St George's Cathedral

St George's Cathedral stands at 5 Wale Street at the top of the Company's Garden precinct in central Cape Town, South Africa. It is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town and the mother church of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The present building was designed by the architect Herbert Baker in the Gothic Revival style, and construction began in 1901 with the foundation stone laid by the Duke of Cornwall and York, later George V. It replaced an earlier, smaller Georgian-Gothic church of the 1830s, and parts of the building were completed in stages through the 20th century, with the nave and the eastern portion finished by the late 1930s. Architecturally the cathedral is notable for its red-brown stone, large Gothic windows, and for a mixture of English Gothic Revival form with Arts and Crafts detailing. Inside, visitors will see stained-glass windows, including the large Great West Window by Gabriel Loire of France commemorating the church's history, as well as the organ, a labyrinth and the crypt, which houses a small museum and exhibits. The cathedral is best known as the stage of the anti-apartheid struggle. Archbishop Desmond Tutu held his services and rallies here in the 1980s, and in 1989 a large peace march gathered at the cathedral, which became known as the People's Cathedral. It continues to hold services, concerts and public events. The interpretation focuses on its religious function and its social-justice legacy, and the Crypt often features exhibitions and a place for reflection. The cathedral is a functioning church, so visiting arrangements are shaped by services, concerts and weddings. Restoration of the stonework and facilities has taken place over time, and the building is kept in good condition by the cathedral community. It is within walking distance of Greenmarket Square, the Slave Lodge and the Houses of Parliament, which makes it simple to include on a heritage route through the city centre.