Groote Kerk in Cape Town is an NG Kerk congregation and is the oldest existing church in southern Africa. It is one of the most famous churches in South Africa and was built in 1841 on the site of an earlier Dutch Reformed church dating from 1704.
The adjoining clock tower is all that remains of that earlier building. Among the building's interesting features are the enclosed pews, each with its own door.
Prominent families would buy their own pews - and lock the doors - so they wouldn't have to pray with the great unwashed. The enormous pulpit is the joint work of famous sculptor Anton Anreith and carpenter Jan Jacob Graaff. The lions supporting it are carved from local stinkwood; the upper portion is Burmese teak.
The organ, with nearly 6,000 pipes, is the largest in the southern hemisphere. Approximately 200 people are buried beneath the Batavian soapstone floor, including eight governors.
There are free guided tours on request.
