Robben Island · The Wall in the Middle of the Sea

Robben Island lies off the coast of Cape Town. It served first as a leper colony and a psychiatric hospital, and later as a prison; Mandela spent eighteen years here in a small cell.

On the island the isolation was provided by the sea: the water there is cold, the swell is heavy and there are sharks, so escape was nearly impossible. The cell windows face the quarry, where prisoners dug limestone; many were left with permanent damage to their eyes.

It is a museum now, and the tours are led by former political prisoners.

Historical Mysteries / Cape Town · South Africa / 1652