Evästeet
EvästeetLinkki avautuu uudessa välilehdessä
EvästeetLinkki avautuu uudessa välilehdessä
Turku Cathedral is regarded as Finland’s most valuable monument of architectural history. The construction took place in stages up to the first decades of the 19th century. The greatest changes in appearance happened in the 15th and 16th centuries. Most of the present interior dates back to the restoration after the Great Fire of Turku (1827).
You can book tours in the Cathedral and around Turku in different languages from Magni Mundi travel agency. More about Magni Mundi's services you can find from this link.
You can contact the local guides also directly. The list of authorized guides working in Turku area is on this page.
The history of the Cathedral is vast. Some information about it can be found e.g. on two tours in Citynomadi.
Click here to find Citynomadi-service and a tour through Turku Cathedral. (You can select the language by clicking the flag on the left upper corner of the map.)
Click here to find out more about the graves in Turku Cathedral in Citynomadi-service. (Here you can also select the language by clicking the flag.)
More history of Turku Cathedral you can read on the page behind this link.
"What is the ship hanging from the ceiling?"
In many coastal churches, it is common to see a model ship suspended from the ceiling. This tradition dates back centuries when sailors lived in these regions. Before embarking on a new voyage, it was customary to pray to God for a safe journey. If the voyage was successful—or sometimes even beforehand—mariners would build a miniature replica of their ship and donate it to their home church as an offering to God.
Any original model ships in Turku Cathedral were likely destroyed in fires over the centuries. The current model, a whaling ship named Turku, was donated by the Finnish Shipmasters’ Association (Laivapäällikköyhdistys) in the 1960s. The ship sailed the seas in the 1800s, which is why it bears a Russian flag. The painted gun ports along the hull were meant to deter pirates.