A public open house will begin this week for the Arequipa Peru Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is the country’s third temple. Peru has a Church membership of more than 605,000.
The free open house begins on Friday, November 15, and continues through Saturday, November 30, 2019. The temple will be closed on Sundays during that time, November 17 and 24. The tour hours are Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. No reservations are needed.
The temple will be dedicated by President Russell M. Nelson on Sunday, December 15, 2019, and a youth devotional will be held on Saturday, December 14.
The bride's room inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
A stylized version of the Flor de Texao Arequipa is used in many places throughout the temple — in the carved hardwood, art glass windows, metal fixtures, stonework and flooring, and decorative painting.
Detailed carpets inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
The Flor de Texao Arequipa is also featured in the art glass window panels on the exterior of the temple. Of special note are the large windows on the landing and at both central axes of the structure.
In addition to white and cream carpets, interior floors feature Perlantino marble tiling from Italy as well as multi-colored woolen area rugs from China.
The temple’s walls and corridors are adorned with giclee prints of familiar and beloved artwork depicting the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
The baptistry inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
A Spanish-style water fountain near the main entrance of the temple is of similar design to those seen in other plazas and courtyards of Arequipa.
The landscape design highlights a mixture of grasses, flowers, shrubs, and trees native to the region that beautify the gardens surrounding the temple. Among the many plants found in the gardens are the cantuta, the national flower of Peru; the queñua, a small Andean tree found at higher elevations; and the achupaya, traditionally used in Incan handicrafts. There are dozens of additional flowering trees, evergreens, and palms.
Patrons will be able to enter the temple on Thursday, December 19.
A sealing room inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
Other temples in Peru are located in Lima and Trujillo and a fourth, the Lima Peru Los Olivos Temple, is currently under construction. Ground was broken earlier this year for that temple.
A staircase inside Arequipa Peru Temple
An instruction room inside Arequipa Peru Temple
The celestial room inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
A stained glass window inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
A waiting room inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
The recommend desk inside the Arequipa Peru Temple
All images from the Church's newsroom
