You can now visit Nelson Mandela's prison...on Google

April 23, 2015 00:53

Robben Island has served many functions. Most famously, it was the political prison that housed Nelson Mandela, the deceased South African president, for 18 years. In the 19th century, it served as a hospital and leper colony. Today, Robben Island is a UNESCO heritage site, and the most visited landmark in South Africa.

And for the first time, you don't need a plane ticket to get there.

Today, Google Street View launched the most comprehensive online tour of Robben Island to date. This tour, however, is different. Unlike other Street View projects, the Robben Island Prison Tour is annotated by former political prisoner Vusumsi Mcongo, who acts as a virtual guide.

As users scroll through panoramic images of, say, the prison courtyard, Mcongo describes his days chiseling rock as part of his manual labour detail.

"The whole thing was to be able to tell a human story," says Google spokesperson Mich Atagana.

Read full story HERE.

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