“Robben Island remains one of South Africa’s most treasured national heritage sites, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. While this temporary closure may disrupt some plans ...

Nelson Mandela and former U.S. President Bill Clinton look to the outside from Mandela's Robben Island prison cell in Cape Town, South Africa, in this photo from March 27, 1998.

The Robben Island Museum was started in the early 1990s as South Africa achieved political freedom and was setting out to reinvent itself. It was a highly symbolic part of the once-in-generation ...

He subsequently declared the entire island military property. Between 1936 and 1960, Robben Island played a significant role in South Africa’s military history.

Nelson Mandela and former U.S. President Bill Clinton look to the outside from Mandela's Robben Island prison cell in Cape Town, South Africa, in this photo from March 27, 1998.

Bidding was expected to begin at $250,000. Mandela was held at Robben Island prison for 18 of his 27 years behind bars in South Africa.