The picturesque hills, with their recognizable flat tops, are a landmark in the Northern Cape Province and a feature of Carnarvon that attracts thousands of visitors each year. Tourists are swept away on a journey of history, hospitality, architecture and natural wonder on arrival in Carnarvon, as it is a town filled with noteworthy attractions. The exhibits cover the cultural history of the region.
To explore the colorful history of Carnarvon, visitors are recommended to stroll through the Carnarvon Museum, or discover the magnificence of the Corbelled Houses with their extraordinary cement mixtures, domed roofs and earth floors.
In the Carnarvon district many of the old corbelled houses can be seen, as well as remnants of the forts built during the Anglo Boer war. Next to the museum in Hanau street an original corbelled house can be seen. The corbelled houses were built completely out of stone, as wood for trusses was unobtainable. Indigenous trees are very scarce in the Karoo.
The cement was a mixture of chaff and soil mixed with water and kneaded to the correct texture. Anthills were used for their lime, an excellent binding agent. Floors were smeared earth coloured, a rich red by a mixture of fat and oxblood polished with a smooth stone.
Visitors to the museum can see exhibits that cover the cultural history of the region.
