Welcome to Gitega, formerly Kitega, in the heart of Burundi. The city lies on the central plateau, about 62 kilometres east of Bujumbura, the largest city. Gitega was once the royal capital of the Kingdom of Burundi, until the monarchy was abolished in 1966. Then, in 2019, a vote in parliament made it the political capital once more, while Bujumbura remained the centre of commerce. Royal history is never far away here, from the national museum to an old royal court on a hilltop. Let's begin our visit.
National Museum of Gitega
Photo: Diego Tirira from Quito, Ecuador · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOur first stop is the National Museum of Gitega, the national museum of Burundi, founded under Belgian colonial rule in 1955. It was created to preserve objects from Burundian folk culture, which was fading as modern life changed society. Among its ethnographic and historical treasures are objects from the court of the Burundian monarchs. Here is a surprise: although it is the largest public museum in the country, its whole collection is displayed in a single room.
Gishora
About 7 kilometres north of Gitega, on top of Gishora Hill, lies a royal palace and royal field. It was founded by the Mwami, or King, Ntare Rugamba in the first half of the 19th century, after his victory over rebels. As you enter, the forecourt called Intangaro shelters the sanctuary of the sacred drums. Beyond lies the royal court with the royal residence, reserved only for the royal family. Before reaching it, visitors gathered at a public reception place called Inama. Gishora was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2007.
Christ the King Cathedral
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Tequendamia assumed (based on copyright cla · Public domain · Wikimedia CommonsHere stands Christ the King Cathedral, the seat of the Catholic Archdiocese of Gitega, which was created on 10 November 1959 by Pope John the Twenty-third. A notable moment in its history came on 5 September 1990, when Pope John Paul the Second visited during his tour of several African countries.
Karera waterfalls
Photo: Zamennest · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsOur journey ends in southeastern Burundi, south of Rutana, at the Karera Falls, a spectacular series of waterfalls covering more than 142 hectares. Six branches tumble down over three levels. On the first, a main fall splits into two parallel streams about 80 metres long, pouring into a basin, while a smaller fall lies some 50 metres to the west. The waters of these two meet on a second level to form a third waterfall that pours into the valley. The falls were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2007.
Lomakuume
