Bo Kaap is my favourite sight in Cape Town. It is the oldest place of Islamic Worship in South Africa, since the first mosque was established in the area in 1798. However, the islamic heritage is not by itself the main attraction of this area. People don't come for the mosques, but for the colourful walls. Walking around, you can't help to wonder why are the houses painted in so many colors?
The original residents of the Bo-Kaap descended from the slaves that the Dutch brought in from Africa and Asia during the colonial period. While the beautiful views from Signal Hill and the picturesque houses have attracted many (foreign) investors to the suburb, most of the current residents have a Malay background and are Muslims, celebrating Ramadan every year.
When the month of daytime fasting ends, muslims engage on a three day party called Eid al-Fitr (the Festival of Breaking the Fast).
In Cape Town, hundreds of Muslims gather at Green Point every year in the evening of the last day of Ramadan. They wait for the sighting of the moon, which marks the end of the holy month. It is generally customary to dress up in bright colours, a tradition Capetonian Muslims also take part in. In addition, many Bo-Kaap residents repaint their houses at the end of the Ramadan as part of the celebrations. The residents usually discuss amongst their neighbours what colours they will be using, to prevent clashing colours and to make sure that different colours are picked. It is often said that the different coloured houses have now become no more than a tourist attraction, but the rich history and culture behind it should not be forgotten.
The first time I saw pictures of this neighbourhood was actually during summer 2015, when a Swedish brand launched the "NellyEpicSpring" campaign featuring popular bloggers from Scandinavia shot during an epic week in Cape Town - browse instagram #nellyepicspring to find a million reasons more to visit Cape Town if you are not convinced yer. Or course I don't look like these chicks, but it's kind of fun to walk down the same spots you see on the magazines I suppose.
Bo Kaap - we just walked there from LONG ST
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