| Old Aker Church | |
|---|---|
South side of the church |
|
| Type | Church |
| Status | Automatically protected |
| County | Oslo |
| Municipality | Oslo |
| Year built | Middle Ages |
| ID | 84226 |
Old Aker Church (Norwegian: Gamle Aker kirke) is a medieval church located in Oslo. An active parish, the church is the oldest existing building in Oslo.[1]
Old Aker Church was built as a three-naved Roman-style basilica and constructed from limestone. The church has a baroque pulpit and baptismal font from 1715. The tower is built in 1861. It is believed to have been erected by king Olav Kyrre in 1080 as a church for all of Vingulmark. The grounds of Old Aker Church were originally likely the place of the regional thing.[2]
The church has been pillaged and ravaged by fire several times. The oldest part of the surrounding churchyard dates back to the 12th century. The church sits on top of the Telthusbakken hill and is located centrally in the borough of St. Hanshaugen. It is surrounded by an old graveyard and a stone wall. Most of the buildings in the area are from the 1880s, with the addition of some apartment blocks from the 1930s.[3]
The church was built over an old silver mine, Akersberg which was in use since the early Viking age. The mines are mentioned in the 1170 Historia Norvegiae. The mines must have been the inspiration for a number of stories about the church having hidden silver treasures and even dungeons with dragons.[4]