City Sightseeing Bo Kaap Walking Tour

Highlights

• Discover the colourful Cape Malay district on the slopes of Signal Hill, overlooking Cape Town
• Get a taste of Cape Malay food
• Visit South Africa’s first mosque and the Bo-Kaap Museum

Description

Wander through the colourful cobblestoned Bo Kaap neighbourhood on this two-hour tour. Begin on the slopes of Signal Hill, where the brightly coloured houses unfold in an array of pinks, greens, blues and oranges. Get a taste of the spicy ‘Cape Malay’ food on offer, made famous by the people who call the neighbourhood home. Along the way, visit South Africa’s first mosque, Auwal Masjid and the Bo-Kaap Museum, which is housed in the oldest home in the area. Dating back to the 1760s, the house highlights the cultural contribution made by early Muslim settlers.

History

Bo Kaap is an area of Cape Town formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is a former township that was settled by the descendants of slaves brought by the Dutch in the late 17^th and 18^th centuries. They originated from different parts of Southeast Asia, but were collectively referred to as ‘Cape Malay’. Cape Malays were a mixture of political exiles, convicts, skilled craftsmen, artisans, scholars and religious leaders. While the majority of Bo-Kaap’s residents are still of Cape Malay origin, the housing boom in the past 15-years has seen an influx of diversity into the area. However, there are plenty of little local restaurants still open to sample the traditional cuisine.