St. Paul's Cathedral, Abidjan

St. Paul's Cathedral, Abidjan Cathédrale Saint-Paul d'Abidjan
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
Province	Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan.
Year consecrated	1985
Status	Active
Location
Location	Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
Geographic coordinates	5°19′58″N 4°01′12″W / 5.332778°N 4.02°W / 5.332778; -4.02
Architecture
Architect(s)	Aldo Spirito
Style	Modern
Groundbreaking	May 11, 1980
Completed	1985
Construction cost	US $11.7 million
Capacity	5,000 (3,500 seating and 1,500 standing)

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 the Italian architect Aldo Spirito, serves as the mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Abidjan.^[1]

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 in Yamoussoukro.^[1][2][3] The cost of implementing this modern architectural edifice, reputedly the second largest church on the African continent (as of 2002),^[1] and one of the largest cathedrals in the world, was estimated at $12 million.^[4] Architecturally, the cathedral is unique and modern, though built to meet the specific aspirations of the ethnic people of Côte d'Ivoire.