Bo-Kaap

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. 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. During Apartheid, the area was not bulldozed, unlike nearby District Six, however non-Malay residents were forcibly removed in accordance with the Group Areas Act, in an effort by a sympathetic apartheid government official (I. D. du Plessis) to preserve the Malay character of the area. Gentrification As a result of Cape Town's economic development and expansion, and after the demise of forced racial segregation under apartheid, 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 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 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==