Cathedral took more than 600 years to complete in Germany

Located on the historic Rhine River and having witnessed two World Wars, Germany's Cologne Cathedral is considered by UNESCO to be one of the most beautiful Gothic architectural works in Europe and has been a world heritage site since 1996.

Thánh đường mất hơn 600 năm mới hoàn thành ở Đức

Cologne Cathedral in Germany took more than 600 years to complete at a cost of £20 million. (Source: Arkeonews)

Cologne Cathedral, German name DITIB-Zentralmoschee Köln, began construction in 1248 but was abandoned and not restarted until 1840 and officially completed 40 years later.

The church is designed with glass walls, a pair of ancient towers and a pointed roof, with a total area of 4,500m2 and a total construction cost of 20 million pounds, accommodating up to 4,000 people. The facade of the church is paved with marble, among the largest in Christian buildings.

From 1880 to 1884, the Cathedral was the tallest building in the world, but lost this title after the completion of the Washington Monument and the Eiffel Tower. However, the Cathedral is still the second tallest church in Germany (after Ulmer Cathedral) and the third tallest in the world (after Seville Cathedral and Milan Cathedral).

The windows are designed high, with many panels with typical Gothic arches, helping to get a lot of natural light.

There are 5 bells in the Cathedral, of which the St. Peter Bell is the heaviest at 24 tons. Standing on the bell tower, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the city of Cologne and the Rhine River.

Despite being hit by 14 air bombs and 70 fire bombs during World War II, the Cathedral was lucky to survive and became the symbol of Germany as it is today. (Source: Flickr)

Cologne Cathedral holds many works of art. Among them is the design document of Cologne Cathedral drawn on sheepskin, which is considered the most precious item of the Cathedral and a rare document for research and study of 12th-century architectural art.

In addition, in 1164, the relics of three doctors of theology from Milan were transferred to Cologne Cathedral. In addition, the portraits, the Saint's crucifixes, the Eucharist, and the Gospels are all preserved intact in the Cathedral.

The cathedral has also witnessed many historical turning points in the hexagonal country. During the French Revolution, it was turned into a prison, some areas of the grounds were converted into storage rooms and stables while the furniture was used as firewood.

Cologne Cathedral was hit by 14 air bombs and 70 fire bombs during World War II, but fortunately, the Cathedral did not collapse and remained standing in a devastated city.

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