“Jewel of Africa” is a term which is often used for South Africa, a country who have unique rich culture, traditions and history that has left an everlasting mark on the hearts and minds of many. “The castle of good Hope” is one of the sites in South Africa which have strong historical impact. Located closer to the heart of the port city Cape Town, the castle of good hope is a “Star Fort” which was built on the original coast line of the Table Bay. Its star shape structure make it eye catching and distinctive from all other historic mega structures round the world. This shape is so inspiring and iconic that it has led the derivation of Cape Town military (Air Force) flag logo. The name is well defined by the star shape, and the shape also makes you think of the very positive name “The castle of good Hope”.

In 1652, Jan Van Riebeeck arrived in the Cape (Colonial era) and made a fort called “The Fort de Goede Hoop”. The structure was although nothing like the Cape Castle today and was made out of clay and timber. The idea was first put forth during 1664, when tensions between Britain and the Netherlands rose with rumors of war being imminent; Commander Zacharias Wagenaer was instructed to build a pentagonal fortress out of stone, which we know today as “The castle of Hope”. The re-birth of the “Fort de Goede Hoop” took place in 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a maritime replenishment station. That makes “the Castle of Good Hope” the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa.

Apart form the unique star shape design, the castle contained within its confines a church, bakery, workshops, living quarters, offices and cells. The yellow paint on the walls was chosen due to its ability to reduce heat and glare from sunlight. However, it also facilitated the concept behind the name of this fort and rare star shape design. On 26 April 1679, the five bastions were named after the main titles of William III of Orange-Nassau: Leerdam to the west, with respectively Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau and Oranje clockwise from it. The sea-facing entrance was replaced in 1682 by current the gateway and two years later, the bell tower, situated above the main entrance was built. It contained a 670lbs bell cast in Amsterdam in 1697 by Claude Frémy. The bell could be heard some 10km away from the castle, struck the hours and was used both to warn citizens of danger and to call residents and soldiers to the Castle for important announcements. Considering the technology and architectures of that era, the castle was an ultimate excellence and architectural wonder of its time.

The castle kept on changing its roles, since its establishment. During 1678 it was the centre of civilian, administrative and military life at the Cape. Today the Castle is the seat of the military in the Cape, and houses the Castle Military Museum and Iziko Museums of Cape Town (William Fehr Collection). The Castle of Good Hope, is also known as ‘The Castle’ by locals, many tourists call it “The Cape Castle”. There is an extensive display of historical military equipment, an enigmatic history of the castle, a splendid art collection and the William Fehr Collection (including old Cape Dutch furniture). Much like the older version of this fort, you will find restaurants, bar and café’s inside the castle to make your visit more memorable and classy.

The Castle of Hope is easily accessible form city centre. You may also find cheap flights to Cape Town from almost every where round the world. For more details on “Cheap Flights to South Africa” visit: Cheap Flights Worldwide