Places of worship open doors for interfaith tour

A synagogue, temple, cathedral, mosque, parish church and Salvation Army Corps in south Cardiff will be opening their doors on Tuesday to help locals learn more about the faiths in the area.

The Grangetown district enjoys huge cultural diversity, with the latest stats from the 2011 Census showing that nearly 39% of residents are Christian, 23 % Muslim, 4% Hindu, 1% Jewish and 0.7% Sikh and 0.7% Buddhist.

The tour begins at 10am and ends at 5:45pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to take part in guided tours of each building or look around in their own time.

The event has been organised by the local Interfaith Steering Group and is sponsored by the Cardiff Third Sector Council.

Steering Group member the Reverend Mark Dimond hopes it will whet appetites for a larger event being planned for Interfaith Week in November.

"This is a great opportunity for people to go behind the doors of these wonderful buildings they probably pass everyday and know nothing about," he said.

"The tour is another way of getting to know our neighbours, something that many faiths try to encourage.

"The fascinating history of south Cardiff is closely tied in with the development of faith communities which have been growing ever since Cardiff opened itself up to the world as an international port.

"This is a chance for people to find out more about the remarkably rich tapestry of culture in such a relatively small area. It is indeed a microcosm of the global faith community."

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