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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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