The most rewarding historic churches in Pakistan are the 19th century cathedrals of Karachi and Lahore, the garrison churches of Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Peshawar, and the small stone churches of the Murree hills. Most were built in the British period, are still working churches, and will usually let a respectful visitor look inside outside service times if you ask at the gate. The one place where Pakistani Christianity is seen at its largest is not a building but a pilgrimage: the national Marian pilgrimage at Mariamabad near Sheikhupura each September.
This guide takes the churches city by city, with what each is known for, then covers how to visit, safety and who will get the most out of a church trail.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Oldest major churches | Holy Trinity, Karachi (1855); St John's, Peshawar (begun 1851); Christ Church, Rawalpindi (1854); Holy Trinity, Sialkot (consecrated 1857) |
| Best cities for a church trail | Karachi and Lahore |
| Biggest Christian gathering | Mariamabad pilgrimage, early September |
| Entry fee | None published; these are places of worship |
| Opening hours | Not published for sightseers; ask at the gate, avoid Sunday services |
| Bring | CNIC, modest clothes, patience for a security check |
Which are the most famous churches in Pakistan?
Christians are Pakistan's second-largest religious minority, about 3.3 million people in the 2023 census, and most live in Punjab. A Christian presence in the region is old, and the Taxila Cross kept at Lahore's cathedral is linked to the tradition of St Thomas, though its age is disputed. Almost all the churches a visitor sees, however, date from after the British took Sindh in 1843 and Punjab in 1849, when garrison churches and mission churches went up in every cantonment.
The most famous are Holy Trinity and St Patrick's in Karachi, the Cathedral Church of the Resurrection and Sacred Heart in Lahore, Christ Church in Rawalpindi, Holy Trinity in Sialkot, and All Saints and St John's in Peshawar.
Churches in Karachi
Karachi has the strongest cluster of historic churches in the country, all in or near Saddar.
- Holy Trinity Cathedral, on Fatima Jinnah Road, was built in 1855 as a garrison church, designed by Captain John Hill of the Bombay Engineers in buff Gizri stone. Its tower once carried beacons to guide ships into the harbour, before Karachi had a lighthouse. It is the cathedral of the Church of Pakistan's Diocese of Karachi.
- St Andrew's Church, built in 1867 and 1868 for the Scottish Presbyterian community, has a rose window more than 18 feet across.
- St Patrick's Cathedral, near Empress Market, was consecrated on 24 April 1881 and is the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi. It holds about 1,500 people, has stained glass by Franz Mayer of Munich, and has been a protected monument under Sindh's heritage law since 2003.
Our guide to historic churches in Karachi shows how to see all three in one morning.
Churches in Lahore
Lahore's two cathedrals stand a short walk apart near the High Court end of the Mall.
- Cathedral Church of the Resurrection, consecrated on 25 January 1887, was designed by John Oldrid Scott in pink sandstone and faces the Lahore High Court. It keeps the Taxila Cross, found near Sirkap in 1935.
- Sacred Heart Cathedral, consecrated on 19 November 1907, was designed by the Belgian architect Edouard Dobbeleers in a Roman Byzantine style and is the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore.
See our guide to churches in Lahore for the older mission and railway churches and how to fit them into a day on the Mall.
Christ Church, Rawalpindi
Christ Church is one of the oldest churches in north Punjab. Its foundation was laid in 1852, after the British made Rawalpindi a permanent cantonment, and it was completed in 1854 for the troops of the 53rd Regiment. It is a Gothic church on a cruciform plan, built of local brick and stone, with a bell tower, a wooden vaulted ceiling and carved woodwork in a Kashmiri style on the altar, lectern and pulpit.
The walls are lined with marble and brass memorials to soldiers who died on the North-West Frontier between the 1850s and the 1940s, which makes it a quiet record of a century of frontier history. It belongs to the Church of Pakistan.
It stands on the main square beside GHQ, the army's headquarters, so this is a high-security area. Ask at the gate whether you can enter, and do not photograph the military buildings around it. For the rest of the city, see our list of places to visit in Rawalpindi.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Sialkot
Sialkot's cathedral is one of the oldest churches in Punjab. Its first stone was laid on 1 March 1852 and it was consecrated on 30 January 1857, when Sialkot was still part of the Diocese of Calcutta. It is a Gothic Revival building designed by Hartley Maxwell and stands on the Mall (Quaid-i-Azam Road) in Sialkot Cantonment.
The cathedral is still in use, and it fits easily into a day with Iqbal Manzil and the fort; see our guide to places to visit in Sialkot.
