Castle of Good Hope | Cape Town |
The Castle of Good Hope, an imposing stone building, was built along the ancient coastline, the works began in 1666, the first stone was laid on January 2, 1666, under the command of Zacharius Wagenaer and lasted until 1679. The oldest colonial building in South Africa, the Castle of Good Hope, is a pentagonal fortress built by Dutch colonialists in the 17th century. The well-known landmark is central to the history of Cape Town, having served as the seat of government and military operations for two centuries.
The Construction of the Castle
In 1652, the Dutch East India Company (DEIC) settled on the shores of Table Bay to establish a refreshment base for ships en route from Europe to East Asia, and to maintain its monopoly over the Spice Trade. Jan van Riebeeck, the first Commander of the Cape, erected the original Fort de Goede Hoop (Fort of Good Hope). As the threat of war loomed between the Netherlands and England, the DEIC ordered that a stronger stone fortress replace the original one to provide greater protection for the Dutch settlement. In 1666, Governor Zacharias Wagenaar laid the four cornerstones of the Castle of Good Hope. The majority of the work was carried out by soldiers and sailors.
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Reasons Cape Town Should Be No. 1 On Your Travel Agenda, Official Cape Town and Western Cape Tourism, Cape Town Tourism (2018): Best of Cape Town.
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