Kasubi Tombs

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Tombs of the Buganda kings in Kasubi
UNESCO world heritage UNESCO World Heritage Emblem
Kasubi tombs.JPG
The main building of the tombs October 2009, before the 2010 fire
National territory: UgandaUganda Uganda
Type: Culture
Criteria : i, iii, iv, vi
Surface: 27 ha
Reference No .: 1022
UNESCO region : Africa
History of enrollment
Enrollment: 2001  (session 25)
Red list : since 2010
Interior view of the main house with relics and portraits of the buried kabakas
Sketch of the plant
Stuffed leopard in the Kasubi Tombs

The Kasubi Tombs are the tomb and burial place of the kings ( kabakas ) of Buganda on Kasubi Hill in Kampala , the capital of Uganda . They are regarded as the union of the historical, religious and cultural values ​​of the nation and as the spiritual center of the Baganda . Nowhere else in the kingdom is religion so actively practiced as here. Also, the Kasubi Tombs are a good example of Baganda architecture.

The Kasubi toms are as since 2001 a World Heritage Site of UNESCO identified. They were largely destroyed in a fire in 2010 and have been on the Red List of World Heritage in Danger since then .

investment

The 30 hectare complex is a spiritual sanctuary for many Baganda people. The Kasubi Hill is divided into three areas:

  • the area of ​​the main grave in the west
  • an area with buildings and cemeteries behind
  • a large agricultural area in the east

The entire property is surrounded by a fence. The entrance to the main tomb and the site as a whole is a porter's house called Bujjabukula . Behind the gatehouse there is a forecourt with the Ndoga-Obukaba round house , in which the royal drums are kept. These consist of differently shaped, medium to large, single-headed tubular drums . There is also one of the few modern buildings in which tickets are sold. Both houses are hidden behind the fence. Behind it is the main courtyard, Olugya . This area is also enclosed with a fence. There is the main house with the royal tombs as well as nine other houses that were used by the wives and widows of the kings and for ritual purposes. Behind it is the area that was used for agricultural purposes and makes up the largest part of the facility. After the death of the kings, the land was divided among the widows.

history

In 1882 a palace for the Kabaka was built on Kasubi Hill, which was rededicated as a burial site in 1884 with the death of Kabakas Mutesa I. The central building is a dome-shaped round building made of reed grass with a diameter of 31 meters and a height of 12 meters. Inside are the graves of the four kabakas:

Because all four kings were buried in the same tomb, the Kasubi Tombs became an important shrine . This main tomb is called Muzibu-Azaala-Mpanga .

All princes and princesses who are descendants of one of the four kabakas were also buried there, that is, behind the main shrine. This made the place not only spiritually but also culturally important as the royal cemetery of the Buganda Kingdom.

Fire disaster

The main building of the Kasubi Tombs, the actual burial site, was destroyed by fire on the morning of March 16, 2010. According to the Ugandan Prime Minister John Bosco Walusimbi , the remains of the Kabakas remained intact in the fire. The cause of the fire is still unknown. The Kingdom of Buganda promised to conduct an independent investigation into the causes of the fire alongside the national police. During a joint appearance of the incumbent Kabaka by Buganda Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II and the Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on the scene, riots broke out among the numerous visitors, during which security forces shot two rioters and injured several. Relations between the Ugandan government and that of the Kingdom of Buganda, which had been strained since the unrest in September 2009, were again strained. The administration of the Kingdom of Buganda promised to rebuild the tomb with the support of the Ugandan government.

In May 2014, the reconstruction of the main house began using traditional building materials and methods.

Web links

Commons : Kasubi Tombs  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Buganda Bummu. buganda.or.ug
  2. ↑ http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/880846/-/wjple3/-/index.html
  3. ↑ http://www.eturbonews.com/14937/unesco-world-heritage-site-burns-down-kampala
  4. ↑ Joseph Maseruka: Kabakas still intact, says Katikkiro . In: New Vision , March 17th, 2010. Archived from the original on March 22nd, 2010 Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Retrieved July 29, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / newvision.co.ug 
  5. ^ Government to help restore Kasubi tombs . Uganda Media Center. March 17, 2010. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved March 17, 2010. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.mediacentre.go.ug
  6. ↑ UNESCO: Reconstruction of the Tombs of the Buganda Kings begins , May 13, 2014

Coordinates: 0 ° 19 ′ 43.9 ″  N , 32 ° 33 ′ 13.9 ″  E