Churches in Peshawar
Peshawar has two historic Anglican churches of real interest.
All Saints Church, inside the walled city at Kohati Gate, opened in 1883. It was built to look like a mosque, with minarets and a central dome, and faces Jerusalem rather than due east. Inside, the 19th century layout survives, with an altar screen in the carved wooden lattice (pinjra work) Peshawar was known for. On 22 September 2013 two suicide bombers attacked worshippers leaving a Sunday service there, killing more than 80 people in one of the deadliest attacks on Christians in Pakistan.
St John's Cathedral, in the Cantonment beside the Peshawar Garrison Services Club, is the oldest church in the region. Its foundation stone was laid on 23 March 1851, two years after the British annexed Peshawar, and it was completed in 1860. It became a cathedral in 1982 and is the seat of the Church of Pakistan's Diocese of Peshawar.
Churches in the Murree hills
The hill stations have small colonial churches that many visitors walk past without realising they can look inside.
- Holy Trinity Church, Murree, on the Mall, dates from the 1850s and was the main church of the hill station in British times. It is often called Christ Church; our guide to Christ Church Murree explains the confusion.
- St Matthew's, Nathia Gali, is a small cedar-wood church on the slope above the bazaar; see St Matthew's Church.
- St Luke's, Abbottabad, sits in the cantonment; see St Luke's Church.
On the GT Road, St John's Church in Jhelum is a garrison church near the river and the old cantonment; see our St John's Jhelum guide.
What is the Mariamabad pilgrimage?
Mariamabad, in Sheikhupura district about 80 km from Lahore, is one of Pakistan's oldest Catholic settlements. Capuchin missionaries bought land there in 1892 and settled the first Christian families in January 1893, and the Church of St Mary and St Joseph was built in 1898. On a hill above the village a grotto holds a statue of the Virgin Mary about three and a half metres tall.
The National Marian Shrine has hosted an annual pilgrimage since 1949, around the feast of the Nativity of Mary on 8 September. It is the largest Catholic gathering in Pakistan: organisers have recently expected more than 500,000 pilgrims, arriving on foot, by bicycle, by motorbike and by the truckload from every diocese, and Muslims and Hindus attend too. The dates are set each year by the Church, so check before you go. Outside the pilgrimage, Mariamabad is an ordinary Punjabi village; ask at the church if you would like to see the grotto.
How do you visit a church in Pakistan?
- Go on a weekday morning. Sunday services are for the congregation, and that is when churches are busiest and security is tightest.
- Ask at the gate. Most churches have a guard or caretaker. Say you would like to look inside. Some will need permission from the parish office; some will simply open the door.
- Carry your CNIC. Expect a bag check. Many churches have walls, gates and guards.
- Dress modestly. Shoulders and knees covered for everyone. A woman carrying a dupatta or scarf will never be out of place.
- Ask before photographing people, and do not walk about while a service is going on.
For the shared rules at mosques, temples, gurdwaras and churches, see our guide to visiting places of worship in Pakistan.
Is a church trail in Pakistan worth it?
Yes, if you like architecture and history. Karachi and Lahore each give you a strong half day: Gothic and Romanesque cathedrals, Victorian stained glass and memorials, and working congregations rather than museum pieces. Christ Church Rawalpindi and the Sialkot cathedral are worth an hour if you are already in those cities.
It is less suited to anyone expecting set opening hours and guided tours. There are none, access depends on the caretaker, and a Sunday visit usually means attending the service. If you want to see the community at its most visible, time a visit for Christmas or Easter, or for Mariamabad in September. For more cultural ideas, see our experiences page.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the oldest church in Pakistan?
Among the surviving major churches, the earliest are St John's Cathedral in Peshawar (begun in 1851), Christ Church in Rawalpindi (completed in 1854) and Holy Trinity Cathedral in Karachi (built in 1855). Holy Trinity in Sialkot was begun in 1852 and consecrated in 1857.
Can Muslims visit churches in Pakistan?
Yes. Churches generally welcome respectful visitors of any faith outside service times. Ask at the gate, dress modestly and keep your voice down.
How many Christians are there in Pakistan?
The 2023 census counted about 3.3 million Christians, 1.37 per cent of the population. Most live in Punjab, with a large community in Karachi.
Is there an entry fee for churches in Pakistan?
No fee is published at the main churches. A small donation is welcome but never expected.
When is the Mariamabad pilgrimage?
It is held every year around 8 September, the feast of the Nativity of Mary, usually over a weekend in early September. The exact dates change each year, so check them before travelling.
