The Muslim cemetery Tana Baru (meaning 'New Ground'), where some of the earliest and most respected Muslim settlers of South Africa were buried, was closed in terms of the Public Health Act No. 4 of 1883.
Following the granting of religious freedom to Muslims in 1804, the Batavian government granted the first piece of land for a Muslim cemetery - Tana Baru - to Frans van Bengalen on October 02, 1805.
Despite its closure, the Tana Baru, situated in the Bo-Kaap (Malay Quarter), has always been regarded as the most hallowed of Muslim cemeteries in Cape Town. Three prominent early Cape Muslim Imams, namely Tuan Nuruman, Tuan Sayeed Alawse and Tuan Guru lie buried on the Tana Baru grounds and shrines have been erected to honour them.
Tana Baru, 2014
This Day in History: January 15, 1886
Additional Date: January 15, 1886