Baha’i Temple Kampala

The Baha'i House of Worship on Kikaaya Hill is the mother temple of the Baha'i faith in Africa. It was announced in 1955, its foundation stone was laid on 26 January 1957, and it was dedicated in January 1961. The design is by Charles Mason Remey, finalised in Haifa under Shoghi Effendi, then head of the faith. Construction ran from 1958 to 1961. Like all Baha'i temples it has nine sides, a reference to the oneness and unity at the heart of Baha'i teaching, and it is open to people of every religion.

The building rises more than 39 metres, topped by a green dome over 37 metres high and about 13 metres across, covered in mosaic tiles from Italy. The lower roof uses tiles from Belgium, and the windows set into the walls are of green, pale blue and amber glass made in Germany. Timber and stone for the doors, benches and walls came from within Uganda. Its foundations reach 3 metres below ground as a protection against earthquakes. Inside, the hall seats around 800 people and is kept simple and quiet.

For many visitors the grounds are as much of a draw as the temple. The property covers more than 52 acres, with lawns, flowerbeds and fruit trees linked by paved paths, and a guest house and administrative centre set apart from the temple. Families and couples come at weekends to sit on the grass or have a quiet picnic, and the hilltop gives open views across the north of the city.

Keep voices low near the temple and inside it, and dress respectfully. Photography of the exterior and gardens is generally fine, but ask before taking pictures inside. An hour is enough to see the temple, though you may want longer in the gardens on a fine afternoon, and the lawns are a calm break from the traffic of central Kampala.

Kikaaya Hill is about 7 km north of the city centre and a taxi or boda boda is the easiest way there. The temple fits well into a day on the northern side of Kampala with Ndere Cultural Centre in Ntinda or the Namugongo shrines further east.