The Original Shoreline is a long-term public space and digital storytelling project that traces an educational, historical and natural route along the original shoreline of Cape Town. Over the centuries, geographical shifts, human events and land development have obscured the historical shoreline. This has influenced the city’s history and reconfigured the shape of the land that meets the water. And yet, it is a line rich with history containing layers of stories that have long been suppressed, overlooked, or left to lie in dusty drawers and family folklore.
The project was conceived as a way to mark the original shoreline, from the first making of the land to present day. It seeks to use the power of storytelling and authentic historical accounts to expand into a more cohesive, more inclusive history of Cape Town.
In the first phase, the shoreline is revealed in a physical route from The Castle of Good Hope, through the Cape Town CBD, to the V&A Waterfront, taking in notable landmarks along the way. The landmarks reflect the historical, architectural, maritime,spiritual, community, environmental and slavery histories that shaped the city’s original shoreline.
Download the VoiceMap here and use it as you walk the route, immersing yourself in the sights and sounds of the original shoreline. The shoreline will come to life with stories, anecdotes, historical accounts and contemporary explanations. Click here to visit our website.
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