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Mike SchwartzExample of a trendy backyard deck design in Chicagoit shows how the ideas you can do in the backyard brilliant - laishung_choy

Sunset views of the Space Needle from the roof deck.Photography by TC Peterson.Small elegant rooftop deck photo in Seattlelove the lighting glowing around the edges - sue_robert81

Deck - traditional deck idea in New York

Photo: Jessica Cain 2018 HouzzMid-sized eclectic backyard deck photo in Kansas CityColours especially the white kitchen with blue countertop and back splash. - jane_stephenson14

Klassen PhotographyInspiration for a mid-sized rustic side yard deck remodel in Jackson with a roof extension - stefka_beikova

Jimmy White PhotographyOutdoor kitchen deck - large transitional backyard outdoor kitchen deck idea in Seattle with a roof extensionoutdoor lights/plugs/lighting ideas... would like can lights in ceiling for outside roof at minimum. Couple High plug outlets. - mbschlabach

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Outdoor entertaining space bedecked with Restoration Hardware furniture, antique Indian quilts and other accents from Maze Home Store. Photo credit: Chris DavisBlankets at the Ready in IllinoisAdding warmth to your outdoor seating area can be as easy as bringing out blankets from the house.For this house in Evanston, near Chicago, patterned quilts draped over the backs of outdoor dining chairs bring a hit of color and warmth, tempting guests to linger past sunset. - cletaintx

The Club Woven by Summer Classics is the resin version of the aluminum Club Collection. Executed in durable woven wrought aluminum it is ideal for any outdoor space. Club Woven is hand woven in exclusive N-dura resin polyethylene in Oyster. French Linen, or Mahogany. The comfort of Club with the classic look and durability of resin will be perfect for any outdoor space. - ____________249894

Mountain style deck photo in Other with a fire pit and a roof extensionI will have this back porch balcony. That fireplace, that guardrail, that wood floor and of course that rich forest in the back ground. - webuser_741650341

Example of a mountain style deck design in Other with a fire pitLOVE everything about this .. the railing, the ceiling, the furniture, the fireplace and tv ...the flooring ... everything!!! - cindy_jones5362821

Deck - traditional deck idea in New York

This space is perfect for entertaining! When the owners originally moved in, this deck was not here. There were several steps down from the kitchen door, and the stone slabs were a toe-stubbing minefield. We added the deck and designed it perfectly for entertaining. Since we had several large pine trees removed from the property, we increased sun exposure creating a need for more shade. We had this awning custom made by PJ Canvas in Santa Rosa, CA. The awning tucks neatly under the roof of the house during the rainy months. definitely want this for the back patio area! This is a great solution to the problem of not having shade. :). - carmoli77

JS Photo FXInspiration for a rustic deck remodel in Atlanta with a fireplaceeverything but a different color wood - webuser_962983501

Dave Clough PhotographyCoastal deck photo in Portland MaineOutdoor Shower... Modern, yet tropical walls. Also and over head light. - chateaudelims

Deck - mediterranean deck idea in Los AngelesChairs and ottomans - megan2hunt

Photo: Marni Epstein-Mervis 2018 HouzzTrendy deck photo in Los Angeles with a fire pitShape of pit to blend at pool edge - dutle

Cut Coarse Stone is reminiscent of a saw-cut Turkish Limestone. The highly textural and yet contemporary linear-style installs with a clean, dry-stack application. This stone is the perfect scale for an efficient installation, appealing to both commercial and residential exteriors and interiors. The stones include three different heights of 3, 6 and 9 and various lengths from 12 to 24. The muted color palette is indicative of natural limestone.Stone: Cut Coarse Stone - OysterGet a Sample of Cut Coarse Stone: https://shop.eldoradostone.com/products/cut-coarse-stone-sample Love the lights + transparent patio door concept - tyrell_robertson

Klassen PhotographyInspiration for a mid-sized rustic backyard dock remodel in Jackson with a roof extension - stefka_beikova

Small elegant backyard deck photo in New York

Matthew AndersonDeck - large contemporary rooftop deck idea in Kansas City with a fire pit and a roof extension

Photo Credits: Julia LynnInspiration for a beach style backyard deck remodel in Charleston with a roof extensionnice outdoors, shade and sun area next to it - joclouder

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Browse Thousands of Inspiring Decks on Houzz

The 970,747 square foot DCT Jurupa Logistics Center was completed in Fontana, CA on a nearly 40 acre site. Located near the 15, 10 and 210 freeways, the build-to-suit cross dock distribution facility offers vast warehouse space, as well as a 16,667 square foot tenant improvement. Built for DCT Industrial, the building was constructed specifically for tenant Stanley Black & Decker, one of the worlds largest providers of tools, storage and commercial electronic security. The project is LEED Silver certified.

The tenant improvement which created the new office space for Black & Decker is located on the Southwest corner of the building. Sliding glass doors lead into a stunning lobby, which is protected by a guard and features stacked stone, numerous windows along with a flat screen television. Another set of sliding doors lead into the large employee break room, featuring numerous flat screen TVs and offering an additional entrance directly from the warehouse. The office space includes a large open area with numerous cubicles, customer service area, two conference rooms, 11 privates offices, mens and womens restrooms, smaller office break room, IT room, and multiple storage areas with the capability of conversion into future private offices.

The immense warehouse features a 7 slab, 36 clear height ceiling, ESFR sprinklers, 56 x 60 column spacing, 3% skylights, 121 dock doors, 4 grade level doors and 214 trailer parking stalls. Fully secured 185 and 245 truck courts on both sides of the building, with gated entry at all access points, offer vast space for ample truck traffic.

Site improvements include 174,175 square feet of beautiful landscaping on all sides of the building, greatly enhancing the look and feel of this area of Fontana. Ample parking is offered, including 208 standard spaces and 8 handicap spaces. Fullmer also installed two trash enclosures, 2,663 linear feet of concrete screen walls, a 450 square foot fire pump house, new transformer, generator, and 23 light poles.

One of Fullmers larger projects, we couldnt be happier with the finished product. We are pleased to report that Black & Decker has expressed their immense satisfaction with their new home, as well. Situated in a premier Inland Empire West location with convenient access to major IE freeways, this is truly an added gem to Southern Californias commercial real estate inventory.

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Fullmer Construction | Building Relationships Since 1946

Raleigh Concrete is a concrete construction service and would like to provide a quote for your next concrete project. We maintain the longest consecutive Better Business Bureau accreditation in our area of concrete contractors. Save money and time by hiring a single entity for the entire concrete scope. We operate from the heart of Knoxville and service all east Tennessee residential projects. We provide service nationally for commercial and industrial projects. Projects have included public and private educational facilities, religious facilities, office buildings, restaurants, custom homes, mixed use developments, and more. Our services include concrete floors, driveways, basements, foundations, flatwork, structural slabs, decorative surfaces, and much more. We are a favorite among residential customers' decorative concrete projects. New construction, repairs, additions...we do it all. Concrete construction is a uniquely challenging area of work. It requires a specific set of skills, and a certain degree of experience. It's best to go with a concrete contractor who knows the intricacies of the trade. We have the skills required to get the job completed correctly. Our goal is to provide quality concrete craftsmanship and products to bring aesthetic appeal, usefulness, and value to your home or business. Please see our Gallery page to view past projects completed by Raleigh Concrete of Tennessee! Thank you for your interest!

