Church or chapel · 1350
Haljala Church
German: Haljall
St Maurice's church in Haljala, called one of the most distinctive medieval churches in Virumaa, may stand on a pre-Christian holy place, as local historian Gustav Sandberg suspected. The first church was probably built in the 1220s. Russian troops likely burned it in 1558, it burned again in 1703, and lightning set the tower alight in 1761 and 1831. In 2016, when the wooden floor was lifted during restoration, archaeologists found the foundations of a smaller, older stone church beneath it, along with coins from around 1400, 13th-century potsherds and burial vaults, confirming Villem Raam's theory that the earlier church was of stone.
Open it on the map See the spot on the old maps and as it is today
Eesti keeles
Haljala Mauritiuse kirik, mida on nimetatud üheks Virumaa omanäolisemaks keskaegseks kirikuks, võib kodu-uurija Gustav Sandbergi arvates seista ristiusueelsel pühapaigal. Esimene kirik ehitati arvatavasti 1220. aastatel. 1558. aastal süütasid selle ilmselt Vene väed, 1703. aastal põles see uuesti ning 1761. ja 1831. aastal süütas äike torni. 2016. aastal restaureerimise ajal puitpõrandat üles võttes leiti selle alt väiksema ja vanema kivikiriku vundamendid ning umbes 1400. aasta mündid, 13. sajandi savikillud ja hauakambrid – nii leidis kinnitust Villem Raami oletus, et varasem kirik oli kivist.