Bahá'í House of Worship

One of only eight Bahá'í Houses of Worship in the world, on a quiet hill above the city

The Bahá'í House of Worship on Kikaya Hill is a genuine architectural surprise — a white nine-sided temple set in quiet gardens above the city, with views across Kampala in several directions. It is one of only eight continental Bahá'í temples in the world, and the only one in Africa. The building is open to anyone for prayer and meditation, regardless of religion.

The gardens are well maintained and peaceful, a contrast to the noise of the city below. The hill location means you need a taxi or boda-boda to get there, but the ride takes only about 20 minutes from the centre. Worth combining with the Uganda Museum if you want a quiet half-day away from the city's main circuit.

things to do sight
A story
The Kampala Bahá'í Temple, inaugurated in 1961, was the first Bahá'í House of Worship on the African continent. Its nine sides and central dome follow the standard Bahá'í architectural pattern, but the building is surfaced in white cement with a distinctive lace-like screen pattern that makes it look almost like folded paper from a distance. The architect was Charles Mason Remey, who later broke from the Bahá'í Faith — an irony that the temple's custodians prefer not to dwell on.