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CCape Malay Heritage Tours are a great way for culturally-minded travellers to experience one of the Western Cape’s oldest and most distinctive societies. Visit sites of religious, social, and political significance in the rich history of the Cape Malay people, all while interacting with the community and stopping over at top attractions around the Cape Peninsula.

Cape Malay Heritage Tours are a rewarding way to explore the interwoven history of the Cape’s culturally diverse communities, and to enjoy some sightseeing en route.

Did You Know?
AAn invitation to guests by a Muslim host is called a “niyyat”, and expresses the intention to share a feast.

AArguably, Cape Malay culture is best known outside of South Africa through its distinctive cuisine, but visitors to Cape Town will discover that the Western Cape’s Malay community is proudly protective of their traditional and religious beliefs, and deeply conscious of their heritage.

A tour exploring the Cape Malay heritage takes visitors to must-see sites like Table Mountain, the Castle of Good Hope, and Cape Point, but includes stopovers in historic Cape Malay strongholds like District Six and Bo-Kaap.

WWhat adds depth and interest to a Cape Malay Heritage Tour is the opportunity to visit museums, mosques, tombs, and shrines, all of which carry deep meaning for the Malay community (most Cape Malay’s are Muslims). Cultural interaction is a key component, enabling visitors to meet Imams and Islamic scholars, sample traditional cuisine in a Malay home, and socialise with local community members.

While the focus is on Malay heritage, visitors will gain an understanding of the multi-heterogeneous community of the early Cape, and District Six in particular. Political oppression and enforced racial segregation during apartheid forced different “non-white” cultures to live together, so a Cape Malay Culture Tour includes a stop at an Anglican church in a Muslim suburb, accounts of different races and faiths living peaceably side by side, and a visit to the Great Synagogue in the Company Gardens.

For those with an interest in the influence of apartheid on South Africa, and in particular the Malay community, a Bo-Kaap Heritage Tour includes visits to the Bo-Kaap Muslim Museum, Cape Town’s Flower Market and Station, Sea Point, the V&A Waterfront, with an optional visit to Robben Island.

Likewise, the Cape Winelands are rich with Malay heritage, so on a Cape Malay Winelands Tour, you’ll experience the best wine estates, farms and restaurants, and learn the history and contribution of the Cape Malays to this beloved region of the Cape.

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