Southern Africa
Discover Ha Kome cave-dwelling exteriors, Maletsunyane Falls, Mokorotlo Building, Maseru and more.
Explore 5 illustrated places, read the stories behind them and look closer on the globe.
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cultural places
Ha Kome is known for homes built into a natural rock shelter in Lesotho's Berea district. The plastered fronts, curved doorways and sheltered forecourt show how buildings can work with an existing cliff. The caves remain a lived cultural place, with descendants of the families associated with the settlement still connected to it.
landforms
Maletsunyane Falls is one of Lesotho's best-known mountain landmarks. The river drops into a steep rocky bowl before continuing through the gorge. Dark cliff faces and green slopes make the narrow white waterfall stand out across the valley.
architecture
The Mokorotlo building takes its shape from the traditional Basotho hat. Its broad thatched cone, looped crown and circular walls connect a practical urban building with a familiar national symbol. Lesotho's government highlights the building as a place associated with local souvenirs and craft.
Source: Government of Lesotho
architecture
Our Lady of Victories is the cathedral of the Catholic archdiocese in Maseru. Its local sandstone gives the building a warm colour, while square bell towers and narrow windows make a restrained monumental front. The nave continues behind with repeated arched openings.
mountains
Sehlabathebe forms the Lesotho part of the Maloti-Drakensberg World Heritage property. Sandstone arches, rock pools and cliffs sit within a varied mountain environment. The wider property also preserves San rock paintings, linking its natural forms with a long cultural history that should be interpreted with respect for the people who made them.
Source: UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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