Bo Kaap Museum
The museum building dates back to the 1760s. It 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, shoemakers, 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 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.
The museum was established in 1978 as a satellite of the SA Cultural History Museum. It was furnished as a house that depicts the lifestyle of a nineteenth-century Muslim family.
71 Wale Street, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
