“These are the stunning images of some of Americas most breathtaking churches – all of which are abandoned. Matthew Christopher travels around the United States taking shots of its most beautiful decaying wonders. He shot those in his churches series in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he works as a photographer and lecturer. Matthew’s fascination with such abandoned spaces started when he was a child when he enjoyed looking at artwork set in buildings that have since decayed”. – Caters News. Photo: St. Boniface Church, Philadelphia Pa. (Photo by Matthew Christopher/Caters News)

The photos, created by Tito Mouraz in Portugal, look too surreal, and it takes a while to realize that these are actually not painting but reality. The way people can completely transform the terrain is very reminiscent of the way people tend to change themselves. Chip away the granite of their soul, turning it into something that fits their idea of perfection. However, in the end, most of them end up with an obscene parody of beauty, rather than something truly marvelous. The reason for it is probably that people are actually oblivious to the true image of beauty, making them stumble around in the dark, hoping to find something that might not exist at all. (Photo by Tito Mouraz)

Storm clouds gather over the scene outside the Jewish Community Center in Leawood, Kansas following a shooting, on April 13, 2014. (Photo by John Sleezer/Kansas City Star/MCT)

A woman watches the St. Patrick's day parade in Dublin, Ireland on March 17, 2017. St. Patrick's Day is marked annually on 17 March to commemorate Saint Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland. (Photo by Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)

A woman enjoys her last alcoholic drink on December 4, 2020 in Cardiff, Wales. Following a firebreak period that ran from October 23 to November 9 the Welsh Government have introduced new rules which will prevent pubs, restaurants and cafes from selling alcohol at any time from 6pm on Friday. The rules will be reviewed on December 17. (Photo by Wales News Service)

Guardian of the Mangroves – Overall Winner. Tanya Houppermans, Cuba. A curious American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) swims right up to Tanya, at Gardens of the Queen (Jardines De La Reina), an archipelago off the coast of Cuba. It has been strictly protected since 1996, and is one of the most untouched marine ecosystems in the world. ‍ “The healthy population of American crocodiles is down to the pristine condition of the mangroves and I wanted to capture close ups of this gentle giant in its natural habitat. I hope this image can illustrate that protecting areas like this is so critical”. (Photo by Tanya Griffin Houppermans/Mangrove Photographer of the Year)

A Ukrainian servicewoman walks at a position, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Luhansk Region, Ukraine on April 26, 2022. (Photo by Serhii Nuzhnenko/Reuters)

“Rosslyn Chapel, properly named the Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew, was founded on a small hill above Roslin Glen as a Roman Catholic collegiate church (with between four and six ordained canons and two boy choristers) in the mid-15th century. Rosslyn Chapel and the nearby Roslin Castle are located at the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland”. – Wikipedia

Photo: The interior of Rosslyn Chapel on February 9, 2012 in Roslin, Scotland. Built between 1446 and 1484 it is a category A listed building, covered in ornate stonework and carvings of individual figures and scenes. People travel from all over the world to visit the chapel which many have described as an architectural wonder and a library in stone. Many theories, myths and legends associated with the Chapel have given it a unique sense of mystery and wonder. (Photo by Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images)