10 Most Beautiful Holy Places in Malawi

Malawi is a country with a mix of religions like all other countries. It has more Christians than Muslims. A smaller percentage of the population are Hindus and traditional idol worshipers. The Catholic churches are sixty percent of all the churches in the country.

Cathedrals and Mosques are not only places of worship; they are also most times architectural masterpieces. Below is a list of the most beautiful churches, mosques, and religious structures in Malawi.

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Livingstonia Mission

It is located on the Khondowe plateau near the famous Nyika National Park. Livingstonia is a Christian mission. It can be classified as a church because it was the founder’s attempt to establish a Presbyterian settlement in Malawi.

Livingstonia mission was established in 1894 by Dr Robert Law. It is a site with historic and cultural interest. The mission is made of stone. It now serves as a rest house and a museum.

Michael and All Angels Church, Blantyre

The church was built by worshipers without any architectural training in 1891. The amateur constructed cathedral stands in the commercial city of Blantyre, Malawi.

The beautiful church is made of red bricks forming arches, buttresses, domes, towers and columns. The interior has a byzantine arcade of six arches emphasizing the cathedral feel.

The bricks carry some intricate works on it. It gives the church a technical and detailed facade. Michael and All Angels Church Cathedral is one of the most beautiful churches in Malawi. It has an impressive clock tower. Its surrounding buildings include a hospital, printing press, school and a carpentry shop.

It still stands today at the same spot the preceding Scottish mission stood in 1882. The church has about 2000 worshipers in every Sunday service.

Al Madinah Mosque Mpingwe, Malawi

This mosque has a modern look to it. It is a gorgeous mosque with brown colored finishing, green domes and one spike. The Sehen space can be used for prayers and Quran reading.

The surroundings are well kept with beautiful lawns and palm trees. It has a well defined parking space. Another focal point is a water fountain that is located at the entrance.

It is able to accommodate five hundred worshipers at once. It is opened for the five daily prayers that is required of the faithful Muslims. Like most mosques, it has a secluded prayer hall for women.

St Peter Cathedral Church in Likoma, Malawi

St Peter Cathedral Church is an Anglican Cathedral located in Likoma Island. It is one of the largest, most beautiful churches in Africa. Like the name implies, the beautiful church cathedral is dedicated to Saint Peter.

His statue faces the lake surrounding the island. It is the main attraction in the town. The cathedral is made of stones. The foundation stone was laid on the 27th January 1903 by Bishop Gerard Trower. It took about eight years to complete.

The church has beautiful arched windows and entrances. It was considered an engineering feat at that time and most of the building materials were imported from other countries. It was consecrated on 14th November 1911 by Bishop Thomas Fisher.

The Shree Satyanarayan Hindu Temple, Blantyre

The Shree Satyanarayan Temple is also a commanding structure. The gopura with “Om” is their religious symbol. It is a white magnificent building with classical columns all around.

The Shree Satyanarayan temple is a place of worship for Hindu believers. The worshipers are mostly of Indian heritage. It is located in Blantyre, the southern region of Malawi.

Limbe Cathedral of our Lady of Wisdom

This is the mother church in the Archdiocese of Blantyre which is the second largest city in Malawi. It is also called our Lady of Wisdom Cathedral. The church is located in the southern region of the country called Chakumwera. The cathedral can simply be called Cathedral of Blantyre.

It serves as the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Blantyre. The diocese was created in 1959 by Pope John XXIII by bula Cum fides Christiana. The beautiful church follows the Roman or Latin rites in all its gathering and mass.

Bembeke Cathedral

Bembeke, which is a small local community near Dezda lies this beautiful church. It is an established Catholic mission station. It is made of red bricks with white window panels and a balcony.

It makes for a pretty picture among the green vegetation. Inside the cathedral are frescoes painted by a local artist called Michael Kapalamula. Tourists can come in based on a guided arrangement.

Zomba Mosque, Malawi

The mosque is located at the heart of this small commercial hub. It is a green painted building. It has red hollow bricks that form the balcony and continuous on the external walls of the mosque.

It has a single dome and tiny metallic spikes at intervals on the wall. It is the main mosque in Zomba which was the first capital city of Malawi. It is located close to the market.

Lilongwe Central Musjid, Al-Falah Mosque

This is another gorgeous mosque, right in the midst of the town. The Lilongwe mosque is modern and impressive. It is made primarily of a double volume rectangular hall which is used for prayers.

The domes are painted cream. Both domes are cited in the middle of the structure on the top. It has a four-level tall minaret that carries the voice of the prayer caller across the town.

It is an off-white colored mosque with brown trimmings and edges. The building has long triangular arches that define the corridor all around the mosque. The mosque is located on a busy road. It is open for prayers daily.

Mua Mission

This structure is not a church or mosque. It is a mission house where the Malawian culture interacts and encounters the two main religions of Christianity and Islam. It was established in 1976 by Father Claude Bouche Chisale, a Canadian missionary.

It is where the Kungoni center for culture and arts is located. The goal of Father Bouche was to research, record, and preserve the Malawian culture. Today, the Mua mission is known for the high-quality wood carvings produced and sold there.

The building consists of the Chamare museum, the carving center, and a research library. The history and culture of the Chewa, Ngoni, and Yao tribe are well displayed. The building exterior resemblance a church structure. It has beautiful stained arched windows and a celestial façade.

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