Fortification
posted by Kerry-Anne
Construction began on the Castle of Good Hope on 2 January 1666, and the majority of the complex was completed by 1679, making it the oldest building in South Africa (and I was interested to find that the Castle's postal address is PO Box 1 - I think that's rather fitting). It was built to replace the older clay and timber fort, built by Jan van Riebeeck in 1652.The Castle has 5 points, or bastions - Leerdam (pictured here), Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau and Oranje. Leerdam was the first bastion to be built, and the flags on top of the outer wall each represent a different period in the history and government of the Castle and the Cape.
6 Comments:
It must be huge judging from the size of the flags. An interesting post.
I've never seen this building! Next time I'm in CT I'll have to find it. It looks very interesting.
Each day, i discover something surprising about your country...I dream to visit it. One day, one day!
Nice photo! I have seen some spectacular photo of the Cape of Good Hope. I've never been there but I hear its gorgeous.
1666! Wow, that's a lot older than I had imagined. I didn't know that Cape Town was colonised that far back in history! I would so much like to visit one day.
>mandi, you can get all the info on www.castleofgoodhope.co.za - maps, entry fees, etc. The last time I'd visited the Castle was way back in primary school actually (I must have been around 8) - it's quite beautiful though, and definitely worth a visit.
>alice, the race is on then: will we meet for the first time in France or South Africa? :)
>ex-shammickite, Jan van Riebeeck landed here in 1652, and set up his refreshment station at the Cape. we were always taught at school that he founded Cape Town - but of course people called this their home long long before he arrived...
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