Cape Town is a city of rich history interwoven by an eclectic mixture of local and international people. We work around with blinkers on some days, here are some beautiful places we past so often but barely see.
The Long Street Turkish Baths
The Long Street Turkish Baths were established in 1908, and were first referred to as the “slipper baths”. This name came about as there were many blocks of housing flats surrounding the Baths at the time, and these flats had no amenities for residents to clean themselves. Each morning, residents of the flats would trudge over to the Baths in their slippers to have a shower, and hence, the nickname “slipper baths”. The Turkish Baths were added only in 1926, and are now closed due to the Cape Town Water Crisis.
Adderley Street
How often have you rushed down Adderley Street on your way to work without wondering how it came to be? The street was originally built entirely of wooden blocks would you believe? It was eventually covered by tar to form the iconic Adderley Street we know today. Wander to the upper end of the street and marvel at the visible remnants of the original wood used there.
Cape Floral Kingdom
The Cape Floral Region is recognised as one of the places in the world with the richest biodiversity, despite being the smallest Floral Kingdom in the world. This beautiful assemblage of fauna and floral is protected in 13 protected clusters of area, and contains 9 600 different species of plant life. 70% of these occur nowhere else in the world. Take a walk through the Koggelberg Nature Reserve on a crisp Sunday morning, and drink in the beauty of all of Cape Town’s gorgeous plant life.
Groote Schuur Hospital
Groote Schuur Hospital is one of the cities most iconic buildings. Dr Christiaan Barnard’s revolutionary heart transplant was performed in this very hospital in 1967. The man who received the cardiac surgery passed away only 18 days after receiving the first-of-its-kind surgery due to an onset of pneumonia. The theatre where the surgery was performed is now a museum, and is aptly named the Heart of Cape Town.
The Castle of Goodhope
The Castle of Goodhope is the oldest colonial building in the entire country, and was built between 1666 and 1679. The structure was previously a fort, and was a welcoming port for sailors traveling around the Cape of Storms, which was a treacherous journey give the nickname. At one point, there were waves lapping at this building’s entry point, and the entry was moved for that reason.
Image: Pixabay & Twitter