Cathedral of Our Lady of Tortosa

A brief history

Raised in the twelfth century, this Crusader cathedral has been described by historians as the best-preserved religious building of the Crusades. Pilgrims came because Saint Peter was said to have founded a small church on the spot dedicated to the Virgin Mary. After the Mamluk capture of the city the cathedral was turned into a mosque, and today the building houses the National Museum of Tartus. It is listed here as a heritage site, not a working church.

An interesting detail

The building has served in turn as a cathedral, a mosque and a museum, which is why its stonework is legible where most Crusader churches are not.