Bahai Temple

Are you looking for a destination for Faith-based tourism while at the same time experience other tourist attractions? Uganda is a home to the magnificent Bahai Temple within the African continent. This wonderful Temple was built in 1958 and currently sits on around 22 acres piece of land. Nestled on top of Kikaya Hill, approximately 7 kilometers along Gayaza road in Kampala (Uganda’s Capital City) is the dorm-shaped structure known to be Bahai Temple.

Bahai Temple is over 39 meters (130 feet) high and more than 100 meters in diameter at its base and has a dome made up of lace-like tiles, rising over 37 meters (124 feet) and 13 meters (44 feet) in terms of diameter. Its foundation measures 3 meters (10 feet) at its underground to safeguard it from Earthquakes.  Its dome is green in color and was constructed with mosaic tiles believed to be from Italy whereas the Roof tiles were imported from Belgium.

The beautiful walls of Bahai Temple are made out of precast stone quarried and acquired in Uganda. The Colored glasses at the wall panels were imported from Germany and the timber for the doors and sits were acquired from forests in Uganda. The Architectural design was done by Charles Mason Remey and the foundation stone was laid in January 1958 and allegedly completed on the 13^th January 1961.

When you just step the premises of this Temple, you will be welcomed by the sights and sounds, mostly the verdant beauty and neatness of the area. It is an exceptional structure whose architectural designs took time and building materials acquired from all over the World giving it a global and classic touch.

Bahai Temple works as a religious center where people visit to worship or tourists who visit to just relax and admire the beauty of the area. Most interestingly, its location on top of the Hills offers breathtaking views of the surrounding Kampala suburbs such as Kamwokya, Ntinda, Kalerwe and beyond. Its gardens are well maintained by committed workers and are open to everyone who desires to relish its beautiful designs and to pray.

There are a number of trees within the gardens and these act as haven to more than 80 species of birds making it an important birding spot while on a Kampala City Tour. Some of the common species within the Bahai Temple include the Marico Sunbird, the Wahlberg’s Eagle, Crowned Hornbill, Speckled Mousebird, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Red billed Firefinch, Red-eyed Dove, Red eyed Dove, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Double toothed Barbet, the Grey woodpecker, Common Bulbul, African Green Pigeon, Pied Crow, Palmnut Vulture, Ruppell’s Long-tailed Starling, Woodland Kingfisher, Pied Crow, Grey Parrot, Red Cheeked Cordon bleu, the Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, African green Pigeon, Bronze Mannikin, White-browed Robin chat , Tropical Boubou, Black Kite, African Citril, Grey-backed Camaroptera, Speckled Mousebird, White-browed Robin-chat, Eastern Grey Plantain Eater, Ring-necked dove, African Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Bronze Sunbird, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Grey Woodpecker, Double-toothed Barbet, Variable Sunbird, Cattle Egret, Yellow-billed Kite, Brown Parrot, Levaillant’s (Stripped) Cuckoo, Stripped Kingfisher, African Thrush, Grey-headed Negrofinch, Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu, Fork tailed Drongo, Green-headed Sunbird, Tambourine Dove, Ross’ Turaco, Hadada Ibis, Sacred Ibis, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Yellow White-eye, Purple Starling, Blue spotted Wood-dove, Red-billed Firefinch, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Scarlet chested Sunbird, Great blue Turaco, African hobby, Woodland Kingfisher, Willows Warbler (Migrant from Russia during winter), Little Swifts, Lizard Buzzard, Black-headed Gonolek, Brown-crowned Tchagrin, the Laughing Dove and many others.

In conclusion, the Bahai Temple is an important religious center for the Bahai Faith as well as being an important Birding area in Kampala with the common species being the Wahlberg’s Eagle, Crowned Hornbill, Speckled Mousebird, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Red billed Firefinch, Red-eyed Dove and Red eyed Dove among others.