Bo-Kaap, what is it? The name, to some, conjures up an image of a district of Cape Town with colourful houses, eastern cooking and music. In reality though, there is far more to Bo-Kaap and “Bo-Kaap & Islam” helps to explore this.

The book aims to achieve a greater understanding of the history of Bo-Kaap, and to discover how Islam and the first mosques helped to shape the community. Following an exploratory walk from the city centre to Bo-Kaap, the reader is introduced to architectural features and in subsequent chapters to the basic tenets of Islam; the function of a mosque, the meaning of Sunni,Shafee and Sufism and the role played by the religious schools. The similarities between the three Abrahamic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are highlighted. The arrival and consolidation of the faith in the Cape are fully explained as well as the early history of the suburb’s several mosques. The book concludes with a chapter on customs, the Muslim calendar, a glossary, and basic greetings.