The Living Museum of the Damara

The Living Museum of the Damara is situated about 10 km north of the famous Twyfelfontein rock engravings site directly at the D2612. It is the first traditional Damara project in Namibia and the only one of its kind. The possibility to experience the traditional Damara culture in this form exists nowhere else in Namibia or in the world.

Unique experience of historic Damara culture
Together with the Bushmen the Damara belong to the oldest nations in Namibia. Their original culture was a mixture of an archaic hunter-gatherer culture and herders of cattle, goats and sheep. Due to their loose social structures the Damara were not able to defend themselves against aggressors during the colonization of Namibia. 

Lost culture of the Damara
Within the framework of the Living Museum of the Damara an attempt was made to reconstruct the ‚lost culture’ of the Damara. Here the visitors have the unique opportunity to get to know the fascinating traditional culture of the Damara, thus contributing to the preservation of the culture as well as to a regular income for the Damara community that built the museum.

For more information please contact us at 

info@namibiareservations.com

www.namibiareservations.com

Cultural experiences in Namibia

Namibia is one of our favourite places for cultural experiences in Africa. Despite having one of the world's lowest population densities, we've found some of our best experiences here, and have really enjoyed the opportunity of getting to know people of a radically different cultural background.

People
Eleven ethnic groups make up the majority of the population, which is overall around two million people, with each tribe contributing its own traditions to the core of Namibian culture. The population is youthful, with 44 percent aged fourteen and under and only 4 percent aged older than 65. About 60 percent live in the far north, where rainfall is sufficient for grain farming.

The oldest inhabitants, the San, are known to be great storytellers and love music, dance and mimicry.

The Nama of the south have a tradition of prose and poetry and a natural talent for music.

 Eight Owambo sub-tribes reside in Namibia, the largest being the Kwanyama. One of the interesting features of the traditional Owambo social system is that lineage is traced through the mother and through maternal ancestors

The Herero are a pastoral cattle-breeding people. Herero women wear Victorian-style dresses adapted from the wives of Rhenish missionaries.

The Himba women (of Herero descent) rub their bodies with a mixture of red ochre and fat, wear traditional body ornaments and garments, and have hairstyles that correspond to their age, sex and social status.

Language
Most Namibians speak Bantu languages like Oshiwambo and Otjiherero as their first language. Others speak Khoisan languages (Nama/Damara and various Bushman languages). Afrikaans is the most widely spoken language, which became popular as a common language during occupation. German is spoken by most of the white population. However, English is the official language, and is mainly spoken by young people and urban dwellers.

For more information please contact us at: 

info@namibiareservations.com

www.namibiareservations.com