St. George's Cathedral
St. George’s Cathedral stands in the heart of Cape Town as the Anglican cathedral and seat of the Archbishop. Sir Herbert Baker designed the present structure, whose foundation stones were laid in 1901 to replace an unfinished church. The site connects with Anglican worship in Cape Town since the early 1800s, when services took place at the Castle.
The bell tower incorporates part of the first cathedral and holds ten bells recast in 1963. Their names include Joy, Love, and Peace, while stained-glass windows bring creation, triumph, and African church history into the interior. Gabriel Loire created the great west window, which shows a triumphant Black Christ alongside figures including Mahatma Gandhi.
The north transept contains the Southern Hemisphere’s largest stained-glass window, designed by Francis Skeat for African saints and church pioneers. During apartheid, the cathedral became a meeting place for activists and a centre of resistance. Archbishop Desmond Tutu led marches from its steps, and the crypt now houses a jazz restaurant.
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