Historical Places of South Africa

South Africa is a country with a captivating history and ancient civilizations. The historical places of South Africa reflect the country's colonial past, its culture and traditions. The major cities of this country constitute a number of places with historical significance. Some of the popular historical places of South Africa are: •  Robben Island •  Cradle of Humankind •  Apartheid Museum •  Voortrekker Monument •  Bo- Kaap •  Castle of Good Hope

Robben Island

Located at a distance of about 12 km from Cape Town, Robben Island was the prison ground of Nelson Mandela and his comrades in the 17 th century. This Island was also known as the "Alcatraz of Africa" and since the year 1997, Robben Island has been a heritage museum. The Island symbolizes the country's progress and great transformation.

Cradle of Human kind

The Cradle of Humankind is a fascinating historical site which continues to unearth interesting discoveries of the human origin. This region gained popularity with the discovery of a 2 ½ million-year old hominid skull in the year 1947 and continues to be one of the popular historical sites of South Africa. The Cradle of Humankind encloses the regions of Sterkfontein, Swartkrans and Kromdraai.

Apartheid Museum

Located in Gauteng, the Apartheid Museum has a collection of images, audio-visual presentations, and stories of human sufferings and an account of the country's journey from domination to democracy. The collections in this Museum reflect the horrifying past of South Africa.

Voortrekker Monument

Located in Pretoria, Gauteng, the Voortrekker Monument is huge granite structures which commemorates the "Great Trek" and remains one of the popular historical places of South Africa.

Bo- Kaap

Located in Cape Town, this region is full of cobbled streets and strange historical homes. This Cape Malay region is one of the few areas to escape damage during the apartheid era inspite of being a non- white area.

Castle of Good Hope

The Castle of Good Hope was declared a National monument in the year 1936 and is the oldest extant building in the South Africa. It is one of the well preserved monuments and holds much historical significance.