Mariakirken, former church in Stavanger
Mariakirken was a large brick church in central Oslo whose remains now appear as ruins in Middelalderparken. The building originally had a single aisle and semicircular altar space, then was expanded in the 13th century with two large towers at the western end.
The church began as a wooden building around the year 1000 and was later replaced by a stone structure in the 1100s, which underwent multiple expansions. It was burned by Swedish troops in 1523 and demolished in 1542.
The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and served as a royal chapel where the community gathered for prayer and ceremonies. It remained a spiritual center where both nobility and ordinary people came to mark important moments in their lives.
The ruins are located in the publicly accessible Middelalderparken and can be visited at any time. The site is fairly level and allows visitors to explore the old foundations from different angles and positions.
From 1314 onward, the church's priest was appointed as the royal chancellor, a position that could never be transferred to any other institution. This made the church the keeper of the kingdom's official seals and documents.
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