Cologne, Dom Ostseite
The Cologne Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Construction of the Gothic church began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5metres wide and its two towers are 157metres tall. In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites. The eastern arm was completed under the direction of Master Gerhard, was consecrated in 1322 and sealed off by a temporary wall so it could be in use as the work proceeded.
