The Bo-Kaap (lit. "above the Cape" in
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language spoken in South Africa, Namibia and to a lesser extent Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe and also Argentina where there is a group in Sarmiento, Chubut, Sarmiento that speaks the Pat ...
) is an area of
Cape Town, South Africa formerly known as the Malay Quarter. It is a former
racially segregated area, situated on the slopes of
Signal Hill above the city centre and is a historical centre of
Cape Malay
Cape Malays (, in Arabic Afrikaans, Arabic script) also known as Cape Muslims or Malays, are a Muslim community or ethnic group in South Africa. They are the descendants of enslaved and free Muslims from different parts of the world, specifi ...
culture in Cape Town. The
Nurul Islam Mosque, established in 1844, is located in the area.
Bo-Kaap is known for its brightly coloured homes and
cobblestone
Cobblestone is a natural building material based on Cobble (geology), cobble-sized stones, and is used for Road surface, pavement roads, streets, and buildings. Sett (paving), Setts, also called ''Belgian blocks'', are often referred to as " ...
d streets. The area is traditionally a multicultural neighbourhood, and 56.9% of its population identify as
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
. According to the
South African Heritage Resources Agency, the area contains the largest concentration of pre-1850 architecture in South Africa, and is the oldest surviving residential neighborhood in Cape Town.
History
In 1760 Jan de Waal bought a block of land at the foot of Signal Hill,
between Dorp and Wale Streets. A year later he obtained an adjacent parcel, extending his holding to Rose/Chiappini/Shortmarket Street. Starting in 1763, de Waal built several small “huurhuisjes” (rental houses) on this land, which he leased to his slaves. The first three are at 71 Wale Street (now the Bokaap Museum), above Buitengracht Street, and 42 Leeuwen Street respectively.
Skilled Muslim labourers called ''Mardijkers'' moved to the Cape from Southeast Asia and lived in the Bo-Kaap.
Because the aboriginal tribes in the Cape Colony area resisted the Dutch, slaves were initially imported from Malaysia, Indonesia and different parts of Africa, hence the name “Malay”. Most of the new residents were
Muslim
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
, and several mosques were built in the area. The first one was Auwal Mosque, in Dorp Street in 1794.
Between 1790 and 1825 more housing in both the
Cape Dutch and Cape
Georgian styles was built for the expanding population of tradesmen, craftsmen, and artisans. In 1804 the
Tana Baru Cemetery was established to serve the Muslim families.
More Muslims continued to move into the area, including a wave of political exiles from Java and Ceylon circa 1820.
After the
emancipation in 1834 and the arrival of liberated slaves, developers constructed numerous rows of narrow, deep huurhuisjes.
The brightly coloured facades are attributed to an expression of freedom by the new homeowners, as all the houses were painted white while on lease,
although it appears that the tradition of brightly coloured homes began in the late 20th century, rather than earlier.
Although the area has always been a centre of Cape Malay culture, until the implementation of the
Apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
Group Areas Act
Group Areas Act was the title of three acts of the Parliament of South Africa enacted under the apartheid government of South Africa. The acts assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a syste ...
, it also had residents of other ethnicities. These included Indians, non-Muslim Coloureds, Filipinos, Africans, Portuguese and Italians at different times.
Historically, the Bo-Kaap was larger than its current extent.
During
Apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
, the area was not bulldozed, unlike nearby
District Six, however non-Malay residents were forcibly removed in accordance with the
Group Areas Act
Group Areas Act was the title of three acts of the Parliament of South Africa enacted under the apartheid government of South Africa. The acts assigned racial groups to different residential and business sections in urban areas in a syste ...
, in an effort by a sympathetic apartheid government official (
I. D. du Plessis) to preserve the Malay character of the area.
Preservation of the area began in 1943 when 15 houses were restored by a group of prominent citizens, with the support of the Historical Monuments Commission. In 1966 a portion of the area was designated as a National Monument. From 1971 the City Council began restoring houses and streetscapes, with 48 units completed by 1975.
Gentrification
As a result of Cape Town's economic development and expansion, and after the demise of forced racial segregation under
apartheid
Apartheid ( , especially South African English: , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
, property in the Bo-Kaap has become very sought after, not only for its location but also for its picturesque cobble-streets and unique architecture.
