Next time you’re in a beautiful church, please do bow your head in prayer. But when you’re done, remember to gaze heavenward.
[See also: 21 Mesmerizing Photos of the World’s Most Beautiful Churches]
[See also: Wow! Medieval Cathedrals Used to Be Full of Brilliant Colors]
Here are 21 pictures of beautiful church ceilings. You can click on any image to enlarge it.
Enjoy!
Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood – St. Petersburg, Russia
![Hendrik Terbeck / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/15075190902_16ee60d577_h-1024x680.jpg)
Santa Maria della Vittoria – Rome, Italy
![Lawrence OP / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/5942455050_068f836d46_b-1024x683.jpg)
St. Stephen’s Basilica – Budapest, Hungary
![Miroslav Petrasko / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/7067008529_95e83caf71_b-1024x683.jpg)
Sagrada Familia – Barcelona, Spain
![shin--k / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/5762023666_3b86d70489_b-693x1024.jpg)
Church of the Holy Sepulchre – Jerusalem
![Werner Kunz / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/3367142405_0df04cd6ce_b-1024x685.jpg)
Church of the Gesù – Rome, Italy
![Gerwin Filius / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/16697758072_4313ab1448_k-1024x583.jpg)
Sainte-Chapelle – Paris, France
![Loïc Lagarde / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/16216486100_d899f4dd21_k-1024x683.jpg)
Tempio Civico della Beata Vergine Incoronata – Lodi, Italy
![Giovanni / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/12520723513_debe880af8_k-1024x684.jpg)
Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière – Lyon, France
![Dennis Jarvis / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/15507106013_46095414d2_k-1024x683.jpg)
Horezu Monastery – Horezu, Romania
![fusion-of-horizons / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/15239247200_ae759d2cd9_k-1024x591.jpg)
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis – St. Louis, MO
![Thomas Hawk / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/16199119702_2bae34d68c_k-1024x683.jpg)
[See also: Behold, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, Hidden Gem of the Midwest]
Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere – Rome, Italy
![András Fülöp / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/16838091757_7442c9940a_k-768x1024.jpg)
Holy Savior Cathedral – Isfahan, Iran
![Jurriaan Persyn / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/14868641878_876973b36d_k-1024x683.jpg)
Hagia Sophia – Istanbul, Turkey
![Hervé BRY / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/14121879262_23ff44fe46_k-1024x683.jpg)
Isaakievskiy Sobor – St. Petersburg, Russia
![Benjamin Jakabek / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/15178891982_8104ad9941_k-1024x683.jpg)
St. Peter’s Basilica – Vatican City
![Jason Pier in DC / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/5123264109_ec4956f9c9_b-1024x681.jpg)
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception – Washington D.C.
![YU-JEN SHIH / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/13896375099_e537287b09_k-1024x682.jpg)
Baptistry of Saint John – Florence, Italy
![Shane Lin / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/16164027413_f0d7b327b0_k-1024x683.jpg)
Morelia Cathedral – Morelia, Mexico
![Jiuguang Wang / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/8468980361_56da440769_k-1024x683.jpg)
Sant’Andrea della Valle – Rome, Italy
![Albert / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/4755224507_6d1fa1736c_o-683x1024.jpg)
And of course…
Sistine Chapel – Vatican City
![Philip Milne / Flickr](https://www.churchpop.com/content/images/wordpress/2015/04/2081446863_806e46a43a_b-837x1024.jpg)