Cultural Attractions of Johannesburg

The largest city in South Africa is not normally associated with the tourism trade. However, with an increasingly bustling airport receiving Cheap flights to Johannesburg from Europe and the rest of the world, the city has become a popular stop off point for many travellers. As a result of this, over the past few years more and more visitor attractions have been founded in the area, giving tourists an opportunity to experience and learn about South African culture before they disembark around the country.
The Nelson Mandela National Museum in Soweto (south west of Johannesburg), is the actual home in which Nelson Mandela lived before his imprisonment. Today, visitors can be guided round the home by long-time inhabitants of the township, and learn about him via some of the actual items once owned by Mandela. The modestly-sized building is one of the most popular attractions in Soweto, and a great insight into a great mind.
Another significant Joburg attraction is the Apartheid Museum. The history of the establishment is interesting as the South African government began to allow casinos that must stimulate tourism in 1995. The museum was initially to be attached to Gold Reef City Casino, as Freedom Park, but as the project developed the name changed to Apartheid Museum – which itself stimulated some controversy as the trademark for this phrase was already owned. It opened in 2001, and tells the story of Apartheid and 20th Century Africa.
Similarly, MuseuMAfrica (formerly Africaner Museum) also deals with the history of South Africa. The museum was founded in 1933 on the site of the old fruit and vegetable market in Newtown. The Johannesburg library acquired a large amount of African books and materials and decided to display them, over the years expanding to all areas of African culture. Its name changed to MuseuMAfrica after Apartheid, and was subsequently refurbished.
For those with more of an artistic appetite, Johannesburg Art Gallery is situated in Joubert Park. The gallery has 15 halls and a sculpture garden, and contains local and international art spanning five centuries. It opened to the public in 1910, after much of the initial collection had been shown in London, and in the 1980s had a major extension to include the North Façade and galleries. Today, the gallery has major ties with community projects from the surrounding area.

Article Source: TravelFreeGuides.com

About the Author

Sarah Maple writes about travel, places, city breaks and package holidays.

by: Sarah Maple

Total views: 15 Word Count: 395 Date: Sat, 7 Mar 2009 Time: 9:52 PM - 2 comments

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