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How much for 20 rolls of sod? I have an area 10 x 17.

We currently charge $4 a roll picked up at our farm, so you would be looking at about $80. Thanks!

Is it to late to fertilize? If not what kind do you recommend if I installed the Kentucky Bluegrass in July?

(Asked Nov 15th) It is likely too late... Early November is the latest that we would recommend fertilizing cool season turfgrass in the Mid-Atlantic. (Also if you are in Maryland, then Nov 15th is the last day you can legally fertilize). I would be sure to fertilize first thing in the spring... I personally use the Turftrust Fertilizer we have on our website but you can also use any quality lawn fertilizer. Thanks!

My yard is 75 feet long and 24 feet wide. How much sod do i need from Central Sod farms?

You would want to order about 1900 square feet. Your area is exactly 1800 square feet but you would want to order a little bit extra to account for cutting around the edges. Thanks!

How long do you recommend keeping dogs/kids off of it

You can walk on it lightly immediately after installation, but you would want to wait at least 2 weeks for heavy traffic and dog use. Thanks!

Is it too late to put down sod in early November in the Chicago area?

You can install Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue year round.

Im looking to lay kentucky bluegrass in my yard. I currently have a PH of about 8.0 do i need to add some sulfur or aluminum sulfate to lower the PH before i lay the sod or is it ok to lay it on very alkaline soil?

I would recommend lowering the ph to around 7. Since this is quite a big change I would recommend using elemental sulfur. Make sure that you till the sulfur into the soil after you broadcast it, ideally to a depth of 5-6" inches. Thanks!

HOW MUCH SOD TO COVER 18 FT ROUND WHERE A POOL WAS THANK YOU

You would need about 300 square feet to cover that area (assuming 18 feet is the diameter of the circle). Thanks!

how many sq foot of sod do I need for a yard 20feet long and 20 feet wide

You would need 400 square feet of sod for this area. Thanks!

How much sod do I need for a 20 foot x20 foot area?

You would need 400 square feet of sod (40 rolls). Thanks!

Do you install the sod?

We do not install... But if you give our office a call we would be happy to refer you to a contractor in your area. Thanks!

I had grub in my yard last year and I laid chemicals to try and get rid of them during last summer. I'm going to be laying all new sod down soon and was wondering if that would be a good idea given that I don't know if they are completely gone from my la

It is safe to install new sod. A combination of the chemical from last summer and the tilling that you do before installing the sod this spring will ensure that they are not an issue. You still may want to apply grub control each summer as a preventative though. Thanks!

What is the size of a roll of Kentucky Blue Grass? Thank you!

They measure 2 feet by 5 feet. (total of 10 square feet per roll). Thanks!

My plan is to sod my lawn with Kentucky Blue Grass. Do you think it would be okay to use Black Beauty on the parkway side which is totally separate from my lawn?

Yes that would be fine... The two look very similar. Black Beauty has slightly coarser texture but is only noticeable if they are very close to each other. Thanks!

What's the size and thickness of each sod

The thickness of each type is a uniform 1.25 inches (which is about 3/4 inch of soil and 1/2 an inch of root material / thatch). The cool season sod (Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue) are cut in rolls that measure 2'x5' feet (total of 10 square feet per roll). The warm season sod (Bermuda and Zoysia) are cut in 18" x 40" inch pieces (total of 5 square feet).

How does your sod differ from the sod they sell at Home Depot and Lowes?

We are the producer and cut the sod fresh, meaning that it has a much better chance of survival once planted! Thanks!

Can I lay sod right over existing lawn covered with patches of grass and various weed or do I need to dig up all of the junk first?

It is best to remove the old plant material... If you lay sod directly on top it will create an air pocket over the dead grass and prevent the new sod from taking root. Thanks!

How Many Rolls Are On Each Pallet?

60 rolls that are 10 square feet each... Thanks!

After installing Kentucky Blue Grass sod when should I first cut the grass?

You can cut it as soon as it needs mowing, but make sure not to removed more than 1/3rd of the grass blade each time you mow. Please let us know if you have any other questions!

I have a big tree that gives pretty good shade I cant tell you what percentage. Do I order black beauty for that section and the rest Kentucky blue? Live in Elk Grove Village, IL Thank you.

I would recommend using Black Beauty for the entire area. The two textures would not match well and the lawn would look nicer if it was all Black Beauty. Thanks!

How many rolls would I need to get 1461 yards?

You would need 1,315 rolls to cover this area. (13,150 square feet). This equates to about 1 and a half tractor trailer loads of sod. Thanks!

what prep work is recommended for the soil prior to installing sod?

Currently you have black beauty sod out of stock.I have bushes along the side of my house and got rid of a pine tree. That part is at least 90% sun now since the tree is gone. The rest receives 80 to 85% sun. Can I order bluegrass so I don't have to wait

Yes bluegrass will do well in that area. Thanks!

Hi. I have tilled my yard and raked my yard. How do I level my soil before I lay the sod.

It is best to use a wide metal landscape rake. The large width will help you level out any low or high areas. Thanks!

I have an area 18 x8 and 24x8 how sod would I need ?

You need about 350 square feet (35 rolls) to cover that area. Thanks!

I have a 15x42 space how much sod do I need

You need 630 square feet to cover that area (63 rolls of sod) Thanks!

I have a area that's 30x30 and a area 12x12 how much sod will I need ? And which sod will I need the bigger area has a lot of sun and the smaller area has a little shade. Thanks for you help

You need about 1100 square feet to cover that area, and I would recommend using the DuraBlend Tall Fescue (it does well in both full sun and partial shade). Thanks!

My back yard is complete shade all day will sod work for me or do you have any recommendation. Right now it is all mud no grass at all.ThanksEd

Thanks for the questions! The only thing you might try is some of the "shade mix" seed we have for sale on the website. The most shade tolerant grass we sell as sod is the Tall Fescue, but even that must have at least a few hours of sunlight each day to do well.

Would it be best to cut out the existing lawn before tilling? My lawn is mostly crabgrass right now. If I use a vegetation killer as you suggest in your prep instructions, how long should I wait before laying new sod?

If you have a very thick cover of weeds, it is best if you use a sod cutter to cut them out. If you end up spraying them you should wait a week for the weeds to start to die. This ensures that the chemical has enough time to get to the roots and fully kill the weed. Let me know if you have any other questions! -Jack

How much sod do I need for a 100x25 lot?

You would need 2500 square feet of sod. Thanks!

How much for 109 by 76 feet

Hi! For a price quote, please give our office a call at (630) 904-1017 Thanks!

How much sod do I need for 32 foot round pool?

You would need just under 900 square feet to cover that circle. (Assuming you are removing pool and want to sod the dirt circle). Thanks!

I have a big tree in my front yard which give off a bit off shade in the mornings. what sod would you recommend.. I also have a large area behind the house what grass seeds would you recommend...my sod area is 2800 sq ft how much rolls do I need (chicago)

If it gets afternoon sun you I would use the HD2000 Kentucky Bluegrass. You would need 280 rolls which would be just under 5 pallets of sod. Thanks!

