The Museums of Cape Town, South Africa

Iziko South African Museum

The Iziko South African Museum is the oldest museum in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a collection that has been active for almost 200 years. It has an ample supply of  biological specimens, ranging from fossils from 700 million years ago, to insects and fish from the past year. There are also very diverse anthropological displays, from primitive tools that are thousands of years old, to traditional wear from last century, to T-shirts and jeans from the present era.

Iziko Slave Lodge Museum

The Iziko Slave Lodge Museum is one of the oldest buildings in the city of Cape Town, and it has gone under several different titles, such as Slave Lodge, Government Offices Building, Old Supreme Court and SA Cultural History Museum. The present-day museum focuses on the history of slavery in South Africa, the roots of the slaves and the anthropological survey of South Africa. They host exhibits on particular episodes of slave history and uprisings in South Africa, as well as important figures, like Nelson Mandela.

District Six Museum

The District Six Museum is representative of the Sixth Municipal District of Cape Town, which originally was a community of freed slaves, merchants, artisans, immigrants and laborers. This area used to be an interesting place full of life, before removals and marginalization began in the early 20th century. South Africans were forcibly displaced from this District, and other people began to move to the suburbs. District Six was then remaned a white neighborhood in the 1960s, and more people were displaced and their houses were demolished. The District Six Museum itself is supposed to be a living memorial of this time line, with insight of social, cultural, political and economic aspects.

Gold of Africa Museum

The Gold of Africa Museum is a display of the relationship between gold and the people living on the African continent throughout history. There are some artefacts from ancient African societies, along with 350 West African gold objects. They also have temporary exhibits with gold from other countries like India and Brazil.

Robben Island Museum

The Robben Island Museum is situated on a small island off the coast of Cape Town, which used to be a prison island. Nelson Mandela had lived here for 20 years. Several other anti-apartheid leaders were kept on Robben Island, which is now a UN World Heritage Site.

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