Noon Day Gun
Cape Town
Those not expecting the almighty cannon blast of the Noon Day Gun may get a bit of a fright, but this is a daily tradition that has been taking place since 1806. The daily noon gun is now Cape Town’s oldest living tradition and the two guns used are the oldest guns in daily use in the world.
The cannons were initially fired from the Imhoff Battery near the Castle of Good Hope in the city centre, but were moved to Lion Battery on Signal Hill in 1902. These same guns are still in use today and are loaded every day by the South African Navy at about 11h30 with 3,1kg of gunpowder. Visitors are welcome to watch the presentation – and it’s a good opportunity to take in the views of the city and Atlantic Seaboard from the vantage point of Signal Hill.
