Architecture
Bo-Kaap
What would the world be like without colours and their diversity? We distinguish so many colours – up to 2.3 million shades to be exact. Colours are pure emotions! They evoke memories of the past, awaken associations with the present or reveal wishes for the future.
A colourful example of this is a unique district of Cape Town: Bo-Kaap or Schotsche Kloof, as it was called until 2017. As soon as you approach Cape Town by plane, it catches your eye with its brightly coloured house facades along the picturesque mountain landscape of the Signal Hills.
"Red Red Red is all I love..." Red is the colour of love and passion. The colour of the kissing mouth, but also of fire and anger. Red stands for vitality and energy. The colour can activate, warm but also heat up. Red is dynamic and aggressive at the same time, attracts attention, stimulates the appetite and increases the libido.
So as you can see, colours have the power to influence decisions or improve our memory, even to direct our attention and trigger a wide variety of feelings.
Blue is the colour of the sky, the navy and the famous jeans. Blue stands for calm, confidence, relaxation, but also for longing and melancholy. Blue is associated with contentment and serenity.
Bo-Kaap is home to a unique community of Muslims and an incomparable mix of architectural styles. Largely because of the colourful houses and its history, Bo-Kaap has become one of the most photographed areas of Cape Town. The name comes from the Afrikaans language. Translated from African, Bo-Kaap means "Above the Cape".
Green is the hope. And the colour of nature, British sports cars and the incredible Hulk. Green stands for security and harmony and has a calming effect. Anger, sadness and heartbreak can be soothed by green. On the other hand, envy, indifference and tiredness are also symbolised by green.
Bo-Kaap is also known as the Malay Quarter. The origins of this district date back to the 1760s, when numerous "Huurhuisjes" (tenements) were built and leased to slaves (Cape Malays). The district has therefore seen a lot of suffering.
Orange is the colour of optimism and joie de vivre, the colour of tennis court sands and many a juicy, tasty fruit. Orange stands for open-mindedness, sociability, activity and self-confidence, but it can also express pushiness and easygoingness. It is the colour of change, makes people feel cheerful and is considered a mood-lifter.
According to legend, the choice of bright colours in the Bo-Kaap is due to the fact that the houses originally had to be white while they were rented out to the Cape Malays. When this rule was lifted and the houses and land were allowed to be bought, (the former) slaves painted their houses brightly to express the freedom they had gained.
Magenta, pink and rose are the colours of girlish flowers, candyfloss and flamingos. They stand for idealism, order and compassion, but also refer to snobbery and dominance. Rose appears innocent and delicate, whereas pink is expressive.
Bo-Kaap's colourful flat-roofed houses were built in several rows, creating the unique image of this Cape Town neighbourhood. Some residents were fishermen, others tailors, shoemakers or construction workers. Others were craftsmen, such as carpenters and silversmiths. Together they formed a community that is unique in South Africa.
It is precisely this colourful diversity of people, cultures, traditions and ways of life that we love, seek out and appreciate on our travels. Exactly what makes our world so unique.
South Africa, November 2021. | All words and photos by The Sturgheons.
