10 Of The Most Famous Doors In The World
By: Xtreme eDeals
Doors play a fairly important role in most homes. After all, they are how you get in and out of it, and are typically one of the first things to grab your attention when you visit any property.
However, some doors are more important than others, with such unbelievable backstories that you might even struggle to believe them. Without further ado, here are 10 famous doors and what you need to know about them.
10 Downing Street’s Door
The door at 10 Downing Street in the city of Westminster looks like many others. It’s black with a stunning black knocker and a striking gold mail slot.
However, there’s more to number 10 than meets the eye. It’s the entrance to the British Government’s executive branch. Did you know it’s also where England’s prime minister lives?
The building in which this door is set has an arched glass transom and white pillars. The door also has a hard-to-miss white number 10 written on it. It has remained largely the same in design since 1772, but it’s not the same door.
Instead, the old wooden door was replaced with a blast-proof steel version of it after the IRA mortar attacks in 1991.
The U.S. Bank Stadium Entrance
The U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a thing of beauty. And you’d expect nothing less, especially as it cost $1.061 billion to build.
However, aside from the unique design with a lightweight translucent roof and glass wall panels, the door is also noteworthy. Well, doors.
This stadium has giant pivoting doors that let in huge amounts of natural light. These doors are also considered some of the largest operable doors in the world, at 95 feet high with a 350-degree swing.
The Columbus Doors
Have you ever seen a more spectacular set of doors? The Columbus Doors were produced in 1855 in Germany and were finally transported to the United States in 1863, with delays resulting from the American Civil War.
They feature gorgeous bronze panels with depictions of Christopher Columbus’s life from the year 1487 until 1506.
If you’d like to see these doors in person, pay a visit to the U.S Capitol Building. They are the entrance to the Rotunda – and oh, what a dramatic entrance it is!
The Ishtar Gate
King Nebuchadnezzar II ordered the Ishtar Gate in 575 BC as the eighth gate to Babylon’s inner city. Originally, it was considered one of the original wonders of the world before the Lighthouse of Alexandria took its spot.
But that doesn’t make the Ishtar Gate any less impressive. Its deep blue gate with a cedar roof and frame lure you in for a closer look, while the door’s artwork with Marduk, the dragon god, is bound to impress.
If you look close enough, you can also see the golden lions and bulls surrounding Marduk.
What’s even more spectacular about this gate is that it was reconstructed in the 20th century using original bricks found in an excavation between 1902 and 1913. It’s now featured in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin.
Florence Baptistery/Baptistery of Saint John Doors
It won’t take long to realize why Michelangelo called the doors leading to the Florence Baptistery the Gates of Paradise. These large, bronze doors with 28 intricate panels are a sight to behold.
The baptistery was built between 1059 and 1128, and the doors were one of the most critical features considered during the construction process. Andrea Pisano designed the south doors in 1329, and they were originally located on the east side.
On that door, 20 of the 28 panels depict St. John the Baptist’s life, while the remaining eight are representations of the eight virtues: hope, faith, charity, humility, fortitude, temperance, justice, and prudence.
A competition was held in 1401 to design the north side’s doors. Judges couldn’t decide between Filippo Brunelleschi and Lorenzo Ghiberti, so they requested them to work on the doors together. Filippo refused to work with Lorenzo, and he left.
For the next 21 years, Lorenzo worked on a beautiful 28-panel design for the north doors and was then commissioned to do the east doors, which took another 27 years.
Palmer House Hotel Doors
The very first Palmer House hotel opened its very lovely doors in late September 1871. However, less than two weeks later, it burned down in the Great Chicago Fire. A second Palmer House was constructed, and, later, 25 extra stories were added.
Conrad Hilton purchased the hotel in 1945 and renamed it the Palmer House Hilton.
To this day, it has two large, peacock-covered bronze doors designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The same doors have remained in place since 1873.
All Saints Church Entrance
The entrance to All Saints Church isn’t actually all that exciting, but what happened to it is what makes it so famous. Martin Luther visited the Wittenberg All Saints Church in 1517.
He wrote the 95 theses, which was a list of grievances against the catholic church, and nailed it to the church door. This essentially was the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation.
The church was later destroyed by fire, but a commemorative bronze door was set in place when it was rebuilt.
Coral Castle Entrance
The Coral Castle entrance can’t help but blow people’s minds. Coral Castle is located in Leisure City, Florida, and it was built by a Latvian immigrant called Edward Leedskalnin.
Many people have often wondered how a five-foot, 110-pound man could move 1,100 coral on his own, but he did.
The door to the Coral Castle also consists of a single coral block. It weighs nine tons, stands at 92 inches tall, and is 21 inches thick. No one knows how he got it there, but that’s not the only mystery. You can open this heavy door with a light fingertip push.
St. Peter’s Basilica Doors
One of the holiest places you could ever visit as a catholic is St. Peter’s Basilica. This large church was designed by Michelangelo and Bramante and is the resting place of Saint Peter. It’s also one of the largest churches in the world.
These points are pretty fascinating, but the Holy Door is what usually gets all the attention. Only the pope can open this door on holy years, which is just once every 25 years. The next one is in 2025.
Westminster Abbey Entryway
The former Collegiate Church of St. Peter at Westminster, now known as Westminster Abbey, is one of the most famous religious buildings in the UK. At least 16 royal weddings have been held there since 1100.
And if this church’s doors could talk, it would have some fascinating stories to tell.
In the 19th century, people noticed how fragments of hide were stuck within the doors. Some people believed it was human skin and that criminals had their skin flayed and nailed to the door. As it turns out, the oak doors featured cowhide, so that’s a relief.
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