Holy Trinity Cathedral, Karachi

24.852°N 67.030°E / 24.852; 67.030

Holy Trinity Cathedral
Exterior of the cathedral, a postcard in 1904/1906.
Location	Fatima Jinnah Road, Karachi
Country	Pakistan
Denomination	Church of Pakistan
History
Founded	1844 (1844)
Founder(s)	British military
Dedication	1855
Associated people	Capt. John Hill (Bombay Engineers), architect
Architecture
Architectural type	Cathedral
Style	Gothic
Administration
Archdiocese	Diocese of Karachi

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

“Brightening the Faith” stain glass

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.