Fort Namutoni
Namibia, Etosha National Park

Namutoni Fort, declared Namibian National Monument in 1950, is located in the northern part of the country, on the eastern border of Etosha National Park. Namutoni was built in 1897 by the colonial authorities of German South-West Africa as a veterinary checkpoint on the northern border of its possessions. The cattle plague epidemic that broke out at the end of the 19th century in the northern regions of Namibia (on the territory of the Ovambo tribes) destroyed entire herds and caused enormous economic damage to the country. The task of the veterinary post was to prevent uncontrolled passage of sick animals through the so-called "red line" - the border separating the infected territory from the central and southern regions of Namibia. The Namutoni checkpoint initially consisted of several reed huts, and the garrison consisted of an officer, an orderly, and two soldiers. Fort Namutoni became in 1903, it was at this time that the first fortified building was built on the site of the veterinary station. The fort was used as a frontier post, which prevented the smuggling of weapons and spirits across the border. In 1904, a revolt of Herero (the indigenous population of Namibia) broke out in the country against the German colonial regime, which was supported by the northern Ovambo tribes. About 500 well-armed soldiers attacked Fort Namutoni, whose garrison at that time consisted of 7 soldiers. Under the cover of night, the garrison left the fort, and the next day it was destroyed and burned by the rebels. The fort was rebuilt by the Germans in 1905 and was a fortress with four towers and three gates. Soon, Namutoni lost its military significance and in 1912 was transferred to the police department to place a police station in it. During the First World War, a British military base was located in the fort, and in 1915 for a short time it was occupied by South African troops. For almost half a century, Fort Namutoni stood in a dilapidated state, in 1950, restoration work was begun in order to create a tourist camp for visitors arriving in the Etosha National Park. In 1957, Namutoni Fort opened its doors to visitors - there is a tourist information center, a small museum, a camping and Namutoni Camp hotel, two restaurants, a bar and shops on its territory.

Related Tour Objects