Christ Church Murree: History of Murree's Oldest Church

The church that visitors look for as "Christ Church Murree" is on The Mall and its real name is Holy Trinity Church. It opened for worship in May 1857, six years after the British began building Murree, it is still a working church of the Church of Pakistan, and it is one of the few buildings on Mall Road that a Victorian visitor would recognise. The Christ Church of this part of Punjab is a different building, down in Rawalpindi.

This guide sorts out the name, sets out the church's dates and where the sources disagree, describes what is inside, and explains how to see it without getting in the way of a congregation.

Is there a Christ Church in Murree?

Not that we can find in any reliable record. The colonial church on Murree's Mall Road is Holy Trinity, and it is the building people mean when they ask for a historic "Christ Church" in the town.

The confusion has an obvious source. The British built churches called Christ Church at many cantonments and hill stations, and the nearest is in Rawalpindi: founded in 1852 and completed in 1854, it stands beside what is now the army's General Headquarters. That is the likely origin of the mix-up. Our guide to Christ Church Rawalpindi covers that building.

If you ask for directions in Murree, ask for "the church on Mall Road" or "Holy Trinity". Both will get you there; "Christ Church" may not.

When was Holy Trinity Church built?

Murree began in 1851 as a sanatorium for British troops, and the permanent town followed in 1853. A church on the main street came almost at once, but the published dates for it do not agree, and no single source settles them:

The safest reading is that the church was in use from May 1857, was consecrated a few years later, and was finished or enlarged in stages, with 1875 marking the completed building. The Sarmaya note also gives 1848 as the year construction began, which sits awkwardly with the founding of Murree itself in 1851, so we would not rely on it.

The dates matter because of what was happening around the church. Murree was the summer headquarters of the Punjab government from 1873 to 1875, before that role moved to Shimla in 1876, so the building was completed just as the town reached its official peak. Our history of Murree follows that story.

What is the building like?

Holy Trinity is Gothic in outline but built with local materials and local hands.

• Walls. The church was built in red brick. Grey brick was used in later restoration, which is why the exterior today does not match the oldest photographs.
• Woodwork. The altar and pulpit are carved in a Kashmiri style, and the baptismal font stands in the main hall.
• Size. One description gives the main hall a capacity of about 400 worshippers.
• Windows. The same description mentions stained glass on the east, north and south sides and a timber roof and floor. We have not been able to check this against a second source.

A note on an early postcard of The Mall records what stood opposite the church: the post office, general merchants selling European goods, tailors and a milliner. The GPO is still close by, which makes the church easy to place on a walk.

Two kinds of visitor are usually mentioned. Several British viceroys are recorded as having prayed here, and Queen Elizabeth II came to the church to pray during her 1997 visit to Pakistan.

How to visit

The church stands on The Mall, officially Jinnah Road, so you will pass it on any walk along Murree's main street. There is no ticket and no visitor desk.

• Getting to Murree. Murree is about 50 km from Islamabad by the expressway. Our Islamabad to Murree guide compares the routes and gives realistic drive times.
• Getting to the church. Park where you can and walk; our Mall Road guide explains the vehicle restrictions on the street.
• Opening. This is a parish church, not a monument. The compound gate is not always open outside services, and we could not confirm current service times. If the gate is closed, ask at the gate or the nearest shop for the caretaker.
• Security. Churches in Pakistan are usually guarded, so expect police at the gate and carry your CNIC. Checks may be tighter around Christmas and Easter.

Once inside:

• Dress as you would for a mosque or shrine.
• Do not walk around during a service. Sit at the back or wait outside.
• Ask before taking photographs inside, and do not photograph worshippers without their consent.
• Leave a donation if a box is provided. The building is old and is kept up by its congregation.

In winter, check the forecast before driving up for the day. Murree sits at about 2,291 metres, January and February bring snow, and the storm of January 2022, in which more than 20 people died in stranded vehicles, is a reminder to take road warnings seriously.

Other colonial churches in the hills

Holy Trinity is not the only church building in the Murree hills, which is another reason names get mixed up.

• The former garrison church near Jhika Gali became the main building of Murree Christian School, founded in 1956 for the children of missionaries. Gunmen attacked the school on 5 August 2002, killing six people, none of them pupils. The school closed in June 2021, and the building is not a visitor site.
• St Matthew's in Nathia Gali, further into the Galiyat, is covered in our St Matthew's Church guide.

Is it worth seeing?

Yes, for ten minutes, if you are on Mall Road anyway. It is one of the most complete survivors of the town the British built, and the contrast with the modern street around it says more about how Murree has changed than any plaque.

It is not worth a special trip from Islamabad on its own, and you should not count on getting inside. Treat an open door as a bonus. Our list of places to visit in Murree has enough to fill the rest of the day.

Frequently asked questions