You'll know you're in the Bo-Kaap when you catch the
heady smell wafting from Atlas Trading Co., which is often packed with
housewives stocking up on fresh spices, or when you hear the call of the
muezzin from one of the many mosques in the area. You might even have to
sidestep lights, cameras, and film stars, since the district is an
oft-used setting for movies and magazine shoots. Bo-Kaap is the historic
home of the city's Muslim population, brought from the East as slaves in
the late 17th and early 18th centuries. So it's no surprise that it's
also home to the Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa. Today
the area remains strongly Muslim, and it's fascinating to wander the
narrow cobbled lanes past mosques and colorful flat-roofed houses. Here
you'll find the largest collection of pre-1840 architecture in South
Africa, with many homes combining elements of Cape Dutch and British
styles. The Bo-Kaap (Afrikaans for "on top of the Cape") is also known
as the Malay quarter, even though its inhabitants originated from all
over, including the Indonesian archipelago, India, Turkey, and
Madagascar. Because there have been a few muggings in the Bo-Kaap,
taking a guided tour is recommended, or stick to Buitengracht, Dorp,
Rose, and Shortmarket streets.
