Kramat of Sheikh Suleiman (Bainskloof)
| Kramat of Sheikh Sulaiman | |
|---|---|
The tomb of Sheikh Sulaiman at Bainskloof in 2025 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Islam |
| Province | Western Cape |
| Region | Western Cape |
| Year consecrated | Late 17th century |
| Status | Active pilgrimage site |
| Location | |
| Location | Bainskloof Pass, Wellington Western Cape, South Africa |
| Municipality | Drakenstein Local Municipality |
| Country | South Africa |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Kramat |
| Shrine(s) | 1 |
The Kramat of Sheikh Sulaiman is a historic Muslim shrine (kramat) located near the summit of the Bainskloof Pass in Wellington, Western Cape, South Africa. It is the burial place of Sheikh Sulaiman, a 17th-century political exile from the Indonesian archipelago who played a key role in the early spread of Islam in South Africa.
History
Sheikh Sulaiman (also spelled Sulayman or Sulieman), sometimes referred to as Sheikh Sulaiman al-Tuwwaib, was a nobleman and Islamic scholar from the island of Sumatra or Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). He was exiled to the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the latter part of the 1600s for political and religious reasons.[1]
Along with other exiled imams and Sufi scholars such as Tuan Guru and Sheikh Yusuf of Makassar, Sheikh Sulaiman was among the earliest conveyors of Islam to southern Africa. He was initially imprisoned and later permitted to live in the Cape interior, where he continued to teach and guide a small Muslim community.
The Kramat
The shrine, situated along the scenic Bainskloof Pass overlooking the Limietberg mountains, is marked by a tomb on the mountain terrain.[2]
The Kramat is part of the well-known Circle of Kramats—a spiritual ring of shrines around Cape Town believed by many local Muslims to act as a protective spiritual barrier over the region.[3]
Pilgrims regularly visit the shrine for prayer, supplication, and remembrance (dhikr). The area is maintained by local Muslim caretakers and remains a site of religious and historical significance.
Access
The shrine is located off the R301 road on the Bainskloof Pass near Wellington. The site is accessible via a short walking trail and features signage explaining its religious and historical context.
See also
References
- ^ "Circle of Tombs". Awqaf SA. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ "Kramats of South Africa". Kramats of South Africa. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
- ^ Jaffer, Shafiq Morton (2018). The Kramats of the Western Cape. Cape Town: Awqaf SA.