subject: St Georges Cathedral and Groote Kerk [print this page] St Georges Cathedral and Groote Kerk St Georges Cathedral and Groote Kerk
Situated amongst many Cape apartments is the St. Georges Cathedral in Wale Street, Cape Town. It was nicknamed the peoples cathedral', during the Apartheid era, going against segregation laws. It represents the Anglican diocese mother church in Cape Town.
This magnificent cathedral is designed in Victorian era design and showcases the beautiful stained glass artwork of the time, it also has a crypt and a labyrinth. St. Georges Cathedral is situated just next to Cape Towns tranquil Company Gardens where the South African National Gallery, the Natural History Museum and the Planetarium are found in its ample grounds, as well as a charming tea garden. Visitors can also be amused for hours by the charming antics of the well known inhabitants of the Company gardens, the many squirrels.
Many of the colourful Cape house apartments of the Bo Kaap can be seen from the St. Georges Cathedral grounds. The apartments in Cape Town Bo Kaap are distinct form any other area in Cape Town as they are all painted a single bright colour, different to that of their neighbour.
The Groote Kerk was the first Christian place of worship to be erected in the Cape, soon after the arrival of Jan van Riebeek in 1652, it is the mother church of the Dutch Reformed Church in Cape Town. It was first built as a cross design but two decades later it was transformed into a rectangular structure in order to accommodate more worshippers. It is surrounded by many stylish apartments Cape Town has to offer.
The Groote Kerk's impressive organ was commissioned in 1953 and features 5917 pipes, all made from copper, tin, wood and a tin-lead alloy. Today the Groote Kerk boasts an active family worship congregation which is affiliated to the NG and it runs a community outreach programme.
