A big big church in a big big world (Dominikanie Church (Warsaw, Poland))

Member Name: dangaroo

Product:	Dominikanie Church (Warsaw, Poland)
Date:	30/05/09 (31 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Enormous and interesting

Disadvantages: Not the most attractive building

I'm not really sure that Dominikanie Church is considered as a sightseeing destination but I thought I'd give you the lowdown on it when I was amidst a spell of reviews of sightseeing possibilities in the southern neighbourhoods of Poland's capital Warsaw.

Whilst the centre of the city is filled with lots of neat little churches and a battered old synagogue, the forever changing outer regions of the city have an array of religious buildings from Eastern Europe's first Sikh gurdwara in Raszyn through to some mammoth sized modern Catholic churches.

Dominikanie is the latter, a huge complex set upon a hill in Warsaw's Sluzew district, it's little known outside of the district and has an almost secluded location, set behind the rise of a hill on a side street living the busy Aleja Wilanowska in a strictly residential area. The first time I set eyes upon it, I was shocked to have not heard of something so huge as this.

Visually, it is one of those buildings that due to its size, no matter what angle you try to take a photo from, you can't seem to capture anything that resembles the building in any way, shape or form. It is sturdy, almost overpowering and it seems to be built with a purpose but could never be called attractive, it's a far cry from the traditional wealthy golden or fresco filled catholic church or monastery. It's not really bleak either but it just looks very efficient and bricky, like a modern day office block conversion in a former industrial or riverside area.

Dominikanie Church is one of the homes of Poland's Dominican monks, the monastery started being built in 1936, was put back a few years by the war but remains much the same with the exception of a few additional chambers from the 1990s which act as a Theological Institute. The complex has a parish of around 22,000 and are known for their work for rehabilitating families with problems as well as organising holidays for children from poor backgrounds.

Apart from its size, there's nothing that stands out about this building but if you are in the Sluzew area to visit any nearby sights (such as the forts), then it may be worth popping in.

Summary: The monks are in town