The Archbishop of Canterbury has backed the Millennium Dome's Faith Zone, which has been dogged by controversy because of its content.

There has been much argument about what should be in the zone and great difficulty in finding sponsors for it.

But Dr George Carey said he was "enormously excited" by the zone after touring it for an hour with his wife on Wednesday.

He said: "The designers have caught very much the importance of Christianity at the heart of the millennium celebrations.

"Other faiths are not excluded by any means, but people will see the significance of the Christian faith."

The archbishop congratulated Jennie Page, chief executive of Dome organisers the New Millennium Experience Company, and her team.

"It is a place we can bring our children, and our schools to, to see something of the celebration of faith and the history and importance of Christianity for our nation," he said.

The zone recognises 2000 as a significant date in the Christian calendar but also celebrates the diversity of other faiths in the UK.

Dr Carey said the zone had provoked controversy because faith was so important in people's lives - and he said the debates had revealed the vibrancy of the UK's faith.

He said visitors would be pleased with the exhibits which told the stories of the faiths and highlighted their similarities.

Funds for the Faith Zone have come from organisations including the Hinduja Foundation - which is run by two billionaire Hindu brothers - and various Christian charitable groups.