Pécs Cathedral, Romanesque Revival cathedral in Pécs, Hungary

Pécs Cathedral is 70 metres long and 22 metres wide, with towers reaching 60 metres. Its pale beige and tan facade is symmetrical around a recessed arched portal, with two tall corner towers topped by crosses and two shorter towers between them. A row of smaller arches on slender columns runs above the lower level, and a long green-metal roof stands behind the facade.

A cathedral stood here by the founding of the Diocese of Pécs in 1009; the chronicles attribute an earlier church to King Peter. The third cathedral was begun under Bishop Mór in the late 11th century and finished around 1140–1180, with a five-aisled crypt above an early Christian martyr's tomb. After the 1064 fire, the Romanesque basilica was rebuilt with Italian architects; Gothic chapels and the 1505 apse followed. The neo-Romanesque form dates from Friedrich von Schmidt's reconstruction, begun in 1882 and consecrated in 1891.

The cathedral is dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, and its organ is the 100th work of builder József Angster. In 1991, before Pope John Paul II's visit to Hungary, it was granted the rank of minor basilica. The southwest tower carries Arabic-script Turkish inscriptions placed after a 1631 lightning strike and restoration by Ahmed, the aga of Belgrade.

The cathedral stands on Dóm tér, its west facade facing the paved square; the four towers and green-metal roof are visible from across the open area. The interior is entered through the central recessed portal, and the nave, side aisles and chapels are laid out along a single axis. The building is an active parish church, so access may be limited during services.

The southwest tower carries Arabic-script Turkish inscriptions placed after the Belgrade aga Ahmed repaired it, following a lightning strike in 1631. The Turks used the western part, the Corpus Christi Chapel, as a mosque and stored food and military supplies in the rest. In 1686 the liberating commander Gabriele Vecchi looted the clock and the lead-covered roof from the tower.