Cape Town’s Iziko Castle of Good Hope is South Africa’s oldest structure. Built between 1666 and 1979, it replaced an earlier clay-and-timber fort erected by Commander Jan van Riebeeck in 1652. The Castle overlooks the Grand Parade and is now a museum that also houses traditional Cape regiments and units of the National Defence Force. The restoration of the moat, which is a relatively recent addition to the Castle, was completed in 1999.

The original bell, cast in Amsterdam in 1697, still hangs in the belfry. The coat of arms of the United Netherlands can be seen on the pediment above the gate. The original staircase, built in 1695 as part of a defensive cross-wall, divided the square into an inner and outer court, and was remodelled between 1786 and 1790.