Turku Cathedral is the main church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the national shrine. The oldest parts of the church go back to the 13th century.

The west coast market place Turku, the name meaning market place, became the most important trade centre of Finland in the 13th century. The catholic church of the local parish was moved next to the market place. The new church was completed at the end of the century, and it was inaugurated in the year 1300. It was dedicated to two patron saints, Virgin Mary and the first bishop of Finland, St. Henry.

The first alterations to the church were made in the 15th century when mason Petrus Murator de Kymitto built the nave of the church. In the 16th century the new choir with the Gothic style columns was built. The church was also extended by adding chapels to both sides of the church hall. The chapels were dedicated to the saints that the church had 42 at the time. Even the vaults were raised to the height they are still today. Along with the Protestant Reformation, the church was altered to Evangelical Lutheran Church in the 16th century.

The Great Fire of Turku in 1825 destroyed the whole town and even the church was severely damaged. The Empire style altar, pulpit and new tower were designed by Carl Ludvig Engel. They were built in the 1830s.

The newest architectural layers in the church are from the 1970s. The restoration was designed by Pitkänen-Laiho-Raunio Architects. The church was restored throughout the decade, and some new functional addings were made, such as public toilets, sprinkler systems, lights and so on.