Kome Caves

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The Kome Cave Dwellings Kome Cave Dwellings (Ha Kome) in Lesotho - 2384-pano.jpg
The Kome Cave Dwellings

The Kome Caves are a group of cave dwellings made out of mud in the district of Berea, Lesotho 25 km east of Teyateyaneng. [1] [2] The caves are still inhabited by the descendants of the original people who built the caves. [3] The site has been classified as a National Heritage Site. [1]

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The Kome Cave Dwellings Kome Cave Dwellings (Ha Kome) in Lesotho - 2382.jpg
The Kome Cave Dwellings
A woman sitting in front of the caves Kome Cave Dwellings (Ha Kome) in Lesotho - 2386.jpg
A woman sitting in front of the caves

History

The Kome Cave Dwellings were built and protected by Chief Teleka of The Basia(cat) Clan in the early 19th century. [4] The main purpose for the cave dwellings was to serve as a hideout from adversaries during the drought in the late 18th century. [5] The name of Ha Kome comes from the Kome family in the Basia tribe, the first inhabitants of the cave. [2]

Location

The Kome Cave Dwellings are located in the Berea District about a half an hours drive from Teyateyaneng, the capital of the Berea District, and an hours drive from Maseru, the capital of the Maseru District and Lesotho. The geographical coordinates are S 29° 14′ 38.2 E 027° 52′ 00.2. It is 21 km from Blue Mountain Inn, a three star hotel in Teyateyaneng. [6]

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Geography of Lesotho

Lesotho is a mountainous, landlocked country located in Southern Africa. It is an enclave, surrounded by South Africa. The total length of the country's borders is 909 kilometres (565 mi). Lesotho covers an area of around 30,355 square kilometres (11,720 sq mi), of which a negligible percentage is covered with water.

Maseru Capital and largest city of Lesotho

Maseru is the capital and largest city of Lesotho. It is also the capital of the Maseru District. Located on the Caledon River, Maseru lies directly on the Lesotho–South Africa border. Maseru had a population of 330,760 in the 2016 census. The city was established as a police camp and assigned as the capital after the country became a British protectorate in 1869. When the country achieved independence in 1966, Maseru retained its status as capital. The name of the city is a Sesotho word meaning "red sandstones".

Districts of Lesotho

The Kingdom of Lesotho is divided into ten districts, each headed by a district administrator. Each district has a capital known as a camptown. The districts are further subdivided into 80 constituencies, which consist of 129 local community councils. Most of the districts are named after their capitals. Hlotse, the capital of Leribe District is also known as Leribe. Conversely, the Berea District is sometimes called Teyateyaneng, based on its capital.

Berea District District in Lesotho

Berea is a district of Lesotho. In the west, Berea borders on the Free State Province of South Africa. Domestically, it borders on the following districts: Leribe District in the north, Thaba-Tseka District in southeast and Maseru District in the south. Teyateyaneng is the capital of the district. It is also home to the Kome Cave Dwellings. It is also the only district in Lesotho which is not named after its capital.

Maseru District District of Lesotho

Maseru is a district of Lesotho. Maseru is also the name of the district's capital, and is the only city in the district and also the capital of the country. It is the largest urban area in the country, and therefore the only city. The city of Maseru is located on Lesotho's western border with the Free State Province of South Africa, the frontier being the Caledon River. Maseru borders on Berea District in north, Thaba-Tseka District in the east, Mohale's Hoek District in south, and Mafeteng District in southwest.

Mokhotlong

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A camptown, in the country of Lesotho, refers to a district capital for one of the ten districts of Lesotho. The largest camptown is the city of Maseru in Maseru District. Camptowns are usually commerce hubs for the district and are the location for the central government offices for the district. Camptowns usually take the same name as the district in which they are located. For example, as mentioned the camptown for Maseru is Maseru but also the camptown for Thaba-Tseka District is Thaba-Tseka. The exceptions to this rule are Berea District whose capital is called Teyateyaneng, Quthing District whose capital is called Moyeni and Leribe District whose capital is most often called Hlotse.

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Kanana is a community council located in the Berea District of Lesotho. Its population in 2006 was 19,311.

Motanasela is a community council located in the Berea District of Lesotho. Its population in 2006 was 19,817.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Kome Caves". www.golesotho.co.za. Retrieved 2019-04-02.
  2. 1 2 "Developing Heritage and cultural tourism in Lesotho: the case of Ha Kome cave village" (PDF).
  3. "Kome Caves".
  4. "Kome Village Caves: A traditional relic to preserve". Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2013-09-07.
  5. "The Lesotho Embassy in The United States".
  6. "Kome Caves".