St. Paul's Cathedral, Abidjan St Paul's Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Saint-Paul d'Abidjan) is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the city of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. The cathedral, which was designed by architect Aldo Spirito, serves as the mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan. The first stone of the cathedral was consecrated on May 11, 1980 by Pope John Paul II during his first pastoral visit to Côte d'Ivoire. He further dedicated the building upon completion on August 10, 1985 during a second visit to the country to lay the foundation for the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Yamoussoukro). The cost of implementing this modern architectural edifice, reputedly the second largest church on the African continent (as of 2002), and one of the largest cathedrals in the world, was estimated at $12 million. Architecturally, the cathedral is unique and modern, though built to meet the specific aspirations of the ethnic people of Côte d'Ivoire. Location The striking external feature of the cathedral which attracts visitors at the entrance itself is the tall concrete structure which is shaped like an anthropomorphic giant. It is dominantly located on a hillock providing commanding views of the city of Abidjan, and overlooking the Bay of Cocody. History Planning for building the cathedral was allotted to Italian architect Aldo Spirito in 1980, under the directive of Félix Houphouët-Boigny, President of the Côte d'Ivoire. The architect designated for the design was Pope John Paul II, who blessed the foundation stone during his visit to Côte d'Ivoire in 1980. The construction was completed over a period of five years by a joint sector company of Sonitra and the Government of Ivory Coast in association with Sonitra, an Israeli firm. The cathedral was formally consecrated by the pope during his second visit to Abidjan in August 1985. It is the second largest cathedral in Africa. Saint Paul's Cathedral served as a refuge for approximately 1,800 Ivorians fleeing violence during the height of the 2010–2011 Ivorian crisis which engulfed Abidjan. Architecture Exterior The structure of the Cross, which is winged on both flanks, is held in position through seven cables which are anchored to the main building of the cathedral which is in a triangular shape; it creates an elevated vision that the structure is being tugged towards the lagoon. The materials used for building this unique edifice consists of concrete, steel, travertine (a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs), stones and sheets of stained glasses. Symbolism represented by the overall structure of the cathedral and the cross is of Jesus Christ spreading his arms, akin to the statue of Christ in Rio, with metaphysical significance of pull towards the ultimate trinity. The external feature of the cross of the cathedral is also inferred to depict a view as though a devotee is bent on his knees offering prayers with his cloak flying backwards merging into the attractive concrete slab which is integral to the cathedral's roof. On the exterior face of the cathedral there are fourteen panels of different sizes in ma cny colours, which are made in terracotta ceramics with the Cross and the story of Christ as the main theme (as relevant to the local ethnic perceptions). These panels are affixed sequentially (matching the story) on the side wall of the steps leading from the lagoon to the forecourt of the cathedral. The cathedral's renovation is estimated to cost 750 million Francs; a fund raising campaign for realizing the funds was launched in March 2008. Interior The cathedral has a total area of , with of usable space. It can accommodate 5,000 devotees,