South Africa 2021

Today is ISOS excursion day again. We're heading to Cape Town to have a historic tour of the city.

CASTLE OF GOOD HOPE
We begin by visiting the Castle of Good Hope (Kasteel de Goede Hoop in Dutch), the oldest colonial building in South Africa. It was built as a fortresses in the refreshment station commissioned by the Dutch East India Trading Company under the supervision of Jan van Riebeek in the 17th century. This refreshment station served to provide the vessels traveling between Europe and Asia with fresh water and food.

Initially, Dutch presence in the Cape was not intended as a settlement. In fact, Jan van Riebeek was explicitly instructed not to colonize the area. The reason for building a refreshment station was because of the Cape's strategic position in the middle of the spice route. It was convenient as a technical stop as well as a way of keeping Dutch access to the trade route. As tension between Britain and the Netherlands increased, the Dutch transformed the castle into a pentagonal fortresses made of stone.

BO-KAAP
After visiting the Castle, we head to one of Cape Town's most famous districts: Bo-Kaap, The name literally means "Above the Cape" in Afrikaans and refers to the elevated location of this area at the skirts of Signal Hill. We were guided by Bilqees, a South African lady with Indian roots who's been living in Bo-Kaap for more than two decades. While walking on the streets of this district, which is mostly famous for its colorful houses, she explains us the historical meaning of Bo-Kaap district.

Since the 17th century, the Dutch, and later the British started "importing" slaves from East Africa and from territories across the Indian a Ocean into South Africa to employ them first in the Trading Company's refreshment station and later in the construction of the Dutch Cape Colony. As the Cape's population started growing, the European rulers segregated the city along race. They then concentrated all muslims they considered looking like having roots in the Indian Ocean (what came to be called "Malay") in the area of Bo-Kaap. A multicultural community with a shared belief in Islam and common historical connection to slavery developed in this area throughout the centuries. Several Mosques and a huge spice retail shop (with a variety of spices you can only dream of! - see pictures below) are part of the cultural landscape of Bo-Kaap.

As our tour guide Bilqees, who is Muslim as well, moved into Bo-Kaap, she integrated fully into this community. While talking to us, she greets many of her neighbors who pass by our group walking to the afternoon prayer at the Mosque. Eventhough this was a paid tour (very much worth its price!!!), Bilqees welcomed us warmely and shared with us her experience living in the community while connecting it with the history of Malay culture in the Cape.

We end our tour through this fascinating neighborhood at Faeeza's Place, a small café at the house of Faeeza, who cooks traditional Cape Malay food literally in her own home kitchen. Cape Malay cuisine grew up as the combination of traditional Indian, Indonesian and Malaysian cuisine, among others, brought by the slaves into the Cape. The food was delicious and Faeeza really made us feel home.Read more