Construction began on the Castle of Good Hope on 2 January 1666, and the majority of the complex was completed by 1679, making it the oldest building in South Africa (and I was interested to find that the Castle's postal address is PO Box 1 - I think that's rather fitting). It was built to replace the older clay and timber fort, built by Jan van Riebeeck in 1652.
The Castle has 5 points, or bastions - Leerdam (pictured here), Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau and Oranje. Leerdam was the first bastion to be built, and the flags on top of the outer wall each represent a different period in the history and government of the Castle and the Cape.
