COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Alkhudr, who is Muslim, said he developed such a close connection to the Catholic cathedral that at some point it felt like the building became a part of him.

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — When Syrian refugee Fadel Alkhudr arrived in Germany in 2015, the first thing he saw when he stepped out of the train in Cologne was the city’s majestic cathedral.

A wooden model of the word heritage Cologne Cathedral, made Fadel Alkhudr from Syria, is displayed at the Domforum in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 18, 2022. (Credit: Martin Meissner/AP.) ...

Fadel Alkhudr from Syria poses beside his wooden model of the word heritage Cologne Cathedral on display at the Domforum in Cologne, Germany, Monday, June 20, 2022. Fadel Alkhudr, 42, a woodcarver ...