Deep in the forests of Central Java, a majestic bird rises through the trees. No, this is not an exotic and rare endangered species. Rather, it is a building. Specifically, a church. In this Indonesian forest, this magnificently bizarre bird building is surely a sight to behold. Dubbed Gereja Ayam, which is Indonesian for ‘chicken church’, it is perched, mid-crow, in the forest near Magelang. Construction began in the 90s, as a response to an apparent divine calling. Daniel Alamsjah, 67, claimed he received a message from god telling him to build a church in the shape of a dove. Clearly, this did not go quite to plan. Nonetheless, it attracts hundreds of tourists each year, and it is not hard to see why. Spiralling construction costs meant that the church was forced to close its doors in 2000, but that has not stopped it becoming a sight of pilgrimage for those determined to see such a spectacle.
