St. George's Church
St. George’s Church, also known as the Pro-Cathedral of St. George the Martyr, is the oldest Anglican church in Southeast Asia. It was funded by the British East India Company and primarily built by political prisoners sent to Penang, then a former penal colony for Indian convicts. The Greek columns around and inside the Church are constructed of several large Senegalese mahogany trees that were brought in the same ships that transported the prisoners from India.
Completed in 1818, the Church opened its doors to the Anglican community with a Christmas service and has continued many of its traditions since then. While initially serving mainly British worshippers, the Pro-Cathedral now aims to be inclusive, with a diverse membership and weekly services in multiple languages.
