Cologne Cathedral (Germany) - one of the largest church in the world

Excavations under the foundations of the cathedral proved that as early as 50 years after Christ, the Roman temple was erected in the same place. Later it was a bishop's church, and after 935 it was transformed from a nave church into a five-aisle church. In 1248, Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new gothic cathedral erected according to French designs.

Construction started in 1248. The choir was not completed until 1320, and was consecrated in 1322. Up to 1400, two floors of the southern tower were built, and from the 14th to the 16th century, the middle and side naves of the church were made to the height of 15 and 18 m. Nothing changed until the 19th century. In the years 1842-1880 construction was completed.

Soon after the construction was completed, the cathedral was considered a symbol of Germany.

The cathedral was celebrated in 1880 in the presence of William I.

The surface in the middle is 144 m long and 45 m wide, and the central nave is over 43 m high.

Cologne cathedral dedicated to Saint. St. Peter and Virgin Mary is a five-nave basilica with a three-nave transept (transverse nave, situated between the nave body and the presbytery) and presbytery (choir), surrounded by a byway and a wreath of seven chapels. The high, slender nave body closes the west façade with two towers, over which helmets are raised in the form of openwork spiers.

The apparent lightness, heavy stone structure and the play of light coming through colored windows, brings about the association of this place with the heavenly cathedral. An amazing impression of the lightness of the structure can be proved by the fact that a single nave of the nave's vault, weighs nearly 40 centuries.

These are works of art such as: the oldest preserved image of Christ on the cross from 970; reliquary of the Three Kings - the largest goldsmith's work in the world; the sculptures of the apostles, placed on pillars supporting the choir; medieval windows and wonderful works of art from the cathedral treasury; fourteenth-century stained glass; a three-part brush altar by Stephan Lochner; Archbishop Geron's crucifix before 976 with a supernatural statue of Christ.

During the Second World War, the vault of the nave and the northern side nave were destroyed. For eleven years, seventy workers were repairing losses. The work was based on the historic plans of the cathedral. Today, the Cologne Cathedral was again full of light.