I am from the beautiful island of Barbados. Growing up in Barbados, I never appreciated the wondrous, exciting history of Barbados that dates back 400 years; I guess I took it for granted. Living abroad for a while, then coming back to Barbados and seeing it from a different perspective, I was enthralled by the beauty and the amount of things that I missed growing up in Barbados.
However, as the saying goes, it is never too late, so, I took it on myself to discover the island again, and have made tremendous discoveries ever since. I discovered we have four of the oldest surviving churches in Barbados. The oldest surviving churches are St. James Parish, St. Michael Cathedral, St. John parish and St. Mary Anglican Church, one of which I attended as a child right up to my adult years. Four generations of my family went to the Saint Michael Cathedral, which dates back to the 16th century with its fabulous design still intact
The St. Michael Cathedral is made of coral stones with a beautiful tower and stunning stained glass windows. Inside the church is a marble baptismal font dating back to the 17th century. In addition, I could not believe that I was oblivious to the existence of a synagogue in Bridgetown; I was really surprised when it was revealed to me and I went on a tour of the synagogue.
It has the distinction of being the oldest synagogue in the hemisphere. During the tour, I was fascinated with the Mikvah history and its riveting story of the past. The Mikvah was discovered in 2008 by some students from the University of the West Indies while on an archaeological dig. The churches and the synagogue are worth exploring in Barbados, take a tour with Ruthann Discovery Tours and you will not be disappointed.