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HD2000 Kentucky Bluegrass Sod - Central Sod Farms

Expert Reviewed

Three Methods:Selecting Sod by ClimateEvaluating Your Specific LawnGetting Good SodCommunity Q&A

If your lawn is patchy, worn out, or dying, you're probably thinking about replacing it. Some homeowners opt for reseeding their yards, but many choose to lay new sod. Sod offers many advantages over a reseeded lawn, since it is installed while in optimum health and sown closely to limit weed infiltration. But it does usually cost more and it takes a bit of work to install, so its important to make the right sod choice. Factor in your climate and the particular conditions and functions of your yard, and find a knowledgeable supplier who can help you make the best decision.

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Tuck the edges of each strip of sod into one another. This will keep the edges from curling. All exposed edges should be covered in topsoil or mulch to help prevent it from drying out.

Question

Why is there netting in the sod?

Professional Landscaper

Expert Answer

The netting helps hold the sod together for harvesting. It is laced in the soil at the field and seeded over it.

Question

Should the backing on the sod be black or brown?

Professional Landscaper

Expert Answer

The backing usually indicates what soil base the sod was grown in. Most often, the darker color is more clay based and the lighter color more loam based.

Question

What is the length and width of a piece of sod?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

Usually 2 ft. x 5 ft. Any bigger and it would be too heavy for most homeowners to use, especially if you're doing a entire lawn.

Question

Can I lay St. Augustine over existing grass?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

Not recommended. St Augustine is high-maintenance grass that requires a good base and lots of water. You could seed with Zoysia and it will fill in with the existing grass, it is very low maintenance.

Question

Which type sod thrives best in limited light?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

Fescue varieties are a good choice for shadier areas. In warmer climates, Bahia might be a good choice.

Question

What kind of sod turns brown in winter?

wikiHow Contributor

Community Answer

Bermuda turns brown in winter as it goes dormant. A lot of people plant Rye grass in their Bermuda so the grass looks green in winter. In spring, the Bermuda comes back.

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3 Ways to Choose Sod for Your Yard - wikiHow

Tall fescue grass is a common choice for sod production, residential lawns, and sports turf. It easily adapts to a broad range of environmental conditions and sod types. Tall fescue performs in sun and shade, handles moderate drought, and resists insects and diseases.

At California Sod Center, we harvest tall fescue grass in Corona, CA. This deeply rooted, green grass has a high wear tolerance and the ability to withstand summer temperatures. When properly maintained, tall fescue looks great where heat, humidity and disease would normally prevail.

Our Superior Fescue sod incorporates a variety of tall fescue grasses. For the sod to hold together, it needs grasses with rhizomes. Rhizomes refer to roots that grow both above and beneath the soil. When sod is harvested, the root system is cut. The rhizomes hold the sod together to keep it from falling apart. They also help repair the sod by forming new growth when exhibiting damage, thinning, or bare spots. Our Superior Fescue sod not only repairs itself, but deep roots help save watering time.

California Sod Center prides ourselves on delivering quality fescue grass in Corona, CA. We use the latest technology to provide sod rich in color, thickness, and texture. Our harvesting machines cut 8 sq. ft. rolls of sod pieces.

Please note that we do have a minimum delivery quantity in place. For orders over 1000 square feet, any shipping costs will be waived.

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Superior Fescue | California Sod Center

GOODMANORS Pool + Garden | Sydney Landscape Design

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Pool + Garden - Architecture & Realisation

With a total approach to the design and construction of pools (+ spas) along with garden landscaping services, GOOD MANORS offers a whole solution with pool + garden designers & builders.

Despite shifting trends over the years and competitive pressures, Good Manors has never lost sight of its clear vision to remain trend defiant, client-focused and always maintain a strong focus on creating contextual, relevant outdoor living areas, gardens and pools. Through a client process that is enjoyable, transparent and achieves an aspiring end result, Good Manors brings to life gardens that compliment the home's era or style, creating a harmonious living space that flows from the inside out.

32 Halloran streetLilyField NSW 2040

T. [02] 9818 3377F. [02] 9818 4666

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GOODMANORS Pool + Garden | Sydney Landscape Design

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre[b] (Arabic: Kansatu al-Qiymah; Greek: Naos tes Anastaseos; Armenian: Surb Harut'yan taar; Latin: Ecclesia Sancti Sepulchri; Hebrew: , Knesiyat ha-Kever; also called the Church of the Resurrection or Church of the Anastasis by Orthodox Christians) is a church[1] in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. The church contains, according to traditions dating back to at least the fourth century, the two holiest sites in Christianity: the site where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified,[2] at a place known as "Calvary" or "Golgotha", and Jesus's empty tomb, where he is said to have been buried and resurrected.[3] The tomb is enclosed by the 19th-century shrine, called the Aedicule (Edicule). The Status Quo, a 150-year-old understanding between religious communities, applies to the site.[4][5]

Within the church proper are the last four (or, by some definitions, five) Stations of the Via Dolorosa, representing the final episodes of Jesus' Passion. The church has been a major Christian pilgrimage destination since its creation in the fourth century, as the traditional site of the Resurrection of Christ, thus its original Greek name, Church of the Anastasis.

Today, the wider complex accumulated during the centuries around the Church of the Holy Sepulchre also serves as the headquarters of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, while control of the church itself is shared among several Christian denominations and secular entities in complicated arrangements essentially unchanged for over 160 years, and some for much longer. The main denominations sharing property over parts of the church are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman Catholic, and to a lesser degree the Coptic Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox. Meanwhile, Protestants, including Anglicans, have no permanent presence in the Church. Some Protestants prefer The Garden Tomb, elsewhere in Jerusalem, as a more evocative site to commemorate Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection.

According to Eusebius of Caesarea, the Roman emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD built a temple dedicated to the goddess Venus in order to bury the cave in which Jesus had been buried.[6][7] The first Christian emperor, Constantine the Great, ordered in about 325/326 that the temple be replaced by a church.[8] During the building of the Church, Constantine's mother, Helena, is believed to have rediscovered the tomb (although there are some discrepancies among authors).[6] Socrates Scholasticus (born c. 380), in his Ecclesiastical History, gives a full description of the discovery.[9]

Constantine's church was built as two connected churches over the two different holy sites, including a great basilica (the Martyrium visited by Egeria in the 380s), an enclosed colonnaded atrium (the Triportico) with the traditional site of Golgotha in one corner, and a rotunda, called the Anastasis ("Resurrection" in Greek), which contained the remains of a rock-cut room that Helena and Macarius identified as the burial site of Jesus.[citation needed]

According to tradition, Constantine arranged for the rockface to be removed from around the tomb, without harming it, in order to isolate the tomb; in the centre of the rotunda is a small building called the Kouvouklion in Greek[10] or the Aedicula in Latin,[c] which encloses this tomb. The remains are completely enveloped by a marble sheath placed some 500 years before[when?] to protect the ledge from Ottoman attacks. However, there are several thick window wells extending through the marble sheath, from the interior to the exterior that are not marble clad. They appear to reveal an underlying limestone rock, which may be part of the original living rock of the tomb.

