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Fortified Baobab tree Gallery


Title: Fortified Baobab tree

Description: This is an unusually large Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata), which had long been used as meeting point for trade, political discussion and cultural events of the indigenous Ngonde people. This tree is the subject of fables and legend, both African and European. One of the most popular tales concerns the use of the tree in the defense of the Commissioners Office during the 1914-18 First World War; local inhabitants recall that a canon was mounted in the tree, while weapons were stored in a large hollow chamber within the tree. At that time, the tree had brickwork lining the hollow interior and was probably the only fortified tree in the world. The tree is also associated with Mlozi's slave trade. LOCATION TBC

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