But this Lutheran church some 200 kilometers (120 miles) above the Arctic Circle seeks to incorporate the region's minority languages — Northern Sami, Finnish and Meänkieli – into worship services, carrying on an inclusive ethos that has been a cornerstone of the historic wooden church since its founding in 1912.

The fascinating city relocation project in Kiruna, Sweden, reaches a new milestone as the iconic Kiruna Church is moved in one piece.

The Kiruna Church – called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish – and its belfry are being moved this week along a three-mile route to a new city centre as part of the town’s relocation. The world’s largest underground iron-ore mine is threatening to swallow the town,

Construction signs are placed outside the Kiruna Church, a Sami style wooden Swedish Lutheran church, called Kiruna Kyrka in Swedish, in Kiruna, Sweden, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, a day before it will be moved along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town’s relocation. (AP Photo/Malin Haarala)

Watch live as an entire church in Sweden begins its move to its new home on Tuesday, 19 August. Kiruna Church is being relocated to save it from ground subsidence and the expansion of the world's largest underground iron ore mine.

The Kiruna Church and its belfry are being moved this week along a 5-kilometer (3-mile) route east to a new city center as part of the town’s relocation.

Video: Sweden moves 672-ton church 5km to the left to save it from being swallowed by giant mine The 113-year-old Kiruna Church, one of Sweden's largest wooden structures and often voted its most beautiful, had to move in order to make way for the expansion of the world's largest underground iron ore mine.

The historic Kiruna Church in Swedish Lapland, known for its multicultural inclusivity, has been relocated due to mining activities. Emphasizing minority languages such as Northern Sami alongside Swedish,