The New York Times – 36 Hours in Cape Town

The New York Times – 36 Hours in Cape Town by John Eligon, the Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times. is an excellent read and we would like to focus on his recommendations for Museums and attractions.

“As far as beauty goes, Cape Town is nothing short of spectacular: a city built on the Atlantic Ocean, around a mountain, allowing for stunning views in every direction. The elephant in the room, though, is the harsh legacy of apartheid, when South Africa’s white-minority government pushed the Black majority to the fringes of the city. Areas where most visitors tend to go still have a largely white population. To this day, navigating Cape Town as a person of color can bring uncomfortable moments. But South Africa celebrates 30 years of democracy this year and has, for all of its challenges, tried to embrace the mantra of the “rainbow nation” — a place of racial and ethnic diversity. In that spirit, Cape Town is shedding its Eurocentric identity and emerging as a culturally rich African hub” – John Eligon.

Recommendations for Museums and Attractions

“Zeitz MOCAA* the largest contemporary African art museum on the continent, with exhibits spread across a modern building that was once a grain silo.
Imiso Ceramics has both a small studio and gallery that features large-scale sculptures by its founders, who find inspiration in their Xhosa heritage.
The Castle of Good Hope* is South Africa’s oldest colonial building, a former fort that now houses nine mini-museums that tell a story of the country’s diversity.
Earthbox is a unique art exhibit that takes you beneath the earth for relaxation and reflection.    * See the Art, Craft + Museums Map

,Castle of Good Hope

Learn about South Africa’s History
The Castle of Good Hope was built as a fort starting in 1666 by the colonists of the Dutch East India Company. It now stands as the oldest colonial building in South Africa. It served many purposes over the years, including a military base, a slave port and a government headquarters.
Today, the castle houses nine mini-museums that tell the story of the diverse people who shaped the Cape and the nation. The Cape Heritage Museum was created by Igshaan Higgins, a human rights lawyer, during the pandemic. ( see lead photo above) With artifacts that Mr. Higgins assembled over 25 years, the museum tells the stories of settler colonialism and the various groups who struggled through that oppression, including the Indigenous Khoi and San people, the Cape Muslims and the Xhosas. The castle also houses the William Fehr Collection, an assemblage of oil paintings and decorative art created by settlers that reflects on themes including slavery and the wars of dispossession.”

For the full article VISIT HERE

WHAT: New York Times – 36 Hours in Cape Town – Recommendations for Museums and attractions
WHERE: Cape Town
WHEN: published in the New York Times March 21, 2024