Temple peacocks

Do you ever wonder where the peacocks around the St Georges Hospital and Settlers Park come from? How did they get there in the first place?  I have to be honest and say that I have never really thought about it until I recently visited the Shri Siva Subramanier Aulayam Temple in Upper Valley Road next to the Baakens Valley.  Peacocks are associated with the Hindu faith in various ways while the temple has a number of permanent peacock residents.  The…

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Dias Park

I wonder how many Port Elizabethans know that the grass area next to the Green Mosque in South End is called Bartholomeo Dias Park.  Perhaps you didn't know it but have seen the stone with the granite plaque?  The plaque contains the information of Dias' voyage. 

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The Green Mosque

Residents of Port Elizabeth all know the green mosque next to the Settlers Freewat.  The Masjied-Ul-Aziz, also known as as the Pier Street Mosque or Green Mosque, was officially opened in July 1901.  The mosque was destined to be destroyed by the declaration of the Group Areas Act to make way for a freeway off ramp, but the matter went to the United Nations where Islamic countries prevented its destruction.  The mosque remains in daily use as a place of…

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Shri Krishna Temple

I've driven past the Shri Siva Subramanier Aulayam Temple in Upper Valley Road many many times but only got to go inside for the first time not too long ago.  The temple was built between 1893 and 1901 by the Hindu community and was consecrated in 1901.  The complex actually has more than one temple with the one in the picture being the Shri Krishna Temple which was erected in memory of JV Valayden in 1961.  The guy who was supposed to…

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Sleeping feline

My sincerest apologies to those who follow both this blog as well as The Firefly Photo Files for the double post of this picture this week.  I've had a corrupt Windows files which meant that my hard drive crashed and its going to take a little bit of time to load all the programs again and then check to see which photos I haven't posted on the blogs.  Luckily all my original pictures are on my external hard drive. Phew.Anyhow, this big cuddle toy…

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Nativity Play

Its that time of the year when all little angels don their wings, wise men pick up their gifts, shepherds collect their sheep and mini Joseph and Mary head for the two chairs in the middle of the stage that represents Bethlehem.  Most pre-primary schools and Sunday schools stage a short nativity play this time of year at their end of year prize givings.  Everybody always tries something slightly different so that the kids don't feel like its always the…

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Church on the Hill

The Hill Presbytarian Church, as seen from the Donkin Reserve, is one of the iconic symbols of Port Elizabeth. It features in many pictures of the city that have been taken from below the hill or from the sea, from the 19th century to current times.

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The Mosque that stopped a freeway

This is Pier Street Mosque, now marooned on a patch of lawn between the harbour and the freeway.After forcibly removing the residents of South end in the early 70s, even the all-powerful Apartheid Government had to yield to a higher power over this.... and so our settlers freeway has a truncated offramp hanging in space, because they were not allowed to go ahead and demolish this mosque, which is considered to be on holy ground.

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Places of worship # ?

It's been a while since I remembered to post one in this series, so I have lost track of what number it is.... this is St Mary's Anglican Church down in the city centre. It has quite a checkered history, as it goes back to the very earliest days of Port Elizabeth. (And it is WAY too fascinating to stop at just 1 photo!)The town began in 1820 when boatloads of British Settlers arrived. Quoting from the historian Redgrave, who…

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