Kolmanskop

Kolmanskop is an abandoned diamond-mining town in the Namib Desert near Lüderitz, established in the early 20th century and deserted after the richer diamond deposits of Oranjemund were opened in 1928. The town's German-built houses — hospitals, a ballroom, a skittles alley — have been slowly swallowed by drifting desert sand over the ensuing decades. Access to the restricted area requires a permit obtainable through the Lüderitz Museum, and morning light through the sand-filled rooms is prized for photography.