One of the oldest temples in Great Britain, York Cathedral, is located in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, in the city of York. It bears the name York Minster, which means "Church in York." Only a few ancient sanctuaries in England can be called this title.
Here is the chair of the Archbishop of York and Catholic services are held. In the hierarchy of churches in Great Britain, the cathedral is the second most important after Canterbury.
For many centuries, the York Cathedral has been secretly competing with Cologne for the right to be called the largest Gothic church in Europe. Actually, in order to overshadow the church in Cologne, the construction of this building began.
Why in york
The history of this magnificent cathedral dates back to 627, when a small wooden church was built specifically for the baptism of King Edwin of Northumbria.
After the coronation, the church became less visited, the building gradually fell into decay. About ten years later, a new one, made of stone, was built on the site of a dilapidated church. With her there was a school and even a library, which was of great importance in those ancient centuries.
And only in 1222, after almost 600 years, the Archbishop of York decided to build a large cathedral worthy of his dignity. The construction of this magnificent structure lasted more than 250 years. Since for that time the project was large-scale, very complex and expensive. The construction was completed in 1472, at the same time the cathedral was consecrated.
Over the years, serious catastrophes occurred several times in the York Cathedral, it was restored, trying to maintain the original layout. At the end of the XX-beginning of the XXI centuries, a large-scale reconstruction of the building was carried out, however, the architects managed to preserve the appearance and interiors of the cathedral.
Unique nave of the temple
York Cathedral in England is not in vain considered one of the wonders of architecture. Its total length, together with the western towers attached in 1472, is about 160 meters. Its domes tower 60 meters above the city. Therefore, it is not surprising that for many centuries there have been disputes over which of the Gothic cathedrals is the largest in Europe - York or Cologne.
In addition to its size, this temple surprises with its beauty and complex architectural solutions for that time.
The construction of the main nave of the cathedral was started in 1291. It is very tall, 28 meters, which is not typical for religious buildings of those centuries, and very wide. It is claimed that this is the widest nave of the cathedral in England. When the builders began to create it, there was no complete certainty that the arches of the nave would stand. Therefore, its ceilings were given additional strength with the help of a kind of "grid" of wooden beams on the ceiling.
Since then, this grid is considered one of the most beautiful architectural features of ancient Gothic buildings.
Facade and towers
The oldest parts of the cathedral are the southern and northern transepts. Between them, the central tower rises 55 meters.
Amazing windows of transepts. A round window in the south is decorated with a binder in the form of a fancy flower. And the rays of light enter the northern transept through large lancet windows, which have long been called the Five Sisters.
York Cathedral is known for its unusual western facade. Its construction lasted from 1291 to 1345. Light penetrates through a huge window, and along the edges of the facade are two graceful towers made perpendicularly.
The octagonal capitol house, located northeast of the cathedral, is recognized as one of the most beautiful buildings in the UK. Its stone walls are adorned with amazing carved sculptures dating from the 13th century. This building was intended for church leadership meetings.
During the construction of the cathedral was used limestone, which was mined in the county. So ordinary stone gave the buildings a recognizable light beige color.
Antique Stained Glass
Besides its size and sophisticated architecture, York Cathedral in York (England) is famous for its medieval stained glass windows.
Historians are sure that the production of stained-glass windows for the Five Sisters windows was completed in 1250. In those days, stained glass was not manufactured in England, so such imported material was very expensive. For the manufacture of five windows with a height of 16 meters, more than one hundred thousand pieces of colored glass were used.
The most famous stained glass window of York Cathedral is a huge window in the western facade. He is considered a kind of "Heart of Yorkshire" and there are many legends associated with this stained glass window. For example, if you kiss a loved one under him, then lovers will never part.
The window is 23 meters high and is considered the largest medieval stained glass window in the world. The work portrays Christ and the apostles. It was intended to remind parishioners of Christian love. It is noteworthy that only eleven apostles are depicted, the figure of Judas is missing.
Carved choir and organ
In the heart of York's Cathedral is a magnificent old organ. For the first time it sounded under the arches of the temple in the XV century. The organ was renovated during a major renovation in 1993 and now consists of 5300 pipes. Believers come from all parts of the UK to listen to its sound.
Nearby is a choir famous for its wooden carvings. The high screen of the choir is decorated with realistic statues of the fifteen great kings of England, from William I to Henry VI. In many photos of the York Cathedral, it is the organ with the figures of kings that is captured.
Unfortunately, part of the wooden carvings of the choir was lost during a fire in 1829. For example, patterned wooden seats for singers were rebuilt after the tragedy.
Cathedral Treasury
Few visitors know that you can go down the ancient staircase in the southern transept into the temple dungeons. Here is a treasury that stores medieval artifacts and relics belonging to the Archbishops of York. The most ancient date from the end of the early Middle Ages.
There are also stored sculptures that once adorned the old Anglo-Saxon temple, on the site of which the cathedral was built. Once they were placed on the towers of the York Cathedral, then, to preserve these ancient figures, they were moved down. Historians are sure that these statues were created no later than 1100.
In the dungeon you can also see the remains of the arches and the foundation of the ancient temple.
