[3] The sagas tell that Sokki Þórisson, a wealthy farmer of the Brattahlíð area, launched the idea of a separate bishop for Greenland in the early 12th century and got the approval of the Norwegian King Sigurd I Magnusson 'the Crusader' (1103–1130).

Its single incumbent is Edward William Clark, Auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles (16 January 2001 – 2022).

The cathedral was the primary target of much of the archaeological work and was fully excavated in 1926 by Danish archaeologist Poul Nørlund [da] (1888–1951).

The ruins mostly consist of the stone foundations of the walls in their original positions so that the extent of the settlement, both individual buildings and collectively, can be determined and understood.

The main ruin is of Garðar Cathedral, a cross-shaped church built of sandstone in the 12th century.