Increasingly, this close-knit community is "facing a slow dissolution of its distinctive character as wealthy outsiders move into the suburb to snap up homes in the City Bowl at cut-rate prices". Inter-community conflict has also arisen as some residents object to the sale of buildings and the resultant eviction of long-term residents.
National Heritage status
In May 2019, 19 sites in the Bo-Kaap area were declared
National Heritage sites by the South African
Minister of Arts and Culture.
The announcement followed the
City of Cape Town
The City of Cape Town (; ) is a Metropolitan municipality (South Africa), metropolitan municipality that forms the metropolitan municipality (South Africa), local government of Cape Town and surrounding areas. As of 2022 it has a population of ...
council's March 2019 approving of the inclusion of the Bo-Kaap area in a Heritage Protection Overlay Zone (HPOZ), which will incorporate around 600 privately owned homes. The city received over 2,000 letters from members of the public, a strong majority of which were in support of the new Heritage Zone. The HPOZ stretches to the
Table Mountain National Park
Table Mountain National Park, previously known as the Cape Peninsula National Park, is a national park in Cape Town, South Africa, proclaimed on 29 May 1998, for the purpose of protecting the natural environment of the Table Mountain chain, and ...
, and includes the northern verges to the northwest of
Strand Street as well as Buitengracht Street, between the intersections with Carisbrook Street and Strand Street.
The 19 sites became official National Heritage sites through a declaration by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, under the
National Heritage Resources Act (No 25 of 1999).
Objectives of the Heritage Zone include conserving the Bo-Kaap heritage by encouraging owners to retain and rehabilitate the existing residential buildings; ensuring new developments in the area complement existing landscape; and promoting social and cultural traditions in the area.
Bo-Kaap Museum

The museum, whose building dates back to the 1760s, is the oldest house in the area still in its original form. It highlights the cultural contribution made by early Muslim settlers, many of whom were skilled tailors, carpenters, shoe makers and builders. It contains 19th century furnishings which include a fine Cape drop-leaf dining table, Cape Regency-style chairs and a bridal chamber decorated to match the bride's dress.
The museum is distinguishable by its voorstoep, a type of front
terrace
Terrace may refer to:
Landforms and construction
* Fluvial terrace, a natural, flat surface that borders and lies above the floodplain of a stream or river
* Terrace, a street suffix
* Terrace, the portion of a lot between the public sidewalk a ...
with a bench at each end emphasizing the polarizing aspect of Cape Muslim culture. The museum exhibits the lifestyle of a prosperous 19th-century Cape Muslim family along with black-and-white photographs of daily life in the area.
Gallery
File:Bo-Kaap_Primary_colours.jpg, Bo-Kaap primary colours
File:Local Artist, Christopher Reid, Painting En Plein Air in Bo-Kaap.jpg, Local artist, Christopher Reid, Painting en plein air in Bo-Kaap.
File:Bo-Kaap_British_houses.JPG, Bo-Kaap British Style houses
File:Bo-Kapp Museum tour by Discott jeh.jpg, Bo-Kaap Iziko Museum
File:The contrasts of the Bo-Kaap.JPG, Behind the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum
File:Auwal Mosque in Bo-Kaap.jpg, Auwal Mosque: the oldest in South Africa
File:Chiappini_street_houses.jpg, Chiappini Street houses
File:A scene in the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town.JPG, Daily scene in the Bo-Kaap
File:A day in the Bo-Kaap at the Museum.JPG, The view of Signal Hill from Bo-Kaap
File:15-37 Pentz Street, Bo-Kaap (01).jpg, Pentz Street
File:The Bo-Kaap Heritage Mural by Nasser Palangi, 93 Wale Street, Bo-Kaap (01).jpg, Painted murals at 93 Wale Street
File:73, Chiappini Street, Bo-Kaap (01).jpg, 73, Chiappini Street
File:Bo-Kaap side street.jpg, Shortmarket Street, view from Rose Street
References
External links
Bo-Kaap Museum
{{Authority control
Suburbs of Cape Town
Museums in Cape Town
Islam in South Africa
Historic house museums in South Africa
South African heritage sites
Former Coloured townships in South Africa
South African people of Malay descent