Cape Town Attractions
The Castle of Good Hope
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The Castle of Good Hope (Casteel de Goede Hoop), is the oldest surviving building in South Africa and the best preserved of its kind built by the VOC (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), where it had interests in the world. |
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The Castle was built between 1666 and 1679, as a pentagonal fortification, for the protection of the early settlers against marauding Hottentots and as the residence of the Governor, replacing a small clay and timber fort, built by Commander Jan van Riebeeck in 1652 upon establishing a maritime replenishment station at the Cape of Good Hope for the Dutch East India |
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Company (VOC). On 26 April 1679, the five bastions, Leerdam, Buuren, Catzenellenbogen, Nassau and Oranje, where named after the main titles of Willem, the Prince of Orange (Prins Willem van Oranje). |
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Today the Castle of Good Hope houses the regional headquarters of the South African Army in the Western Cape, the famous William Fehr Collection of historical artworks, reflecting the many aspects of cultural life at the Cape from the early VOC days until the end of the 19th century, and the Castle Military Museum, depicting the military history of the Cape, the Castle |
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and the Cape Regiments.
The Castle of Good Hope was never attacked and the canons were never fired in
anger. Also to be seen in the Castle, is the recently restored Dolphin Pool,
a well and the dungeons, built under sea level. |
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