Located on the shore of Table Bay, the City Bowl area of Cape Town is
the oldest urban area in the Western Cape, with a significant cultural
heritage. It was founded by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) as a
supply station for Dutch ships sailing to East Africa, India, and the
Far East. Jan van Riebeeck's arrival on 6 April 1652 established the
VOC Cape Colony, the first permanent European settlement in South
Africa. Cape Town outgrew its original purpose as the first European
outpost at the Castle of Good Hope, becoming the economic and cultural
hub of the Cape Colony. Until the Witwatersrand Gold Rush and the
development of Johannesburg, Cape Town was the largest city in
southern Africa.