The church was built starting in 325/326, and was consecrated on 13 September 335. From pilgrim reports it seems that the chapel housing the tomb of Jesus was freestanding at first, and that the Rotunda was only erected around the chapel in the 380s.[citation needed]

Each year, the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates the anniversary of the consecration of the Church of the Resurrection (Holy Sepulchre) on 13 September.[11]

This building was damaged by fire in May of 614 when the Sassanid Empire, under Khosrau II, invaded Jerusalem and captured the True Cross. In 630, the Emperor Heraclius restored it and rebuilt the church after recapturing the city. After Jerusalem came under Arab rule, it remained a Christian church, with the early Muslim rulers protecting the city's Christian sites. A story reports that the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab visited the church and stopped to pray on the balcony; but at the time of prayer, he turned away from the church and prayed outside. He feared that future generations would misinterpret this gesture, taking it as a pretext to turn the church into a mosque. Eutychius added that Umar wrote a decree prohibiting Muslims from praying at this location. The building suffered severe damage due to an earthquake in 746.[12]

Early in the ninth century, another earthquake damaged the dome of the Anastasis. The damage was repaired in 810 by Patriarch Thomas. In the year 841, the church suffered a fire. In 935, the Orthodox Christians prevented the construction of a Muslim mosque adjacent to the Church. In 938, a new fire damaged the inside of the basilica and came close to the rotunda. In 966, due to a defeat of Muslim armies in the region of Syria, a riot broke out, which was followed by reprisals. The basilica was burned again. The doors and roof were burnt, and the Patriarch John VII was murdered.[citation needed]

On 18 October 1009, Fatimid caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah ordered the complete destruction of the church as part of a more general campaign against Christian places of worship in Palestine and Egypt.[13] The damage was extensive, with few parts of the early church remaining.[14] Christian Europe reacted with shock and expulsions of Jews (for example, Cluniac monk Rodulfus Glaber blamed the Jews, with the result that Jews were expelled from Limoges and other French towns[citation needed]) and an impetus to later Crusades.[15][16]

In wide-ranging negotiations between the Fatimids and the Byzantine Empire in 102728, an agreement was reached whereby the new Caliph Ali az-Zahir (Al-Hakim's son) agreed to allow the rebuilding and redecoration of the Church.[17] The rebuilding was finally completed with the financing at a huge expense by Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and Patriarch Nicephorus of Constantinople in 1048.[18] As a concession, the mosque in Constantinople was re-opened and the khutba sermons were to be pronounced in az-Zahir's name.[17] Muslim sources say a by-product of the agreement was the recanting of Islam by many Christians who had been forced to convert under Al-Hakim's persecutions. In addition, the Byzantines, while releasing 5,000 Muslim prisoners, made demands for the restoration of other churches destroyed by Al-Hakim and the re-establishment of a Patriarch in Jerusalem. Contemporary sources credit the emperor with spending vast sums in an effort to restore the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after this agreement was made.[17] Despite the Byzantines spending vast sums on the project, "a total replacement was far beyond available resources. The new construction was concentrated on the rotunda and its surrounding buildings: the great basilica remained in ruins."[14] The rebuilt church site consisted of "a court open to the sky, with five small chapels attached to it."[19] The chapels were to the east of the court of resurrection, where the wall of the great church had been. They commemorated scenes from the passion, such as the location of the prison of Christ and of his flagellation, and presumably were so placed because of the difficulties of free movement among shrines in the streets of the city. The dedication of these chapels indicates the importance of the pilgrims' devotion to the suffering of Christ. They have been described as 'a sort of Via Dolorosa in miniature'...since little or no rebuilding took place on the site of the great basilica. Western pilgrims to Jerusalem during the eleventh century found much of the sacred site in ruins."[14] Control of Jerusalem, and thereby the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, continued to change hands several times between the Fatimids and the Seljuk Turks (loyal to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad) until the arrival of the Crusaders in 1099.[20]

Many historians maintain that the main concern of Pope Urban II, when calling for the First Crusade, was the threat to Constantinople from the Turkish invasion of Asia Minor in response to the appeal of Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. Historians agree that the fate of Jerusalem and thereby the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was of concern if not the immediate goal of papal policy in 1095. The idea of taking Jerusalem gained more focus as the Crusade was underway. The rebuilt church site was taken from the Fatimids (who had recently taken it from the Abassids) by the knights of the First Crusade on 15 July 1099.[14]

The First Crusade was envisioned as an armed pilgrimage, and no crusader could consider his journey complete unless he had prayed as a pilgrim at the Holy Sepulchre. Crusader Prince Godfrey of Bouillon, who became the first crusader monarch of Jerusalem, decided not to use the title "king" during his lifetime, and declared himself "Advocatus Sancti Sepulchri" ("Protector [or Defender] of the Holy Sepulchre"). By the crusader period, a cistern under the former basilica was rumoured to have been the location where Helena had found the True Cross, and began to be venerated as such; although the cistern later became the "Chapel of the Invention of the Cross," there is no evidence of the rumour before the 11th century, and modern archaeological investigation has now dated the cistern to 11th century repairs by Monomachos.[citation needed]

According to the German clergyman and orient pilgrim Ludolf von Sudheim, the keys of the Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre were in hands of the "ancient Georgians" and the food, alms, candles and oil for lamps were given them by the pilgrims in the south door of the church.[21]

William of Tyre, chronicler of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, reports on the renovation of the Church in the mid-12th century. The crusaders investigated the eastern ruins on the site, occasionally excavating through the rubble, and while attempting to reach the cistern, they discovered part of the original ground level of Hadrian's temple enclosure; they decided to transform this space into a chapel dedicated to Helena (the Chapel of Saint Helena), widening their original excavation tunnel into a proper staircase. The crusaders began to refurnish the church in a Romanesque style and added a bell tower.[22] These renovations unified the small chapels on the site and were completed during the reign of Queen Melisende in 1149, placing all the Holy places under one roof for the first time. The church became the seat of the first Latin Patriarchs, and was also the site of the kingdom's scriptorium. The church was lost to Saladin,[22] along with the rest of the city, in 1187, although the treaty established after the Third Crusade allowed for Christian pilgrims to visit the site. Emperor Frederick II (r. 122050) regained the city and the church by treaty in the 13th century while he himself was under a ban of excommunication, with the curious consequence that the holiest church in Christianity was laid under interdict. The church seems to have been largely in Greek Orthodox Patriarch Athanasius II of Jerusalem's hands, c. 123147, during the Latin control of Jerusalem.[23] Both city and church were captured by the Khwarezmians in 1244.[22]

The Franciscan friars renovated it further in 1555, as it had been neglected despite increased numbers of pilgrims. The Franciscans rebuilt the Aedicule, extending the structure to create an ante-chamber.[24] After the renovation of 1555, control of the church oscillated between the Franciscans and the Orthodox, depending on which community could obtain a favorable "firman" from the "Sublime Porte" at a particular time, often through outright bribery, and violent clashes were not uncommon. There was no agreement about this question, although it was discussed at the negotiations to the Treaty of Karlowitz in 1699.[25] In 1767, weary of the squabbling, the "Porte" issued a "firman" that divided the church among the claimants.

A fire severely damaged the structure again in 1808, causing the dome of the Rotunda to collapse and smashing the Aedicule's exterior decoration. The Rotunda and the Aedicule's exterior were rebuilt in 18091810 by architect Nikolaos Ch. Komnenos of Mytilene in the then current Ottoman Baroque style. The fire did not reach the interior of the Aedicule, and the marble decoration of the Tomb dates mainly to the 1555 restoration, although the interior of the ante-chamber, now known as the "Chapel of the Angel," was partly rebuilt to a square ground-plan, in place of the previously semi-circular western end. Another decree in 1853 from the sultan solidified the existing territorial division among the communities and set a "status quo" for arrangements to "remain forever," causing differences of opinion about upkeep and even minor changes,[26] including disagreement on the removal of the "Immovable Ladder", an exterior ladder under one of the windows; this ladder has remained in the same position since then.

