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SA HOTEL - ROBBEN ISLAND - Cape Town
Robben Island is located outside Table Bay and is 12km off the coast from Cape Town,
South Africa. The name comes from Middle Dutch for "Seal Island". Incidentally, "Seal Island" is also the
name of another island found nearby in False Bay. Robben Island is roughly oval and about a kilometer wide.
As a result of an ancient erosion event, the Island has a flat surface and is only a few meters above sea-level.
The island is composed of Precambrian metamorphic rock, belonging to the Malmesbury Group.
During the apartheid era, Robben Island became internationally famous for its institutional
brutality. The duty of those who ran the island and its prison was to isolate opponents of apartheid and to crush
their morale. Some freedom fighters spent more than a quarter of a century in prison for their beliefs and no
place in South Africa symbolizes the universal struggle for freedom as powerfully as Robben Island. Nelson Mandela
officially opened the Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island on December 1, 2001 at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront.
Robben Island was declared a World Heritage Site on December 1, 1997 and has become a symbol of the triumph of the
human spirit.
Robben Island was first inhabited by stone age people thousands of years ago. Sea-levels
were considerably lower than today and people could get to the island by walking. At that time, Robben Island was
a flat-topped hill. Towards the end of the last ice-age, the melting of the ancient ice-caps caused sea-levels to
rise once again and the land around the island was flooded by the ocean. Since the end of the 17th century, Robben
Island has been used to isolate people, many of them being prisoners. Political leaders from various Dutch colonies,
including Indonesia, were amongst its first permanent inhabitants.
A tour of the Robben Island Museum is a multi-faceted journey which begins at the Gateway.
Multi-media exhibitions, a restaurant, auditorium and a museum shop are housed here. The Robben Island Museum
Tour includes a half-hour ferry trip, a guided tour of the Maximum Security Prison and interaction with an
ex-political prisoner. There is a bus-tour of the historical buildings, as well as opportunities to appreciate
the unique flora and fauna of the 575 hectare island. Robben Island is now a living museum and is an essential
excursion for those wishing to learn more about its place in history. It gives invaluable education and insight
into South Africa's past and heritage. The return boat trip of half an hour each way, the guided tour around the
museum and the interaction with an ex-inmate is an experience not to miss. The museum also offers opportunities
for learning, with workshops, tours and camps for children and adults alike. These are also available to any one
interested in learnng about historical and modern day South Africa. They teach the embracing of human rights and
respect for ethnic, cultural and religious diversity. Youth camps or "nation building camps" offer children a
chance to explore themes of racism, sustainable development, sexism and gangsterism.
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