Núpsstaðakirkja

The grass-covered turf church Núpsstaðakirkja is the first building in Iceland to receive protected status in 1930.

The earliest mentions of a church in this location date back to 1340. That church gradually fell into disrepair, and around 1600, this new one was built. It ceased to function as a church in 1765 but continued to be used as a prayer house. In 1930, it came under the management of the National Museum, and in 1972, it was restored to its current form, preserving the structure of the building, though the walls and roof were replaced.

You can find Núpsstaðakirkja on the abandoned farm of Núpsstaður on the southeastern coast of Iceland.