What is Durham Cathedral?
Durham Cathedral is a Norman cathedral in northeast England, built between 1093 and 1133. Standing above the River Wear alongside Durham Castle, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the finest Romanesque buildings in Europe.
The cathedral was built to house the shrine of St Cuthbert, a seventh-century saint of Lindisfarne. His remains were brought to Durham by monks fleeing Viking raids.
The building is famous for its huge stone columns decorated with geometric patterns and for its early use of ribbed vaulting, an important step toward Gothic architecture.
Saints and films
The tomb of the Venerable Bede, an Anglo-Saxon monk and historian, is also in the cathedral.
Durham Cathedral and Castle were among the first places in Britain to be named World Heritage Sites, in 1986.
The cathedral was used as a filming location for Hogwarts in the Harry Potter films, especially its cloisters.
Durham Castle, opposite the cathedral, is now part of Durham University, where students live. Visitors can climb the cathedral's central tower for views of the city.