Holy Trinity Cathedral is the seat of the Church of Pakistan, Diocese of Karachi,[1] situated on Fatima Jinnah Road, near Zainab Market, in Karachi, Pakistan.
History
A postcard from 1904.
Established in 1844[2] and built in 1855, the Holy Trinity Church located on Fatima Jinnah Road, Karachi, is one of the first major churches[3] built in the area. Designed by the Captain of the Bombay Engineers, John Hill,[4] the church had a nave stretching 115 feet, followed by a tower[5] standing at 150 feet tall. The church was built with buff colored Gizri stone and the architectural design made it unique. The church followed a Romanesque[6] layout which made it stand out compared to the buildings located around. At the top of the tower, since there were no lighthouses, it was given beacons to help ships[7] in the Karachi Harbour. In 1904, Captain John Hill and Chief Engineer John Brunton, reviewed the cathedral and found that the foundation was showing signs of weakness and removed[8] the top two stories, giving the tower a new height of 115 feet. During World War I, the churches tower was used as a signaling[9] station, and soon in 1970 the pitched roof from the original design was replaced with barrel vaulted roof.[citation needed] Since the church is a former garrison church for the British military, it was designed to accommodate 800 worshipers[10] and memorialize British servicemen who died in various campaigns[11] and their history.