KIRUNA, Sweden — The Kiruna Church, known as Kiruna Kyrka, is being relocated this week along a 3-mile route to a new city center. This move is necessary as the world’s largest underground iron-ore mine threatens to engulf the town. Thousands of visitors have gathered in Kiruna, located 124 miles above the Arctic Circle, to witness this historic event. The town is home to about 23,000 residents, including members of the Sami Indigenous community.

The church's vicar, Lena Tjärnberg, began the move with a blessing on Tuesday morning. The church had previously been lifted onto beams to facilitate its transport. The relocation is expected to conclude by Wednesday afternoon.

In 2001, the Kiruna Church was voted the “best building of all time, built before 1950” in a national poll. Constructed in 1912, the church was designed in a neo-Gothic style to reflect Sami architecture and was a gift from LKAB, the state-owned mining company. The church is considered the most iconic structure in Kiruna and was closed last year in preparation for the move. It is scheduled to reopen in its new location by the end of 2026.

Tjärnberg described the final service at the old site as bittersweet. "The last day you go down the stairs and close the church door, you know it’s going to be several years before you can open it — and in a new place," she said. "We don’t know how it’s going to feel to open the door."

The relocation has turned into a media spectacle, featuring an appearance by Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and performances from KAJ, Sweden’s 2025 Eurovision entry. The event is being livestreamed by the national broadcaster, promoting it as “The Great Church Walk.” Kiruna is a popular destination for tourists, known for its natural phenomena like the Midnight Sun and Northern Lights, as well as attractions such as the Icehotel and Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain.

British tourists Anita and Don Haymes altered their travel plans to witness the church's move. "It’s an amazing feat that they are doing," Anita Haymes said. "It’ll be interesting to see it moving, unbelievable."

However, not everyone supports the event. Lars-Marcus Kuhmunen, chairman of a Sami reindeer herding organization, expressed concerns that LKAB’s mining plans could disrupt reindeer migration routes and threaten the livelihoods of local herders.

The relocation of Kiruna’s town center has been in planning since 2004. As the mine expanded, residents noticed cracks in buildings and roads. To prevent further damage, officials decided to move structures to a safer location. As of July, 25 buildings had been relocated, with 16 remaining, including the church.

The church, weighing 741 tons and measuring 131 feet wide, required significant engineering efforts for its move. Engineers widened a major road and dismantled a viaduct to accommodate the church's transport. The church is being moved at a speed of approximately 0.31 to 0.93 miles per hour, with breaks for fika, a traditional Swedish coffee break. LKAB’s project manager, Stefan Holmblad Johansson, did not disclose the cost of the relocation.