counties of Norway, county in Northern Norway, northern Norway that was established ...
county,
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. It is located in the
village of Karasjok. It used to be the main church for the Karasjok
parish
A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...
which is part of the
Indre Finnmark prosti
Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...
(
deanery
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...
) in the
Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland
Nord-Hålogaland ( no, Nord-Hålogaland bispedømme) is a diocese in the Church of Norway. It covers the Church of Norway churches in Troms og Finnmark county as well as in the territory of Svalbard. The diocese is seated in the city of Tromsø ...
. The Old Karasjok Church is the oldest Lutheran church in Finnmark county, and the only building in the municipality to survive
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
undamaged. The church is no longer regularly used, but it is utilized occasionally for special situations such as weddings.
History
The white, wooden church was built in a
cruciform
Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design.
Cruciform architectural plan
Christian churches are commonly described ...
style in 1807 on the basis of designs by the
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Daniel Storch. It served as the main parish church for Karasjok from 1807 until 1974 when the new
Karasjok Church was completed. In 1858, the
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is usually located ...
was enlarged by adding on to the building. Until 1902, the church had a domed
turret
Turret may refer to:
* Turret (architecture), a small tower that projects above the wall of a building
* Gun turret, a mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon
* Objective turret, an indexable holder of multiple lenses in an optical microscope
* Mi ...
, but in 1902 a
steeple was built to replace the dome.
Media gallery
Karasjok church Savio.jpg, ''Karasjok kirke'' by John Savio
John Andreas Savio (28 January 1902 – 13 April 1938Nerhus, Hans (1982) ''John Andreas Savio : Same og kunstner : En monografi'', Forlaget Form og Farge, Oslo. . ) was a Sami artist from Norway who was known for his woodcuts. He is thought t ...
(1927)
Karasjok gamle kirke fra veien.JPG,
Karasjok gamle kyrkje Wilse.jpeg,
Karasjok gamle kyrkje.jpg,
NH BD Karasjok gamle kirke.jpg,
NH BD Karasjok kirke innvendig.jpg,
See also
*
List of churches in Nord-Hålogaland
References
{{use dmy dates, date=February 2021
Karasjok
Churches in Finnmark
Wooden churches in Norway
Cruciform churches in Norway
19th-century Church of Norway church buildings
Churches completed in 1807
1807 establishments in Norway
Millennium sites