May 18 2008
oldest city in Finland
Turku, the former capital of Finland, is the country’s oldest city with medieval landmarks such as the Turku Cathedral, Turku Castle, and the Old Great Square. It was in the 13th century (about 1229) when Turku was born, although civilization can be traced way back to the Stone Age.
How old is old? To give us an idea how old Turku really is, here are some facts in history from a Turku brochure:
-The Turku Cathedral was inaugurated in 1300, and thus considered older than the Tower of Pisa which was not completed until 1360 though construction started in 1173.
-The first phase of Turku Castle was built in the 1200s so it’s older than the Aztec Empire which began in 1300s (and ended in 1521).
-The Pennisilta (bridge), first bridge over Aura River was built in 1414. Hence it is older than the last section of the Great Wall of China which was completed in the 1600s. Take note that it took 2,000 years to build the Great Wall of China so the previous sections of the wall is older than Turku.
Turku Cathedral inaugurated in 1300
Aside from being the oldest city in Finland, Turku is the country’s fifth largest city and the third largest urban region after Helsinki and Tampere.
It is also interesting to note here that Turku has the largest Swedish population in Finland. This is perhaps due to its proximity to Stockholm and its location. Turku is located on the mouth of Aura River (Aurajoki) in the south western part of Finland where further towards the west lies tens of thousands of islands. The Port of Turku serves as a departure point for people traveling to Stockholm in Sweden and Mariehamn, the capital of Åland Islands, so it’s not a surprise if it is considered as one of the busiest seaports in Finland.
first phase of the Turku Castle was built in 1200s
More information about Turku can be read from the city’s official website: www.turku.fi.