The cladding of red marble applied to the Aedicule by Komnenos has deteriorated badly and is detaching from the underlying structure; since 1947 it has been held in place with an exterior scaffolding of iron girders installed by the British authorities. A careful renovation is undergoing, funded by a $4 million gift from King Abdullah II of Jordan and a $1.3-million gift from Mica Ertegun.[27]

The current dome dates from 1870, although it was restored between 19941997, as part of extensive modern renovations to the church which have been ongoing since 1959. During the 19701978 restoration works and excavations inside the building, and under the nearby Muristan, it was found that the area was originally a quarry, from which white meleke limestone was struck.[28] To the east of the Chapel of Saint Helena, the excavators discovered a void containing a 2nd-century drawing of a Roman ship, two low walls which supported the platform of Hadrian's 2nd-century temple, and a higher 4th-century wall built to support Constantine's basilica.[24][29] After the excavations of the early 1970s, the Armenian authorities converted this archaeological space into the Chapel of Saint Vartan, and created an artificial walkway over the quarry on the north of the chapel, so that the new Chapel could be accessed (by permission) from the Chapel of Saint Helena.[29]

In 2016, restoration works were performed in the Aedicule. For the first time since at least 1555, marble cladding which protected the estimated burial bed of Jesus from vandalism and souvenir takers[30] was removed.[31][32] When the cladding was first removed on 26 October, an initial inspection by the National Technical University of Athens team showed only a layer of fill material underneath. By the night of 28 October, the original limestone burial bed was revealed intact. This suggested that the tomb location has not changed through time and confirmed the existence of the original limestone cave walls within the Aedicule. The tomb was resealed shortly thereafter.[31]

The courtyard facing the entrance to the church is known as the parvis.

Located around the parvis are a few smaller structures.[citation needed]

South of the parvis, opposite the church:

On the eastern side of the parvis, south to north:

North of the parvis, in front of the church faade or against it:

A group of three chapels is bordering the parvis on its west side. They originally formed the baptistery complex of the Constantinian church. The southernmost chapel was the vestibule, the middle chapel the actual baptistery, and the north chapel the chamber in which the patriarch chrismated the newly baptized before leading them into the rotunda north of this complex.[citation needed] Now they are dedicated as (from south to north)

The church's bell tower is located to the left of the faade. It is currently almost half its original size.[33]

The entrance to the church, a single door in the south transeptthrough the crusader faadeis found past a group of streets winding through the outer Via Dolorosa, by way of a local souq in the Muristan. This narrow way of access to such a large structure has proven to be hazardous at times. For example, when a fire broke out in 1840, dozens of pilgrims were trampled to death.[34]

The "Immovable Ladder", in its latest incarnation, stands beneath a window on the faade.

Historically, two large, arched doors allowed access to the church. However, only the left-hand entrance is currently accessible, as the right door has long since been bricked up. These entrances are located in the parvis of a larger courtyard, or plaza.[citation needed]

Just inside the church is a stairway climbing to Calvary (Golgotha), traditionally regarded as the site of Jesus' crucifixion and the most lavishly decorated part of the church. The exit is via another stairway opposite the first, leading down to the ambulatory. The Golgotha and its chapels are just south of the main altar of the Catholicon.

On the ground floor, underneath the Golgotha chapel proper, are the Chapel of Adam and the Treasury of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, holding many relics including an alleged fragment of the Holy Cross.

The raised Chapel of the Calvary, or Golgotha Chapel, contains the apex of the Rock of Calvary (12th Station of the Cross). It is split into two halves, one Greek Orthodox and one Catholic, each one with its own altar. The northern half with the main altar belongs to the Greek Orthodox. The rock can be seen under glass on both sides of the altar, and beneath the altar there is a hole in the rock, said to be the place where the cross was raised. Due to the significance of this, it is the most visited site in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre along with the Tomb of Jesus. The Roman Catholic (Franciscan) Chapel of the Nailing of the Cross (11th Station of the Cross) stretches south of it. Between the Catholic and the Orthodox altar, there is a statue of Mary, believed by some to be miraculous. It marks the 13th Station of the Cross, where Jesus' body was removed from the cross and given to his family and disciples.[citation needed]

Beneath the Calvary and the two chapels there, on the main floor, there is the Chapel of Adam. According to tradition, Jesus was crucified over the place where Adam's skull was buried. According to some, at the crucifixion, the blood of Christ ran down the cross and through the rocks to fill the skull of Adam.[35] The Rock of Calvary appears cracked through a window on the altar wall, with the crack traditionally claimed to be caused by the earthquake that occurred when Jesus died on the cross, while some scholars claim it to be the result of quarrying against a natural flaw in the rock.[36]

Just inside the entrance to the church is the Stone of Anointing (also Stone of the Anointing or Stone of Unction), which tradition believes to be the spot where Jesus' body was prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea. However, this tradition is only attested since the crusader era (notably by the Italian Dominican pilgrim Riccoldo da Monte di Croce in 1288), and the present stone was only added in the 1810 reconstruction.[24]

The wall behind the stone is defined by its striking blue balconies and tau cross-bearing red banners (depicting the insignia of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre), and is decorated with lamps. The modern three-part mosaic along the wall depicts the anointing of Jesus' body, preceded on the right by the Descent from the Cross, and succeeded on the left by the Burial of Jesus.[citation needed]

The wall was a temporary addition to support the arch above it, which had been weakened after the damage in the 1808 fire; it blocks the view of the rotunda, separates the entrance from the Catholicon, sits on top of the now-empty and desecrated graves of four 12th-century crusader kingsincluding Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin I of Jerusalemand is no longer structurally necessary. There is a difference of opinion as to whether it is to be seen as the 13th Station of the Cross, which others identify as the lowering of Jesus from the cross and locate between the 11th and 12th stations on Calvary.[citation needed]

The lamps that hang over the Stone of Unction, adorned with cross-bearing chain links, are contributed by Armenians, Copts, Greeks and Latins.[citation needed]

Immediately to the left of the entrance is a bench that has traditionally been used by the church's Muslim doorkeepers, along with some Christian clergy, as well as electrical wiring. To the right of the entrance is a wall along the ambulatory containing, to the very right, the staircase leading to Golgotha. Further along the same wall is the entrance to the Chapel of Adam.[citation needed]

The Rotunda is located in the centre of the Anastasis, beneath the larger of the church's two domes. In the center of the Rotunda is the chapel called the Aedicule, which contains the Holy Sepulchre itself. The Aedicule has two rooms, the first holding the Angel's Stone, which is believed to be a fragment of the large stone that sealed the tomb; the second is the tomb itself. Possibly due to the fact that pilgrims laid their hands on the tomb or to prevent eager pilgrims from removing bits of the original rock as souvenirs, a marble plaque was placed in the fourteenth century on the tomb to prevent further damage to the tomb.[37]

Under the status quo, the Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Armenian Apostolic Churches all have rights to the interior of the tomb, and all three communities celebrate the Divine Liturgy or Holy Mass there daily. It is also used for other ceremonies on special occasions, such as the Holy Saturday ceremony of the Holy Fire led by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch (with the participation of the Coptic and Armenian patriarchs).[38] To its rear, in a chapel constructed of iron latticework upon a stone base semicircular in plan, lies the altar used by the Coptic Orthodox.[citation needed] Historically, the Georgians also retained the key to the Aedicule.[39][40][41]

From May 2016 to March 2017, the Aedicule underwent restoration and repairs after the Israel Antiquities Authority declared the structure unsafe. Much of the $3 million project was funded by the World Monuments Fund.[42]

West of the Aedicule, to the rear of the Rotunda, is a chapel (see "Syriac Chapel with Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea") located in a Constantinian apse and containing an opening to a rock-cut ancient Jewish tomb. This chapel is where the Syriac Orthodox celebrate their Liturgy on Sundays.

