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Sights & Activities
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Bo-Kaap
Neighborhood/Street, Bo-Kaap
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You'll know you're in the Bo-Kaap when you catch the
heady smell wafting from Atlas Trading Co., which is often packed with
housewives stocking up on fresh spices, or when you hear the call of the
muezzin from one of the many mosques in the area. You might even have to
sidestep lights, cameras, and film stars, since the district is an
oft-used setting for movies and magazine shoots. Bo-Kaap is the historic
home of the city's Muslim population, brought from the East as slaves in
the late 17th and early 18th centuries. So it's no surprise that it's also
home to the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa. Today the
area remains strongly Muslim, and it's fascinating to wander the narrow
cobbled lanes past mosques and colorful flat-roofed houses. Here you'll
find the largest collection of pre-1840 architecture in South Africa, with
many homes combining elements of Cape Dutch and British styles. The
Bo-Kaap (Afrikaans for "on top of the Cape") is also known as the Malay
quarter, even though its inhabitants originated from all over, including
the Indonesian archipelago, India, Turkey, and Madagascar. Because there
have been a few muggings in the Bo-Kaap, taking a guided tour is
recommended, or stick to Buitengracht, Dorp, Rose, and Shortmarket
streets. |
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