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Buildings and Structures

Kasubi Tombs

Monuments, Towers and Commemorative Structures

The Kasubi Tombs are the burial grounds of four kabakas, or kings, of the Buganda kingdom, on Kasubi Hill in Kampala, Uganda. The site was originally built in 1882 as a palace for Kabaka Muteesa I and converted into his tomb after his death in 1884, and it remains an active spiritual and political center for the Buganda kingdom today. Its principal structure, the Muzibu Azaala Mpanga, is a large domed building constructed in traditional Ganda vernacular technique, with a timber frame supporting walls and a roof of wood, reed and thatch rather than stone or fired brick. Recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of achievement built purely of vegetal materials, the tomb was destroyed by a fire in 2010 and has since been the subject of an ongoing traditional reconstruction using the same building methods.

Facts
Building Type
Royal tomb complex (thatched dome structure) 2
Location
Kampala, Uganda 2
Completed Year
1882 2
Built as a royal palace in 1882 by Kabaka Muteesa I; converted into the royal burial ground on his death in 1884.
Height (m)
7.5 2
Classification
Standing StatusSourced to the subject's own account
Under Construction or Never Completed 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)Sourced to the subject's own account
Monument 1
Connections

Has Building Type

Monument, Concepts

In Style

Traditional Architecture, Styles and Movements
Source Kasubi Tombs (Wikipedia)

Uses Element

Thatch, Architectural Materials
Source Kasubi Tombs (Wikipedia)
Timber, Architectural Materials
Source Kasubi Tombs (Wikipedia)
Wattle and Daub, Architectural Materials
Source Kasubi Tombs (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases

Located In

Uganda

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Source Wikipedia
Sources
1. Kasubi Tombs (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Wikipedia "Kasubi Tombs" intro (read live, w-fk-arch-rel2-0927c, R-K)
  • Kasubi Tombs, Architecture section
    constructed from wooden poles, reed wattle and daub, topped by a thick thatched dome
  • Lead section
    The Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, Uganda, is the site of the burial grounds for four kabakas (kings of Buganda) and other members of the Baganda royal family.
  • Kasubi Tombs, History section
    a royal palace built in 1882 by Muteesa I
  • Kasubi Tombs, Architecture section, interior height sentence
    7.5 metres (25 ft) high
  • Uses Element: Timber, Wikipedia article
    It was originally constructed from wooden poles, reed wattle and daub, topped by a thick thatched dome, with straw resting on 52 rings of palm fronds (representing the 52 traditional clans of the Baganda people).
  • Uses Element: Wattle and Daub, Wikipedia article
    It was originally constructed from wooden poles, reed wattle and daub, topped by a thick thatched dome, with straw resting on 52 rings of palm fronds (representing the 52 traditional clans of the Baganda people).
  • Uses Element: Thatch, Wikipedia article
    It was originally constructed from wooden poles, reed wattle and daub, topped by a thick thatched dome, with straw resting on 52 rings of palm fronds (representing the 52 traditional clans of the Baganda people).
  • In Style: Traditional Architecture, Lead
    As a result, the site remains an important spiritual and political site for the Ganda people, as well as an important example of traditional architecture.
View the Source
2. Wikipedia
Wikimedia Foundation
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