1248
1248 is the year construction began on Cologne Cathedral.
- Even
- Composite
Where 1248 fits
Why 1248 is special
Work stopped in 1473 and resumed in 1842, using the original medieval plans that had survived. It was finished in 1880, 632 years after it started.
1248 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (24)
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 16, 24, 26, 32, 39, 48, 52, 78, 96, 104, 156, 208, 312, 416, 624, 1248
- Prime factorisation
- 2^5 × 3 × 13
- Digit sum
- 15
- Digital root
- 6
Representations
- Decimal
- 1248
- Scientific notation
- 1.248 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C C X L V I I I
MCCXLVIII uses the subtractive pair XL: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten.
Binary
1 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
1 × 1,024 + 0 × 512 + 0 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 1 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 0 × 4 + 0 × 2 + 0 × 1 = 1,248
Octal
2 3 4 0
2 × 512 + 3 × 64 + 4 × 8 + 0 × 1 = 1,248
Hexadecimal
4 e 0
4 × 256 + e × 16 + 0 × 1 = 1,248
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 128 + 64 + 32 = 1,248.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 2 coils of rope, 4 hobbles, 8 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 2 × 100 + 4 × 10 + 8 × 1 = 1,248. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
2 corner wedges (sixties place), 4 corner wedges + 8 vertical wedges (units place)
20 × 60 + 48 = 1248. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Abundant number
Related numbers & connections
Notre-Dame began in 1163 and Cologne Cathedral in 1248. Cologne stood unfinished for four centuries and was completed from surviving medieval plans in 1880.
View 1163 →Numbers Around Us
- appears alongside1163
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
- appears inHistorical years
why?
Strength 0.50, confidence "high".
History
Cologne Cathedral stood unfinished for nearly four centuries. The medieval elevation drawings survived, and the nineteenth-century completion followed them, which is why it reads as a single coherent building.
DocumentedHistoryGeography: GermanyPeriod: 1248–1880In 1248, the Sainte-Chapelle was completed in Paris, its walls almost entirely glass (France).
DocumentedHistoryGeography: FrancePeriod: 1248
Common questions
Is 1248 a prime number?
No, 1248 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1248?
The factors of 1248 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 13, 16, 24, 26, 32, 39, 48, 52, 78, 96, 104, 156, 208, 312, 416, 624, 1248.
What is 1248 in Roman numerals?
1248 in Roman numerals is MCCXLVIII. XL is subtractive: ten before fifty — fifty minus ten. Written additively it would be MCCXXXXVIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 2 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026