Renovations at Iziko

In keeping with our vision and mission, Iziko Museums of Cape Town, with funding from the Department of Public Works (DPW), is installing wheelchair access at our sites. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause our valued visitors, but thank you for bearing with us as we improve our museums’ accessibility for all. Sites affected include the Iziko Slave Lodge, Bo-Kaap Museum, Rust en Vreugd, the Old Town House and Koopmans-De Wet House.

On now...

ISLAM AT THE CAPE
CURRENT

This exhibition focuses on early religious leaders within the Muslim community and local cultural expressions of Islam at the Cape. The Bo-Kaap is an area closely associated with the history of Islam at the Cape. The oldest mosque in South Africa, the Auwal Mosque, was built in Dorp Street towards the turn of the 18th century. The oldest Muslim cemetery, the Tana Baru, is also in the Bo-Kaap. Two revered Islamic leaders, Tuan Guru (arrived 1770) and Tuan Said Aloewie (arrived 1747), are buried in the Tana Baru.

Enquiries: Katie Mooney, Tel. 021 464 1268 or email
kmooney@iziko.org.za.

PATTERN OF BEAUTY
CURRENT

In this exhibition, co-curated by Mahmudah Begum Jaffer, selected artifacts from the Social History Collections of Iziko Museums form part of the display, together with images of decorative art from mosques around Cape Town. Islamic decorative art is mainly expressed in geometric forms in calligraphy, architecture and textile art, as the depiction of human and animal figures is forbidden in Islam. Islamic art reflects unity and the perfection of the proportion and symmetry of God's creation. With contemplation and understanding, these elements all reveal deeper meaning according to the Islamic way of life. Qur'anic calligraphy is regarded as the highest form of Islamic art, and as such, the patterns that illuminate the text carry a high standard of aesthetic harmony and discipline, balance and stability.

Enquiries: Katie Mooney, Tel. 021 464 1268 or email
kmooney@iziko.org.za.