Castle of Good Hope

(This event follows the Slave Lodge event and it may start 15 minutes later depending on the previous event.)

Built between Protected content Protected content the Dutch East India Company, the Castle of Good Hope is regarded as the oldest remaining colonial building in South Africa – and stands as a distinct reminder of the country’s complex colonial past. Known locally as “The Castle”, today this 17th century bastion fort is home to a number of historical collections, including the William Fehr Collection managed by Iziko Museums of South Africa.

Contained in the collection is a wealth of historical information concerning the peoples and landscapes of early colonial South Africa. It is one of the most important public collections of artefacts of the period.

The Castle of Good Hope was not built by Jan Van Riebeeck. A four-pointed clay and timber fort was the first building to be erected in his time, and it was his suggestion that this be replaced by a more permanent structure that could withstand the elements and possible attacks. The existing stone “star fort” was built four years after Jan van Riebeeck left the Cape.

The Castle of Good Hope was referred to as “Kui keip” (Stone Kraal) by the Khoi and sometimes “Citadel” by Dutch settlers
Yellow paint was originally chosen for the walls because it reduced the effects of the hot African sun.