The City of Cape Town is proud to announce that the Battle of Muizenberg site has recently been listed in the Heritage Western Cape’s (HWC) provincial gazette, which proclaimed the status of the Battle of Muizenberg as a Provincial Heritage Site (PHS).
‘The proclamation of the Battle of Muizenberg site is an important milestone in the City’s efforts to protect the irreplaceable heritage and cultural landscapes of our growing city. I would like to congratulate the Environmental Management teams in their efforts with this important nomination, as well as the members of the public who put in the work to submit a nomination for the Javia Mosque in Strand as I know this mosque a cornerstone of the Muslim community’s heritage. As for the Battle of Muizenberg site, this is a cultural landscape site with various layers of significance one being that evidence of shell midden material and its location on the False Bay coastline suggest the use of the site by indigenous groups well before the occupation of Muizenberg by the Dutch in the mid-17th Century,’ said the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Eddie Andrews.
Battle of Muizenberg site
The declaration of battle of Muizenberg as a PHS includes the formal protection of archaeological sites, landscapes, natural features of cultural significance; structures and unmarked burials situated on erven 87052, 87053, 87056 and a portion of erf 163442 located at 220 Main Road, Muizenberg.
The Battle of Muizenberg is a cultural landscape site with various layers of significance which include:
• Evidence of shell midden material and its location on the False Bay coastline suggest the use of the site by indigenous groups well before the occupation of Muizenberg by the Dutch in the mid-17th Century.
• The remains of the stone walls, redoubts, and breastworks of the Battle of Muizenberg conflict between the Dutch and British in 1795. The Dutch defense fortifications were overseen by Louis Michel Thibault, military engineer at the time and later prominent architect and builder of 18th century in Cape Town. The Corps Pandoeren came from the Cape coloured community, many from the Moravian Mission at Genadendal, and played a critical role in the battle. The battle was directly related to broader international conflicts between the Dutch, British and French, and was an important event in the history of South Africa that resulted in the first British occupation of the Cape.
The Javia Mosque in Strand is another notable nomination which was submitted by members of the public and was also gazetted as a PHS last week.
Javia Mosque in Strand
The now Provincial Heritage Site known as the Javia Mosque (Masjid) is located at 43 Market Street in Strand and is the oldest surviving place of worship and a cornerstone of the Muslim community’s heritage. This declaration honours the mosques historical, cultural, spiritual and architectural significance.
• Built between 1850 and 1870 by freed slaves and free blacks, it embodies the resilience and spiritual endurance of early Muslim settlers. As the first formal place of worship in Strand, it was central to the establishment and growth of Islam in Mosterd’s Bay, the historical name for Strand. The mosque hosted daily prayers, Friday congregational worship, religious festivals, and events which served to reinforce community cohesion.
• The Mosque played a vital role in education and cultural preservation, serving as a centre for Quranic learning and religious instruction. Despite forced removals under the Apartheid era Group Areas Act (1950) and decades of neglect, the mosque remains a powerful symbol of defiance against systemic oppression.
Architecturally, it is also a rare surviving example of 19th-century clay brick construction, reflecting the craftsmanship and ingenuity of its builders.
Thanks to the City of Cape Town for preserving its Cultural Heritage sites. The Cape Town Green Map is part of the global Green Map System, and one of their international icons is Cultural Heritage.
WHAT: Battle of Muizenberg Site | Javia Mosque Strand Site
WHERE: 220 Main Road, Muizenberg, Cape Town 7945 | 43 Market Street, Strand, Cape Town 7140
INFO: see also MapMyWay
PHOTOS: Lead photo: General setting photograph with the mountain backdrop used as a stopping point – not part of the actual defensive structures, but part of late 19th century garden | Photo above: Remnant of the stone defensive works still visible along the mountain edge