To the right of the Sepulchre on the northwestern edge of the Rotunda is the Chapel of the Apparition, which is reserved for Roman Catholic use (see "Franciscan area north of the Aedicule").[43]

East of this is a large iconostasis demarcating the Orthodox sanctuary before which is set the throne of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem on the south side facing the throne of the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch on the north side.[citation needed]

Further to the east in the ambulatory are three chapels (from south to north):[citation needed]

It is accessed from the Rotunda, by a door west of the Aedicule. On the far side of the chapel is the low entrance to an almost complete 1st-century Jewish tomb, initially holding six kokh-type funeral shafts radiating from a central chamber, of which two are still exposed. Although this space was discovered recently[when?] and contains no identifying marks, many Christians believe[vague] that Saints Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were buried here.

Since Jews always buried their dead outside the city, the presence of this tomb proves that the Holy Sepulchre site was outside the city walls at the time of the crucifixion.

South of the Aedicule is the "Place of the Three Marys", marked by a stone canopy and a large modern wall mosaic. From here one can enter the Armenian monastery which stretches over the ground and first upper floor of the church's southeastern part.

The Sultan's firman (decree) of 1853, known as the "status quo", pinned down the now permanent statutes of property and the regulations concerning the roles of the different denominations and other custodians.[47]

The primary custodians are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic, and Roman Catholic Churches, with the Greek Orthodox Church having the lion's share. In the 19th century, the Coptic Orthodox, the Ethiopian Orthodox and the Syriac Orthodox acquired lesser responsibilities, which include shrines and other structures in and around the building. Times and places of worship for each community are strictly regulated in common areas.[citation needed] The Greek Orthodox act through the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate as well as through the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre. The Roman Catholics act through the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

The establishment of the 1853 status quo did not halt controversy and sometimes violence, which continues to break out occasionally. On a hot summer day in 2002, a Coptic monk moved his chair from its agreed spot into the shade. This was interpreted as a hostile move by the Ethiopians, and eleven were hospitalized after the resulting fracas.[48]

In another incident in 2004, during Orthodox celebrations of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a door to the Franciscan chapel was left open. This was taken as a sign of disrespect by the Orthodox and a fistfight broke out. Some people were arrested, but no one was seriously injured.[49]

On Palm Sunday, in April 2008, a brawl broke out when a Greek monk was ejected from the building by a rival faction. Police were called to the scene but were also attacked by the enraged brawlers.[50] On Sunday, 9 November 2008, a clash erupted between Armenian and Greek monks during celebrations for the Feast of the Cross.[51][52]

A less grave sign of this state of affairs is located on a window ledge over the church's entrance. A wooden ladder was placed there at some time before 1852, when the status quo defined both the doors and the window ledges as common ground. This ladder, the "Immovable Ladder", in its latest incarnation, remains to this day, in almost exactly the same position it occupied in century-old photographs and engravings,[53][54] as it must be replaced whenever it falls apart. An engraving by David Roberts in 1839 also shows the same ladder in the same position.[55]

No one controls the main entrance. In 1192, Saladin assigned door-keeping responsibilities to the Muslim Nuseibeh family. The wooden doors that compose the main entrance are the original, highly carved doors.[56] The Joudeh Al-Goudia family were entrusted as custodian to the keys of the Holy Sepulchre by Saladin in 1187.[57]

Despite occasional disagreements, the religious services take place in the Church with regularity and coexistence is generally peaceful. An example of concord between the Church custodians is the recent (201617) full restoration of the Aedicule.

In late February 2018 after a tax dispute over 152 million euros of uncollected taxes on church properties the Church had closed until further notice. The city hall stressed that the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and all other churches are exempt from the taxes, with the changes only affecting establishments like "hotels, halls and businesses" owned by the churches.[58] NPR had reported that the Greek Orthodox Church calls itself the second-largest landowner in Israel, after the Israeli government.[59]

There was a lock in protest against an Israeli legislative proposal which would expropriate church lands that had been sold to private companies since 2010, a measure which church leaders assert constitutes a serious violation of their property rights and the status quo. In a joint official statement the church authorities protested what they considered to be the peak of a systematic campaign in

'a discriminatory and racist bill that targets solely the properties of the Christian community in the Holy Land,' adding, 'This reminds us all of laws of a similar nature which were enacted against the Jews during dark periods in Europe.'[60]

The 2018 Taxation affair does not cover any church buildings or religious related facilities (because they are exempt by law),[61] but commercial facilities such as the Notre Dame Hotel which was not paying the arnona tax, and any land which is owned and used as a commercial land.[61] The church hold the rights to land where private homes have been constructed, and some of the disagreement had been raised after the Knesset had proposed a bill that will make it harder for a private company not to extend a lease for land used by homeowners.[62] According to the JPost

'The stated aim of the bill is to protect homeowners against the possibility that private companies will not extend their leases of land on which their houses or apartments stand.'

The church leaders have said that such a bill will make it harder for them to sell church owned lands.[62]

The site of the Church had been a temple of Venus before Constantine's edifice was built. Hadrian's temple had actually been located there because it was the junction of the main north-south road with one of the two main east-west roads and directly adjacent to the forum (which is now the location of the (smaller) Muristan); the forum itself had been placed, as is traditional in Roman towns, at the junction of the main north-south road with the (other) main east-west road (which is now El-Bazar/David Street). The temple and forum together took up the entire space between the two main east-west roads (a few above-ground remains of the east end of the temple precinct still survive in the Alexander Nevsky Church complex of the Russian Mission in Exile)."Church of the Holy Sepulcher". Generation Word. Retrieved 31 May 2018.

