Kramats of the Cape · Deer Park, below Table Mountain
Sayed Abdul Haq
Also remembered as Sayed Abdul Haq al-Qadri
A Qadiri sheikh buried beside a mountain stream at the foot of Table Mountain, one of five graves along its banks.
The forest at the foot of Table Mountain, now called Deer Park, once gave shelter to people escaping slavery. At least five graves lie along the mountain stream that runs through it. Oral sources name them as Sayed Abdul Haq al-Qadri, Sayed Jabaar, Sayed Muhammad Haq al-Qadri, Sayed Muhammad and Sayed Mohammad Illahie.
It is said that the grave of Sayed Abdul Haq was found by a woman who did her washing at the stream and often saw a man praying at the spot. Little else is known of him except that he belonged to the Qadiri tariqa.
To reach the shrine from the Deer Park side, you cross the stream and follow a path laid with mountain stones to five red steps. They lead to a platform with the grave at its centre, inside an ornate rail. The shrine has no roof. A palm tree stands beside it, and the face of Table Mountain rises behind. The care his followers give the place shows in its condition.
Sources: Guide to the Kramats of the Western Cape, Cape Mazaar (Kramat) Society (1996; third impression 2010).