Saint Mary Cathedral, Tallinn

Saint Mary’s Cathedral is the oldest church in Tallinn. It dates all the way back to 1219, and was built during the time that the Danes conquered Tallinn. The original was built completely of wood. A group of Dominican Monks came in 1229 and started construction of a stone church to replace the old one. A letter sent to Rome in 1233 is the oldest documented note about the church. In 1240, the building was completed. In the same year, it was made into a cathedral and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The size of the church was expanded in the 14th Century.

The grand old structure was badly damaged in the great fire of 1684. Most of the remaining wooden structure was lost, as well as some of the beautiful woodwork in the chancel. The church was restored and that is why today you see a Baroque style pulpit in the building. The pulpit and the altarpiece were done by the famous Estonian sculptor Christian Ackermann.

The exterior of the church dates from the 15th Century, and the large spire dates from the 1700s. Most of the current furnishings are Baroque in style and also go back to the 17th Century.

There are many famous Estonians buried in the church's cemetery. Among them are Jindrich Matyas Thurn, Samuel Greig and Adam Johann von Krusenstern.