St Paul's Cathedral

Cathedrals have always played more than one role in the communities they serve. Their central purpose is to bring people closer to God, but over the centuries they have served as a focal point for trade, as fortresses and sanctuaries in times of war, and as vast status symbols- reflections of wealth and power of the region in which they stand.

These functions take on an additional significance for St Pauls, the cathedral of the capital city and, by extension, of the nation. St Paul's with its world-famous Dome is an iconic feature of the London skyline, but there is so much more to Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece than its impressive facade. The present building is also the first cathedral to have been built since the creation of the Church of England in 1534. There has been a place of Christian worship on the site of St. Paul's since AD604. Thus, for more than thirteen hundred years, worship has been offered in this ancient and holy place.