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The Castle of Good Hope is a fortification which was built on the original coastline of the Table Bay and now, because of land reclamation, seems nearer the centre of the city. It was constructed by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679. So it is the oldest building in South Africa. It replaced an older fort made out of clay and timber that was built in 1652 by Jan van Riebeeck upon his arrival at the Cape of Good Hope. The purpose of both were to act as replenishment station for ships passing the treacherous coast around the Cape on long voyages between the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies. It has the shape of a pentagon with five corner bulwarks and an almost 10 metre high wall from massive boulders. The castle now forms the military headquarters for the Cape Province and houses the museum of the William Fehr Collection. |
