Places of worship in one of the most culturally diverse parts of Wales are inviting visitors on an interfaith tour next week.

A synagogue, a temple, a cathedral, a mosque, a parish church and a Salvation Army Corps are opening their doors to encourage people to learn about the many different faiths practised in South Cardiff and the Grangetown district of the city.

Visitors will be welcomed to look around on their own or take part in guided tours of each building. They can choose either to do the whole tour, or simply to go for the shorter option by selecting one or two places of worship. Some of the places of worship are fairly close together, so it is possible to walk between each of the venues. The tour begins at 10am and finishes at 5.45pm

The event, which takes place on Tuesday, March 19, is organised by the local Interfaith Steering Group and is sponsored by the Cardiff Third Sector Council. The latest stats from the 2011 Census showed that nearly 39% of the people in Grangetown are Christian, 23 % Muslim, 4% Hindu, 1% Jewish and 0.7% Sikh and 0.7% Buddhist.

Revd Mark Dimond, a member of the group, said, “This is a great opportunity for people to go behind the doors of these wonderful buildings they probably pass everyday and know nothing about. 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.”

 “Hopefully the tour will also whet appetites for a bigger event we’ll be running during Interfaith Week in November.”