The site of the present cathedral has been the location of many other Christian buildings, for example a Romanesque basilica and a church hall.

[3] In 1184 it was the site of the Erfurt latrine disaster when a floor collapsed during an assembly summoned by Henry VI, King of Germany.

The building has many notable architectural features, including the stained glass windows and the interior furnishings.

The central spire of the cathedral's three towers houses the Maria Gloriosa which, at the time of its casting by Geert van Wou in 1497, was the world's largest free-swinging bell.

[citation needed] The cathedral houses many rare and rich furnishings and sculptures, including the tomb of the supposedly bigamous Count von Gleichen, accompanied by both of his wives, a stucco altar from around 1160, a bronze candelabra called Erfurter Wolfram, the oldest free standing cast work in Germany, and, out on the portal, statues of the Wise and Foolish Virgins.