Church of Our Lady before Tyn

The Church of Mother of God before Tyn often translated as Church of Our Lady before Týn, is a gothic church and a dominant feature of the Old Town of Prague. It has been the main church of this part of the city since the 14th century. The church’s towers are 80 metres high and topped by four small spires. In the 11th century, this area was occupied by a Romanesque church, which was built there for foreign merchants coming to the nearby Týn Courtyard. Later it was replaced by an early Gothic Church of Our Lady before Týn in 1256. Construction of the present church began in the 14th century in the late Gothic style under the influence of Matthias of Arras and later Peter Parler. The northern portal is a wonderful example of Gothic sculpture from the Parler workshop, with a relief depicting the Crucifixion. The main entrance is located on the church’s western face, through a narrow passage between the houses in front of the church. The early baroque altarpiece has paintings by Karel Škréta from around 1649. The oldest pipe organ in Prague stands inside this church. The organ was built in 1673 by Heinrich Mundt and is one of the most representative 17th-century organs in whole Europe.