After a nine-year closure, the historic crypt beneath Cape Town’s St George’s Cathedral has reopened as the Crypt Memory and Witness space, offering visitors an opportunity to explore its role in the country’s anti-apartheid history.
Cape Town’s St George’s Cathedral/By: GroblerduPreez/Getty Images
The reopening is accompanied by a new exhibition, Glimpsing Hope, Marching for Peace, which commemorates the September 1989 Cape Town peace march and honours the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the cathedral’s contribution to the struggle against apartheid.
Known as The People’s Cathedral, St George’s Cathedral played an important role during apartheid, providing a place of refuge and gathering for activists and people opposing racial segregation. The crypt was among the spaces used for private meetings and discussions during this period.
The underground venue has undergone several transformations over the years, including operating as a restaurant, tea room and jazz club. It closed as a creative and cultural space in 2017 before a fire in 2022 left it further damaged.
The newly reopened space features historical photographs and displays exploring the anti-apartheid movement, as well as the lasting effects of slavery, colonialism and segregation in South Africa.
The exhibition also highlights the role ordinary people and faith communities played in pursuing social change, reconciliation and peace.
The Crypt Memory and Witness space welcomes visitors interested in exploring Cape Town’s political and cultural history.
Source: Time Out Cape Town
Follow us on social media for more travel news, inspiration, and guides. You can also tag us to be featured.
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Spotify
ALSO READ:
Luxury expedition cruise ship set to visit Hermanus this November
