History
The
Castle of Good Hope has been the centre of life at the Cape since its inception
in January 1666. It has survived many challenges in its time and was constantly
under threat of being demolished for personal and materialistic gain. Sentiment
in the early days whereby the then Imperial Government offered the Castle for
sale for a mere £83.340, would seem to be nothing new and thanks to the
military authorities they evoked a strong public reaction in favour of retaining
the Castle of Good Hope.
The
gateway – built in 1682 – replaced the old entrance, which faced the sea.
The pediment bears the coat of arms of the United Netherlands, portraying the
crowned lion rampant holding the seven arrows of unity in its paw. Carved on the
architrave below are the arms of Van Hoorn, Delft
,
Amsterdam,
Middelburg, Rotterdam and Enkhuizen—all Dutch cities in which the United East India Company had
chambers. Two VOC (Vereenighde Oost-Indische Compagnie) monograms flank the
carvings.
The
two pilasters, entablature and pediment above are built of grey-blue stone,
while the entrance is made of small yellow bricks called ijselstene,
making it a unique example of 17th century Dutch classicism at the
Cape
.
Sections
of the moat, which previously formed part of the defence system of the Castle,
were rebuilt in 1992 during restorations.
The
Castle of Good Hope would be referred to as 'Kui keip'(Stone Kraal) by
the Khoina.
Protecting
its interests against the British and French would obviously require soldiers
and therefore a military presence. These soldiers served the Dutch East Indian
Company and were remunerated for their services. This explains the military
presence at the Castle of Good Hope until this day in terms of safeguarding of
the facility, guard duties and military ceremonies.
Built
by soldiers, sailors and slaves, the walls were clad in local stone. The Castle
of Good Hope was to fulfill its role as a replenishment station of the Dutch East
Indian Company and to protect its logistical and financial interests along the
“spice route”.
One
is taken back in History and life at the Cape of Good Hope. This is evident when
one visits the William Fehr Collection and the Castle Military Museum.
The
Castle of Good Hope was a welcome sight for sailors traveling up to six months
at sea and referring to Cape Town as the "Tavern of the Seas".
The
Castle of Good Hope is a member of SATSA and supports Cape Town Tourism.
Come
and visit this unique heritage site in the centre of Cape Town and 20 minutes
drive from Cape Town International.