From the archaeological excavations in the 1970s, it is clear that construction took over most of the site of the earlier temple enclosure and that the Triportico and Rotunda roughly overlapped with the temple building itself; the excavations indicate that the temple extended at least as far back as the Aedicule, and the temple enclosure would have reached back slightly further. Virgilio Canio Corbo, a Franciscan priest and archaeologist, who was present at the excavations, estimated from the archaeological evidence that the western retaining wall of the temple itself would have passed extremely close to the east side of the supposed tomb; if the wall had been any further west any tomb would have been crushed under the weight of the wall (which would be immediately above it) if it had not already been destroyed when foundations for the wall were made.[63]

Other archaeologists have criticized Corbo's reconstructions. Dan Bahat, the former city archaeologist of Jerusalem, regards them as unsatisfactory, as there is no known temple of Aphrodite matching Corbo's design, and no archaeological evidence for Corbo's suggestion that the temple building was on a platform raised high enough to avoid including anything sited where the Aedicule is now; indeed Bahat notes that many temples to Aphrodite have a rotunda-like design, and argues that there is no archaeological reason to assume that the present rotunda was not based on a rotunda in the temple previously on the site.[64]

The New Testament describes Jesus's tomb as being outside the city wall,[65] as was normal for burials across the ancient world, which were regarded as unclean.[66] Today, the site of the Church is within the current walls of the old city of Jerusalem. It has been well documented by archaeologists that in the time of Jesus, the walled city was smaller and the wall then was to the east of the current site of the Church.[citation needed] In other words, the city had been much narrower in Jesus' time, with the site then having been outside the walls; since Herod Agrippa (4144) is recorded by history as extending the city to the north (beyond the present northern walls), the required repositioning of the western wall is traditionally attributed to him as well.[citation needed]

The area immediately to the south and east of the sepulchre was a quarry and outside the city during the early 1st century as excavations under the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer across the street demonstrated.[67]

The church is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Old City of Jerusalem.

The Christian Quarter and the (also Christian) Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem are both located in the northwestern and western part of the Old City, due to the fact that the Holy Sepulchre is located close to the northwestern corner of the walled city. The adjacent neighbourhood within the Christian Quarter is called the Muristan, a term derived from the Persian word for hospitalChristian pilgrim hospices have been maintained in this area near the Holy Sepulchre since at least the time of Charlemagne.

From the 9th century, the construction of churches inspired in the Anastasis was extended across Europe.[68] One example is Santo Stefano in Bologna, Italy, an agglomeration of seven churches recreating shrines of Jerusalem.[citation needed]

Several churches and monasteries in Europe, for instance, in Germany and Russia, and at least one church in the United States have been modeled on the Church of the Resurrection, some even reproducing other holy places for the benefit of pilgrims who could not travel to the Holy Land. They include the Heiliges Grab of Grlitz, constructed between 1481 and 1504, the New Jerusalem Monastery in Moscow Oblast, constructed by Patriarch Nikon between 1656 and 1666, and Mount St. Sepulchre Franciscan Monastery built by the Franciscans in Washington, DC in 1898.[citation needed]

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Church in Cologne, Germany

Cologne Cathedral (German: Klner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche Sankt Petrus, English: Cathedral Church of Saint Peter) is a Catholic cathedral in Cologne, Northrhine-Westfalia, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and of the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is a renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and was declared a World Heritage Site[3] in 1996.[4] It is Germany's most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day,[5] and currently the tallest twin-spired church at 157m (515ft) tall.

Construction of Cologne Cathedral commenced in 1248 and was halted in 1473, leaving it unfinished. Work restarted in the 19th century and was completed, to the original plan, in 1880.[6] The cathedral is the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe and has the second-tallest spires. The towers for its two huge spires give the cathedral the largest faade of any church in the world. The choir has the largest height to width ratio, 3.6:1, of any medieval church.[7]

Cologne's medieval builders had planned a grand structure to house the reliquary of the Three Kings and fit its role as a place of worship for the Holy Roman Emperor. Despite having been left incomplete during the medieval period, Cologne Cathedral eventually became unified as "a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value" and "a powerful testimony to the strength and persistence of Christian belief in medieval and modern Europe".[3]

When construction began on the present Cologne Cathedral in 1248, the site had already been occupied by several previous structures. The earliest may have been for grain storage, and possibly was succeeded by a Roman temple built by Mercurius Augustus. From the 4th century on, however, the site was occupied by Christian buildings, including a square edifice known as the "oldest cathedral" that was commissioned by Maternus, the first bishop of Cologne. A free-standing baptistery dating back to the 7th century was located at the east end of the present cathedral but was demolished in the 9th century to build the second cathedral. During excavations of the present cathedral, graves were discovered in the location of the oldest portion of the building; including that of a boy that was richly adorned with grave goods and another of a woman, popularly thought to be Wisigard. Both graves are thought to be from the 6th century. Only ruins of the baptistery and the octagonal baptismal font remain today.[citation needed]The second church, called the "Old Cathedral", was completed in 818. It was destroyed by fire on 30 April 1248, during demolition work to prepare for a new cathedral.[8]

In 1164, the Archbishop of Cologne, Rainald of Dassel, acquired the relics of the Three Kings which the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, had taken from the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio, Milan, Italy. (Parts of the relics have since been returned to Milan.) The relics have great religious significance and drew pilgrims from all over Christendom. It was important to church officials that they be properly housed, and thus began a building program in the new style of Gothic architecture, based in particular on the French cathedral of Amiens.[citation needed]

The foundation stone was laid on 15 August 1248,[9] by Archbishop Konrad von Hochstaden. 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. Eighty four misericords in the choir date from this building phase.In the mid 14th century work on the west front commenced under Master Michael. This work halted in 1473, leaving the south tower complete up to the belfry level and crowned with a huge crane that remained in place as a landmark of the Cologne skyline for 400 years.[10]

Some work proceeded intermittently on the structure of the nave between the west front and the eastern arm, but during the 16th century this ceased.[11]

With the 19th century romantic enthusiasm for the Middle Ages, and spurred on by the discovery of the original plan for the faade, it was decided, with the commitment of the Protestant Prussian Court, to complete the cathedral. It was achieved by civic effort; the Central-Dombauverein, founded in 1842, raised two-thirds of the enormous costs, while the Prussian state supplied the remaining third.[citation needed] The state saw this as a way to improve its relations with the large number of Catholic subjects it had gained in 1815.[citation needed]

Work resumed in 1842 to the original design of the surviving medieval plans and drawings, but utilizing more modern construction techniques, including iron roof girders. The nave was completed and the towers were added. The bells were installed in the 1870s. The largest bell is St. Petersglocke.

The completion of Germany's largest cathedral was celebrated as a national event on 14 August 1880, 632 years after construction had begun.[12] The celebration was attended by Emperor Wilhelm I. At 157.38 Meters or 515 feet tall, it was the tallest building in the world for four years until the completion of Washington Monument.[citation needed]

The cathedral suffered fourteen hits by aerial bombs during World War II. Badly damaged, it nevertheless remained standing in an otherwise completely flattened city. The twin spires were an easily recognizable navigational landmark for Allied aircraft bombing.

The cathedral and the immediate area surrounding it was the site of intense tank combat between American tanks of the 3rd Armored Division and a Panther Ausf. A of Panzerbrigade 106 on 6 March 1945. The Panther successfully knocked out two Shermans killing three men before it was destroyed by a T26E3 Pershing hours later. The destroyed Panther was later put on display at the base of the cathedral for the remainder of the war in Europe.[citation needed]

Repairs were completed in 1956. An emergency repair on the northwest tower's base carried out in 1944 using poor-quality brick taken from a nearby ruined building remained visible until 2005 as a reminder of the war, when it was decided to restore the section to its original appearance. The brick-filling can be seen in the photograph on the right.

