The 52 rings of palm fronds of the Kasubi Tombs

The main hall of the Kasubi Tombs rises as a great dome spanning 31 metres in circumference. This mountain of wattle and daub rests upon 52 rings of palm fronds, each representing a clan of the Baganda people.

In 1882, the 35th Kabaka raised a palace to replace his father's throne, yet it became a tomb upon his passing. Though custom dictates a separate shrine for the jawbone to house the soul, these vaults hold four kings in a shared sleep. They rest behind a curtain of barkcloth in a sacred wood where the floor is paved with lemongrass and palm mats.

A fire descended upon the hill in March 2010. It destroyed major buildings and left the kingdom in a state of deep mourning. The flames were a mystery and a callous act that placed the heritage in peril. Yet the kingdom swore to restore the site. Through a fundraising campaign called Etofaali and government support, the structures were restored and the site was removed from the danger list in 2023.

Now the hill remains a farm of old ways. A gatehouse opens to a drum house where the royal drums are kept. The royal family dwells here among the houses of the wives, where widows tend the graves beneath the thatched dome.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons