Once a prison housing Nelson Mandela, today Robben Island is a living museum and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A series of exhibits, some in Mandela's former cell, trace and interpret the emotions and conditions of prisoners during apartheid.
The prison was opened as a museum in 1996 and the cell in which Mandela was held before his release (number three) has been preserved as an exhibit. Other displays give an insight into what life was like for inmates within the prison walls, while art installations interpret the emotions of visitors and prisoners.
Conditions on the island were harsh, with forced labour in the limestone and bluestone quarries a requisite for all prisoners. However, the quarry did act as an essential meeting place for inmates to discuss politics and resistance.