Like any capital, Tallinn has a unique and great history. And therefore it is obvious that in such cities, as a rule, a huge number of various attractions are concentrated that delight tourists and which local residents are proud of. The Estonian capital is already 800 years old. During this time, on its expanses there are many wonderful architectural objects. One of them is the Dome Cathedral. Thanks to him, Tallinn became famous throughout the world. The construction is considered the oldest church in the city. It was built by the Danes back in the 13th century. And during its existence, the cathedral had a chance to see wars, and epidemics, and robberies.
The history of the cult
Dome Cathedral (Tallinn) is dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary. This is a Lutheran church, it is located in the Old Town of the capital of Estonia on Toom Kooli Street, house six. The full name of the object sounds like the Tallinn Episcopal Dome Church. Today, unfortunately, we cannot see the temple as it was originally built. After all, the attraction was repeatedly reconstructed and rebuilt, but because much has changed in it. The building of the cathedral was erected on the site of the old wooden church, built in 1219.
The Dome Cathedral (Tallinn) was erected in 1240. After half a century, it was decided on the first reconstruction of the monastery. With the advent of the 15th century, they wanted to remake the temple into a basilica. In 1648, a terrible fire occurred during which the south tower was destroyed. Many lost the decor of the church. After these events, after 90 years, an extreme change was made to the appearance of the building. Above it was built a western baroque tower. And in the XIX century, the Berlin master installed a huge organ in the cathedral.
Today, the Dome Cathedral has three towers. Central continued the altar. The bell tower is located on the west side of the attraction.
Cathedral bells
The Dome Cathedral (Tallinn), the address of which we indicated in the article, is famous for its bells. It contains four bronze bells. Two of them were cast in the 17th century. But the most famous is the bell of the Virgin Mary. It was made shortly after the terrible fire that occurred in the temple in 1865. The image of the Virgin and Child adorns this alarm. And on both sides of the face of the Holy engraved poem in German.
Unusual exhibits of the shrine
Dome Cathedral (Tallinn) on its territory stores a number of unique exhibits. Inside the church there are many religious objects that were created by leading sculptors, jewelers and artists of those times. In the very center of the temple is the altar, which at the end of the 17th century was made by K. Ackerman. Among the masterpieces of this master in the cathedral there is also the sculpture of Moses with the Ten Commandments. An artist from Germany E. Gebhardt painted an altar canvas.
The Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Mary in its walls stores two lodges. One is made in the classical style and belonged to the Patkul family. The second was the property of the Manteuffel family and was made in the Baroque style. The shrine’s unique exhibits include the altar of the Virgin Mary, as well as the face of Christ called “Come to Me”.
A large number of burials of famous historical figures are also located within the walls of a religious building. For example, the burial place of the famous Russian navigator Admiral Kruzenshtern. And in the basement of the facility there are over a hundred tombstones that date back to the 13th - 18th centuries. In addition, coats of arms and epitaphs of historical figures are stored here.
The organ of the Dome Cathedral is worthy of special mention. It is famous for its luxurious sound and is considered one of the best in Tallinn. Today in the church is a tool made in 1878 by master F. Ladegast in Berlin.
Interesting about the cathedral
Any sightseeing tours to Tallinn involve visiting the Dome Cathedral, which keeps a lot of interesting facts about itself. So, the centuries-old history of the building is evidenced by the fact that earlier it was necessary to climb the stairs and thus it was possible to enter the church. Now, at the entrance to the attraction, people go down. This is because a cultural layer appeared around the cathedral.
There is a legend that practically near the very doors of the institution there is a huge tombstone. The famous lover of girls Otto Johan Tove, who bore the nickname of Tallinn Don Juan, is buried under it. He very much repented before his death and ordered to bury him near the doors of the cathedral. Thus, he hoped that trampling his ashes, the townspeople would forgive him of his sins. There is a version that Otto asked to bury him at the entrance in order to be able to look at women under their skirts after death.
Concerts
Incredibly famous today is the Dome Cathedral in Tallinn. Organ concerts here are wonderful. And it was they who made the object popular throughout Estonia. Both tourists and citizens themselves regularly come to church to enjoy these motives. Entrance to the event costs only five euros. For this money, people can enjoy an unusually beautiful music for an hour, which is one of the best impressions in the capital.
