Kolmanskop, the ghost town that the sandstorms swallowed

Kolmanskop is an abandoned village in , which was built during German rule in the area, around the end of the 19th century. Kolmanskop (or Kolmannskuppe) is an abandoned mine in Namibia, located in the Namib Desert, near the town of Lüderitz. It was founded in 1908, when diamonds were found in the area, and quickly developed into a prosperous community. Germany had dominance in Namibia and the city developed according to German architecture and infrastructure. The settlement was created when a worker, Zacharias Leoala, found a diamond and showed it to his supervisor, the German inspector of the Augusto Stack railway line. Realizing that the area was rich in diamonds, German miners built the small settlement to live and work in the area. Being German residents, they gave the village the architectural style of a German city with all amenities, created a hospital, dance hall, bowling hall, theatre, gym, casino, ice cream shop, installed the first X-ray machine in the southern hemisphere, as well as the first tram in Africa. With the escalation of World War II, the inhabitants of the village left the area, leaving behind the houses and buildings rot in the sun and the harsh elements of the desert. In the 1920s, diamond deposits were exhausted, and the area began to decline. Finally, Kolmanskop was abandoned in 1954. Since then, the winds of the Namib desert have gradually covered the houses and buildings with sand, creating an impressive and almost surreal landscape. The museum of Kolmanskop offers exhibitions about the history of the area and the diamond industry, while there are also tours that allow you to view the buildings in close proximity and learn more about their history. Kolmanskop is now a popular tourist destination, with visitors coming to see the ruins of the city and to learn about its history. The images of isolated buildings create a unique atmosphere. Kolmanskop is also known as the haunted city and attracts many visitors interested in the paranormal. In recent years, Namibian authorities and private investments have made efforts to preserve and restore certain buildings. It is possible to visit Kolmanskop with tours organized by the nearby town of Lüderitz or the visitor center of Kolmanskop.