I've spent much time at Antoniesgat; not because its history is still being written, revised and embellished, but because it's a remarkably beautiful, rugged, and isolated spot. Reached from the Rookrantz parking area (heading north) or Buffels Bay (heading south), it comprises the start of the orange and red sea cliffs leading to Da Gama Peak and Cape Point. Both approaches from the main path are marked as being dangerous, but knowledge of the area makes them less so.
The stories surrounding Antoniesgat originate in Dutch colonial history, eighteenth-century slavery, and the nearby Simon's Town Muslim community. In 2007, Martin Weltz's noseweek turned its investigative reportage to the War of the Red Kitaab.
"She was born Juleigha Anthony, a daughter of what she claims is the oldest Muslim family in Simon's Town. She says her granny used to tell a spook story involving a slave ancestor named Antonie, brought to Simon's Town in chains by the Dutch and locked in a dungeon. According to legend, Antonie escaped, stole a boat and sailed away to Cape Point, where he took refuge in a cave. The Dutch could never catch him, because he was a Sufi mystic who could make himself invisible. As a child, she was taken to his hideout, which the family called Antoniesgat. Powerful spirits seemed to lurk nearby ...”
"Circa 2001, Juleigha met Ebrahiem for the first time. Prior to this, Ebrahiem had never heard of Antonie, but he liked the story, especially the bit about escaping from Dreaded Slave Dungeons. He put two and two together and decided that Antonie and Prince Ismail of Sumbawa were probably the same person. His grounds for this are somewhat shaky. We do not know that Antonie really existed, and Prince Ismail is also shrouded in mystery. Ebrahiem says the oral history of Sumbawa mentions such a man but his name does not appear in the records of the Dutch East India Company, which is odd. The Dutch usually made quite a fuss of royal exiles, providing a stipend that enabled them to maintain a dignified lifestyle.
But Ebrahiem was not concerned about the lack of corroboration, because the oral histories of oppressed people are just as valid as records kept by imperialists, not so?"
more ...
No matter how intricately woven the colourful web of suppositions surrounding Antoniesgat may become, nothing can detract from its unspoilt natural beauty and isolation. In this last sense, it is indeed a "spiritual" place.
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