Groote Kerk

A congregation has worshipped on this site since 1678, making Groote Kerk the oldest existing church in South Africa, though what stands is mostly an 1841 rebuild that kept the older clock tower. Inside, the ceiling spans without pillars and the pews are dark Burmese teak, but the object everyone comes for is the pulpit, carved in 1789 by Anton Anreith with the carpenter Jacob Graaff: a wooden bowl supported by two enormous lions, with a figure of Faith above, in a style that is closer to sculpture than church furniture and considered Anreith's masterpiece. The organ, installed in 1954, is claimed as the largest church organ in South Africa. Governors and early Cape figures are buried under the floor. It sits at the top of Adderley Street with the city's traffic outside the door, which makes the quiet inside more noticeable.

History

The first church on the site was built in 1678, and the pulpit by the sculptor Anton Anreith and the carpenter Jacob Graaff was inaugurated on 29 November 1789. The present church, built by Herman Schuette, replaced the old one in 1841 but kept the original tower, and its organ was installed in 1954 (Wikipedia, Groote Kerk, Cape Town).

The main sights

• The Anreith pulpit - a 1789 carving held up by two lions, his best-known work.
• The 1678 congregation - the oldest church site in the country, rebuilt in 1841.
• The pillarless ceiling - a wide span over teak pews.
• The organ - claimed as the largest church organ in South Africa.

When to go

All year, weekday mornings. One hour. It closes to visitors during services.

Things to know

Opening hours are limited and irregular, and the church closes for services and events. The building is an 1841 replacement, not seventeenth-century fabric. It is on a busy street with traffic noise. Photography rules vary.

Nearby

The Slave Lodge is opposite; Company's Garden is up the road.

Key facts