Ribe Cathedral, Lutheran cathedral in Ribe, Denmark
Ribe Cathedral is a Lutheran place of worship in Ribe, a town within Esbjerg Municipality in Denmark. The structure measures 61.50 meters (202 feet) in length and 33.50 meters (110 feet) in width, built from tuff and trass stone in the Romanesque style.
Bishop Ansgar founded the first Danish church on this site in 860, before the current building was begun around 1150. Following the Reformation in the 16th century, former side chapels were integrated into the main body of the church and the interior was reshaped according to Lutheran tradition.
The cathedral takes its name from Ribe, Denmark's oldest town, and has served as a spiritual center for centuries. On Sundays, locals gather for worship under the high vaulted ceilings, while visitors can observe the plain Lutheran interior and the rounded arches typical of Romanesque design.
Entry to the church is free, while access to the tower viewing platform requires a small fee. Sturdy footwear helps with the climb up the steep spiral staircase, and on clear days the view extends across the marshland to the North Sea.
The church is Denmark's only five-aisled place of worship, as the originally separate chapels were absorbed into the main space during the Reformation. Three towers crown the building: the Rytterspiret above the choir, the Mariatarnet, and the northwestern Borgertarnet, which rises 50 meters (164 feet) into the sky.
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