PRESERVING CAPE HERITAGE AND CULTURE THROUGH EXPLORING VISUAL ARTS AND EDUCATION
Preservation of Cape Malay Heritage & Culture
March 2022
The Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town CBD
Our Cape Town Heritage initiative became a reality when it was officially established to showcase the cultural heritage photographs of Tashneem Abrahams at the Castle of Good Hope in 2022. Dedicating 5 years to nurturing her visual artistry of the Cape Malay Heritage and its diaspora. Following a journey where cultural tradition meets the spirituality of a people descended from across the continents and planting the deepest of roots into the heart of Cape Town. The exhibition was hosted at the Castle of Good Hope - South Africa’s oldest building - with the Blue Room at the Cape Heritage Museum being transformed into not just an art gallery, but a replica of a Cape Malay living area, the set design was by Muneera Davids, Tiffany Donson and Wayde Oostendorp, they adorned the space with fresh flowers, warm tones, a fine china dinner set, the smells of moulood and the melodious sounds of the gadat and the Cape Malay Choir, the space invited the audience to experience a vivid nostalgia, invoking memory and tradition of days gone by.
Cape Malay (also known as Cape Muslims) are descendants of people from across many continents and religions. The Cape Malay community of Cape Town encompasses a rich history and culture filled with traditions and ceremonies that have been passed down from generation to generation.
The community has played a major role in shaping the City and its dark past. A city that was built on the backs of our ancestors. Celebrating our common ancestry in Cape Town, the exhibition explores the vibrant heritage through a series of compelling photographs that explores the present, questions the future and juxtaposes between preservation and loss of the Cape Malay culture in spaces. Offering a glimpse into the past and giving a taste of the methods within the traditions:
Moulood
Bo-Kaap (First home to the Cape Malay people)
People of the Cape Flats
The Cape Malay Choir
The photographs are a means to offer insight into the world of the cultural traditions, distinguishing between Islam and culture, the importance of cultural spaces, the significance of the youth and how imperative it is to control our own narrative. Each playing a role in preserving and maintaining a heritage that many can identify with. Leaving the viewer with a piqued interest in traditions, encouraging an embracement of heritage and providing an interest in maintaining culture.
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