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African Theatre (Cape Town)

Buildings and structures in Cape TownCape Town cultureChurches in Cape TownDutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK)Theatres in South Africa
St Stephen's Church. Riebeeck Sq, Cape Town.
St Stephen's Church. Riebeeck Sq, Cape Town.

The African Theatre (Afrikaans: Afrikaansche Schouwburg) was a theatre in Cape Town, South Africa. It was the first stone theater in the European style in South Africa and one of the first in the Southern Hemisphere. It was also known by other names, such as the Komediehuis, The Theatre, etc. The building was later used as a church by the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa (NGK) and stands to this day.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article African Theatre (Cape Town) (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

African Theatre (Cape Town)
Breë Street, Cape Town Cape Town Ward 115

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N -33.92144 ° E 18.41751 °
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Breë Street 100
8001 Cape Town, Cape Town Ward 115
Western Cape, South Africa
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St Stephen's Church. Riebeeck Sq, Cape Town.
St Stephen's Church. Riebeeck Sq, Cape Town.
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Nearby Places

Auwal Mosque
Auwal Mosque

The Auwal Mosque, alternatively spelled Awwal, Owal or Owwal, is a mosque in the Bo-Kaap neighbourhood of Cape Town, South Africa, recognised as the first mosque established in the country. It was constructed in 1794 during the first British occupation of the Cape on land belonging to Coridon van Ceylon, a Vryezwarten (freed Black Muslim slave). Coridon's daughter, Saartjie van de Kaap, inherited the property that was being used as a warehouse, and donated it for the use as South Africa's first mosque. The mosque was constructed in 1794 with renovations done in 1907 and extensive renovations done in 1936. It is the first mosque to observe public prayers and is where Cape Muslim traditions and the Arabic-Afrikaans language were first taught. It remains a symbol for Muslims of the recognition of Islam and the freedom of slaves to worship. Qadi Abdussalam, affectionately known as Tuan Guru, was appointed the first imam. Tuan Guru was a religious leader and political prisoner. While in prison, he wrote the entire Quran from memory. This Quran is on display at the Auwal Mosque. Tuan Guru also used the mosque as a madrassah, or "religious" school, where he instructed both children and adults in matters of Islam. After Guru's death, Saartjie van de Kaap's husband, Achmad of Bengal, assumed the position of imam. This position was to be held by members of his family until the last imam from this family, Gasan Achmat, died in 1980. The position has since been filled by many imams, including the likes of Sheikh Salih Abadi. Currently, Moulana Mugammad Carr and Sheikh Ismail Londt are joint imams. Due to a dispute as to who was to be the next imam of the congregation, a portion of the Auwal congregation split off in 1807 and formed Cape Town's second mosque, the Palm Tree Mosque on Long Street.

Cape Town CBD
Cape Town CBD

Cape Town CBD (sometimes referred to as Cape Town Central City or City Centre) is the central business district of Cape Town, and the economic centre of the city. The CBD sits beneath Table Mountain, and alongside the Port of Cape Town. The N1 freeway connects the CBD with communities to the east and north-east (the Northern Suburbs) (via the M5 and N7) while the N2 and M3 freeways link the CBD with communities to the south-east (the Southern Suburbs). Being the economic centre of the city, the CBD houses the headquarters of many large South African and multinational corporations. The CBD is home to numerous tourist attractions and local amenities. The area is also traveled through in order to get from the freeways into the V&A Waterfront, and to approach Table Mountain from the front. Unlike many other CBDs in South African metropolitan areas, Cape Town CBD is considered clean and safe, and has been well-maintained in terms of infrastructure. Numerous public-private partnerships exist to keep the CBD a desirable place to be, including the Cape Town Partnership and Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID). In recent years, billions of rands of foreign investment has flowed into Cape Town CBD, and numerous businesses have moved employees, and their headquarters, from other South African CBDs into Cape Town's. The CBD is also a major destination for tourists, and it had its busiest year for tourism to date in 2024.

Martin Melck House
Martin Melck House

The Martin Melck House (Afrikaans: Martin Melck-huis) on 96 Strand Street and the Kostershuis on 100 Strand Street, on either side of the Lutheran Church in Cape Town, are both national heritage sites of South Africa. With the building of the Lutheran church, Martin Melck, a German immigrant whose business success and advantageous marriage rendered him the wealthiest man in Cape Colony in the 18th century, lent part of his property on the east side of the church for a parsonage. He donated the property to the congregation in the end, and in 1781, after Melck's death, construction began on the house. Louis Michel Thibault was probably the original architect. Anton Anreith is generally considered to have been responsible for the stained-glass windows, the swan in the gable, and the engravings on the front door. The building is influenced by French Renaissance architecture. It is also unique in that the attic (a "belvedere") had four windows, at the time giving a wide view of the city and Table Bay. Spacious rooms, paved entryways, African teak floors on the ground floor and Real yellowwood floors on the top floor, African teak beams over the living room, and a courtyard make it a distinctive structure. Until 1891, it served as the parsonage for the church. In 1929, there was talk of demolition, but conservationists and the wider community saved it through intensive renovation. From 1932 on, it was named the Martin Melck House, earning the distinction of a national monument in 1936, and it was used by cultural groups in the city. Around 1975, and antique shop operated there. Shortly after 2000, it was home to a museum of gold art, a souvenir shop, a restaurant, and a goldsmith's studio. The museum focuses on 19th- and 20th-century gold works from Mali, Senegal, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast. The Golden Lion is the highlight of the collection and also serves as an emblem of the museum. It is exhibited in the attic. On the corner of Buitengracht and Strand Streets is the Kostershuis, declared a national monument in 1949. This house was originally built from 1779 to 1783. 100 Strand Street in Cape Town was the traditional address of the Dutch Consulate General in the city.