Durham Cathedral, England

Cathedral Church of Christ, Blessed Mary the Virgin and St Cuthbert of Durham commonly referred as Durham Cathedral is a cathedral of the Anglican Communion located in the city of Durham, County Durham, North East England. The cathedral was built between 1093 and 1133 in Romanesque (Norman) style. The construction of the cathedral began under the first prince-bishop, William of St. Carilef who died before its completion. Late Norman style Galilee Chapel was added at the west end in the 12th century, while the Chapel of the Nine Altars in the Gothic style at the east end dates from the 13th century. The western towers were built between the 12th and 13th centuries and the great central tower in the 15th century.

Durham Cathedral was the seat of the Bishop as well as the church of the Benedictine monastery of Durham from 1093 to 1540. King Henry VIII dissolved the Benedictine monastery at Durham in 1540 but the cathedral was refunded already in 1541 and the last Prior became the first Dean of the cathedral. Durham Cathedral was closed during the Civil War and the Commonwealth period in the 17th century and converted into a prisoner-of-war camp in 1650. The cathedral was restored in 1660, while the Chapter House which was partly demolished in 18th century was rebuilt to the original design in 1895. Restoration works also took place during the 20th century. Together with the Durham Castle, Durham Cathedral was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1986.

Durham Cathedral houses the shrine and related treasures of Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, a seventh century saint, the head of St Oswald of Northumbria and the remains of the Venerable Bede.

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