Begun in 1248, the building of this Gothic masterpiece took place in several stages and was not completed until 1880. Over seven centuries, its successive builders were inspired by the same faith and by a spirit of absolute fidelity to the original plans. Apart from its exceptional intrinsic value and the artistic masterpieces it contains, Cologne Cathedral bears witness to the strength and endurance of European Christianity. No other Cathedral is so perfectly conceived, so uniformly and uncompromisingly executed in all its parts.Cologne Cathedral is a High Gothic five-aisled basilica (144.5 m long), with a projecting transept (86.25 m wide) and a tower façade (157.22 m high). The nave is 43.58 m high and the side-aisles 19.80 m. The western section, nave and transept begun in 1330, changes in style, but this is not perceptible in the overall building. The 19th century work follows the medieval forms and techniques faithfully, as can be seen by comparing it with the original medieval plan on parchment.

The original liturgical appointments of the choir are still extant to a considerable degree. These include the high altar with an enormous monolithic slab of black limestone, believed to be the largest in any Christian church, the carved oak choir stalls (1308-11), the painted choir screens (1332-40), the fourteen statues on the pillars in the choir (c. 1300), and the great cycle of stained-glass windows, the largest existent cycle of early 14th century windows in Europe. There is also an outstanding series of tombs of twelve archbishops between 976 and 1612.

Of the many works of art in the Cathedral, special mention should be made to the Gero Crucifix of the late 10th century, in the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which was transferred from the pre-Romanesque predecessor of the present Cathedral, and the Shrine of the Magi (1180-1225), in the choir, which is the largest reliquary shrine in Europe. Other artistic masterpieces are the altarpiece of St. Clare (c. 1350-1400) in the north aisle, brought here in 1811 from the destroyed cloister church of the Franciscan nuns, the altarpiece of the City Patrons by Stephan Lochner (c. 1445) in the Chapel of Our Lady, and the altarpiece of St. Agilolphus (c. 1520) in the south transept.

masa anies sampai kat perkarangan Kölner Dom ni, suasana kat situ biasa2 je. nak kata ramai orang, tak juga. mungkin sebab masa tu diorang dah tau yang Kölner Dom ni ditutup untuk kerja2 renovation. kalau tak, sesapa je boleh masuk kat dalam bangunan bersejarah ni dan pastinya ramai orang berkeliaran kat kawasan ni...

okey lah... moh ler kita bercerita dengan gambar ya!

keluar je stesen kereta api, terus nampak bangunan ni... sebelum ni anies ada cakap kan, macam mana Farah boleh bersetuju untuk singgah Cologne ni? hah, sebab bangunan ni lah... apa2 pun terima kasih Farah!

untuk sampai ke Cologne Cathedral ni, korang kena laa daki anak tangga... tak tinggi pun... tapi kat tangga ni lah ramai yang berselfie, berwifie, berphoto shoot, berphoto bom dsb...

oleh kerana tak dapat masuk, so anies pun snap laa mana2 bahagian yang dirasakan menarik... menarik ke? err... menarik kat mata anies laa... kalau tak menarik kat mata korang... tak dapek nak nolong ehh... hahaha

apa ada dalam Cologne Cathedral ni anies? entah laa... anies tak dan nak study... sebab dalam kepala anies cuma nak sampai sini dan tengok benda alah ni depan mata... tapi, abang ada beritau kat anies, dalam cathedral ni ada lokomotif... lokomotif  lama katanya... sebab dia dah pernah sampai sini beberapa tahun yang lepas...

oleh kerana tak masuk ke dalam, so kita tawaf je laa keliling bangunan ni... ni angle mana pun anies dah tak ingat sebab bentuknya sama je... kiri kanan depan belakang... apa orang kata? simetri... sama je... tapi kalau tengok betul2 ada lainnya...

korang nampak je macam panas kan masa ni? jangan tertipu ya tipah... masa ni sejuknya... perrrghhh... hanya Tuhan saja yang tau... gigil mak noks!

in case korang dah sampai Jerman nanti, singah2 kat Cologne ni... banyak tempat menarik selain cathedral ni... tapi sebab masa, ni saja lah tempat yang sempat anies jejaki... insya Allah ada rezeki nanti pasti anies akan kembali ke sini lagi. bila tu? esok kot... 😁😁😁😁

last but not least... selpiaq seketui... tanda ceq dah sampai sini... ampa bila lagi???😁😁😁

oh ya... kepada yang bercuti panjang minggu ni, selamat bercuti. kalau yu ols tak tau mana nak pergi, apa kata singgah PWTC kerana Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur 2017 sudah pun membuka tirainya bermula hari ini sehingga 8 Mei 2017. so, kita jumpa kat sana yek!!

to be continued...

daaa...