‘A dear friend’: Syrian refugee carves model of Cologne Cathedral

Fadel Alkhudr from Syria poses near the south part of his wooden model of Cologne Cathedral on display at the Domforum in Cologne, Germany (Martin Meissner/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.

Mr Alkhudr, 42, became so fascinated by the famous Gothic landmark on the Rhine river with its twin spires and elaborate ornaments that he spent hours looking at it.