Repair and maintenance work is constantly being carried out in one or another section of the building, which is rarely completely free of scaffolding, as wind, rain, and pollution slowly eat away at the stones. The Dombauhtte, established to build the cathedral and keep it in repair, is said to employ the best stonemasons of the Rhineland. There is a common joke in Cologne that the leader of the Dombauhtte, the Dombaumeister (master builder of the cathedral), has to be Catholic and free from giddiness. Half the costs of repair and maintenance are still borne by the Dombauverein.[citation needed]

On 25 August 2007, the cathedral received a new stained glass window in the south transept. With 113 square metres (1,220sqft) of glass, the window was created by the German artist Gerhard Richter. It is composed of 11,500 identically sized pieces of colored glass resembling pixels, randomly arranged by computer, which create a colorful "carpet". Since the loss of the original window in World War II, the space had been temporarily filled with plain glass.[13] The then archbishop of the cathedral, Joachim Cardinal Meisner, who had preferred a figurative depiction of 20th-century Catholic martyrs for the window, did not attend the unveiling.[14] Current holder of the office is Rainer Maria Cardinal Woelki (since 2014).On 5 January 2015, the cathedral remained dark as floodlights were switched off to protest a demonstration by PEGIDA.[15]

In 1996, the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List of culturally important sites. In 2004 it was placed on the "World Heritage in Danger" list, as the only Western site in danger, due to plans to construct a high-rise building nearby, which would have visually impacted the site. The cathedral was removed from the List of In Danger Sites in 2006, following the authorities' decision to limit the heights of buildings constructed near and around the cathedral.

As a World Heritage Site, and with its convenient position on tourist routes, Cologne Cathedral is a major tourist attraction, the visitors including many who travel there as a Christian pilgrimage.

Visitors can climb 533 stone steps of the spiral staircase to a viewing platform about 100m (330ft) above the ground.[16] The platform gives a scenic view over the Rhine.

On 18 August 2005, Pope Benedict XVI visited the cathedral during his apostolic visit to Germany, as part of World Youth Day 2005 festivities. An estimated one million pilgrims visited the cathedral during this time. Also as part of the events of World Youth Day, Cologne Cathedral hosted a televised gala performance of Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Choir conducted by Sir Gilbert Levine.

As of 1 March 2017, a ban on bags was brought in by the German authorities in light of recent terrorist attacks in the country, meaning visitors are not allowed to carry bags inside the cathedral.[17]

The design of Cologne Cathedral was based quite closely on that of Amiens Cathedral in terms of ground plan, style and the width to height proportion of the central nave. The plan is in the shape of a Latin Cross, as is usual with Gothic cathedrals. It has two aisles on either side, which help to support one of the very highest Gothic vaults in the world, being nearly as tall as that of the Beauvais Cathedral, much of which collapsed. Externally the outward thrust of the vault is taken up by flying buttresses in the French manner. The eastern end has a single ambulatory, the second aisle resolving into a chevet of seven radiating chapels.[citation needed]

Internally, the medieval choir is more varied and less mechanical in its details than the 19th century building. It presents a French style arrangement of very tall arcade, a delicate narrow triforium gallery lit by windows and with detailed tracery merging with that of the windows above. The clerestory windows are tall and retain some old figurative glass in the lower sections. The whole is united by the tall shafts that sweep unbroken from the floor to their capitals at the spring of the vault. The vault is of plain quadripartite arrangement.

The choir retains a great many of its original fittings, including the carved stalls, which is made the more surprising by the fact that French Revolutionary troops had desecrated the building. A large stone statue of St Christopher looks down towards the place where the earlier entrance to the cathedral was, before its completion in the late 19th century.

The nave has many 19th century stained glass windows. A set of five on the south side is called the Bayernfenster, and were a gift from Ludwig I of Bavaria, and strongly represent the painterly German style of that date.

Externally, particularly from a distance, the building is dominated by its huge spires, which are entirely Germanic in character, being openwork like those of Ulm, Vienna, Strasbourg and Regensburg Cathedrals.[18]

A "Bird's eye view" shows the cruciform plan

The cathedral from the south

The exterior of one of the spires

The main entrance shows the 19th century decoration.

"Bird's eye view" from the east

The flying buttresses and pinnacles of the Medieval east end.

Interior of the Medieval east end, showing the extreme height.

This "swallows' nest" organ was built into the gallery in 1998, to celebrate the cathedral's 750 years.

19th century cross-section, south elevation of the choir

One of the treasures of the cathedral is the High Altar, which was installed in 1322. It is constructed of black marble, with a solid slab 15 feet (4.6m) long forming the top. The front and sides are overlaid with white marble niches into which are set figures, with the Coronation of the Virgin at the centre.[19]

The most celebrated work of art in the cathedral is the Shrine of the Three Kings, commissioned by Philip von Heinsberg, archbishop of Cologne from 1167 to 1191 and created by Nicholas of Verdun, begun in 1190. It is traditionally believed to hold the remains of the Three Wise Men, whose relics were acquired by Frederick Barbarossa at the conquest of Milan in 1164. The shrine takes the form a large reliquary in the shape of a basilican church, made of bronze and silver, gilded and ornamented with architectonic details, figurative sculpture, enamels and gemstones. The shrine was opened in 1864 and was found to contain bones and garments.

Near the sacristy is the Gero-Kreuz,[20] a large crucifix carved in oak and with traces of paint and gilding. Believed to have been commissioned around 960 for Archbishop Gero, it is the oldest large crucifix north of the Alps and the earliest-known large free-standing Northern sculpture of the medieval period.[21][full citation needed]

In the Sacrament Chapel is the Mailnder Madonna ("Milan Madonna"), dating from around 1290, a wooden sculpture depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus. The altar of the patron saints of Cologne with an altar piece by the International Gothic painter Stefan Lochner is in the Marienkapelle ("St. Mary's Chapel"). Other works of art are in the Cathedral Treasury. The altar also houses the relics of Saint Irmgardis.

Embedded in the interior wall are a pair of stone tablets on which are carved the provisions formulated by Archbishop Englebert II (126267) under which Jews were permitted to reside in Cologne.[22]

Cologne Cathedral has two pipe organs by Klais Orgelbau, the Transept Organ built in 1948 and the Nave Organ built in 1998. Cathedral organists have included Josef Zimmermann, Clemens Ganz (19852001) and Winfried Bnig (2001).

The cathedral has eleven church bells, four of which are medieval. The first was the 3.8-ton Dreiknigsglocke ("Bell of the Three Kings"), cast in 1418, installed in 1437, and recast in 1880. Two of the other bells, the Pretiosa (10.5tons; at that time the largest bell in the Western world) and the Speciosa (5.6tons) were installed in 1448 and remain in place today.

During the 19th century, as the building neared completion, there was a desire to extend the number of bells. This was facilitated by Kaiser Wilhelm I who gave French bronze cannon, captured in 187071, for this purpose. The 22 pieces of artillery were displayed outside the Cathedral on 11 May 1872. Andreas Hamm in Frankenthal used them to cast a bell of over 27,000 kilos on 19 August 1873. The tone was not harmonious and another attempt was made on 13 November 1873. The Central Cathedral Association, which had agreed to take over the costs, did not want this bell either. Another attempt took place on 3 October 1874. The colossal bell was shipped to Cologne and on 13 May 1875, installed in the Cathedral. This Kaiserglocke was eventually dismantled in 1918 to support the German war effort.

The 24-ton St. Petersglocke ("Bell of St. Peter", "Decke Pitter" in the Klsch language), was cast in 1922 and is the largest free-swinging bell in the world.[23]

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Cologne Cathedral - Wikipedia

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