You’re now standing in front of the Castle of Good Hope. If you take a look at the main entrance it bears many reminders of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) at the Cape. The impressive fort is considered the best-preserved example of a VOC fort. When in 1664 the Netherlands feared a British attack on the Cape, a five-pointed stone castle was built. The castle was planned from a central point with five bastions, named after the main titles of Willem, the Prince of Orange.
For a hundred and fifty years, the castle was the symbolic heart of the Cape administration. It became the general and slave prison for the Cape colony; prisoners held here included indigenous Khoi people and enslaved people who were accused of transgressions against slave owners. In some prison cells and dungeons you can see still see the touching centuries- old poetry and graffiti painstakingly carved into the walls by the prisoners.
In 1936 the castle was declared a National Monument. The castle is well worth a visit. Now it houses the military personnel of the South-Africa army, the famous William Fehr Collection of historic artworks, the Castle Military Museum and ceremonial facilities for traditional Cape Regiments.
The castle is open daily from Monday to Saturday. And daily tours are conducted. So take a look inside to find out more about this impressive historical fort!
Photo 2: by Vincent Steenberg at nl.wikipedia licensed under CC BY-SA 2.5
