Located on the slopes of Signal Hill above the city center, Bo-Kaap is one of the oldest and most exciting neighborhoods in the South African city of Cape Town.
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The area stands out for its brightly colored houses and romantic cobbled streets of the 18th century. Residents of Bo-Kaap are descendants of slaves brought by the Dutch from Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and various African countries during the 16 th and 17 th centuries. These slaves were named "Cape Malays", even though not all of them were of Malaysian origin. After the release of the British Cape from the Dutch in 1795 there were series of positive changes. Over the next four decades, people have received religious liberty, the prohibition of the slave trade and the abolition of slavery. The freed slaves formed a new community in the Bo-Kaap, which even today is referred to as the Malaysian block.
Bo-Kaap is mostly Muslim community with distinctive Malay culture, formed due to mixed marriages between slaves of the South and Southeast Asian countries, India, Madagascar and native African groups. Many local women converted to Islam to marry Muslim men. Today people of the area call themselves the Cape Muslims.
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Brightly colored buildings on both sides of the streets have appeared recently, as a manifestation of the Muslim identity of the area. In earlier times all Cape Town buildings were painted white. Then the people of Bo-Kaap began to paint their houses in bright colors, in preparation for the Eid celebration. Neighbors often agreed on house’s colors to avoid tints match.
Multifaceted heritage is reflected in the local music, dancing and cooking. Many traditional South African dishes were born in the area, then spread throughout South Africa.
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Knit community, however, is subjected to slow decay. Longtime residents sell their homes and move, and others come in their place. Many people worry about this, as the Bo-Kaap may lose its unique identity and history. In subsequent years, the area could become a very different place.