York Minster, Gothic cathedral in York, England
Description
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in the northern English city of York, built from limestone and reaching 160 meters in length and 76 meters in width. Its interior divides into a nave, transepts and choir, surrounded by tall pointed windows and slender stone pillars that support the vaulted ceiling overhead.
History
Construction started in 1220 and continued for several centuries, with the transept built first. The chapter house and nave followed later, while the great eastern facade with its enormous window was completed only in the early 15th century.
Culture
The name comes from the Old English word for a Roman headquarters that once stood here. Today worshipers gather for daily services while visitors walk through side chapels and aisles, watching how sunlight through colored windows fills the stone walls with shifting patterns of warm light.
Practical
The entrance stands at the western front, from where you enter the nave and move eastward through the building. Visitors who wish to climb the roof or towers should be prepared for steep steps and narrow spiral staircases.
Did you know?
In the north transept five narrow lancet windows stand side by side, each rising over 16 meters and displaying geometric patterns. This group is known as the Five Sisters Window and ranks among the oldest surviving glasswork in the building.
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Yorkshire and the Humber brings together different sides of northern England. York shows its medieval walls, narrow streets with timber houses, and a gothic cathedral. Leeds and Sheffield show their past as centers of industry, with old factories turned into museums and new neighborhoods. Hull,...
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