Oct 164 min read

Golden Heritage

I once visited a place distinct beyond the rest, a special space where countless memories are retraced, through the lenses of those once known as the finest, now silently existing as the essence of extinguished flames. And the building in discussion, where all histories treasures are displayed, is "The Uganda Museum". With origins traced from the Latin word “museum” which comes from the Greek term “mouseion”, which refers to a sanctuary dedicated to the Muses, the goddesses of arts and sciences (Duncan, 1995). My lecturer once described this space as a historical zone; defined with forms and lines, monumentally curved with turns and curves, colorfully radiating calms and grounds, emotionally eluding saddened waves of laughter, sculptural tuned like paintings and sculptures, and skillfully embroidered with artisan hues and textures. At that time, his narratives about this place aroused curiosity in me that I eventually made plans to visit the Uganda museum.

The journey to the Uganda museum was abstract as far as I remember, dwelling entirely on my dad's geographical insights I firmly held to; just like the start of a beautiful adventure. Within an hours drive I had reached my destination and I stood outside the Uganda museum premises, eagerly waiting to discover what awaited me. A few minutes later, my journey from the main entrance transcended through the paved walkways into the beautiful landscaping that aligned with the circulation spaces radiating numerous arms that led scenarios emanating pleasant sights. Surrounded with skillfully crafted sculptural artifacts curved in concrete, their, themes conveyed narratives with tales of struggle and lamentation; silently whispering courage and bravery at their core.

I turned and took a glimpse at the exterior facade of the Uganda museum. My mind rushed to judge since it does not look like what it conveys. I would mistakenly call it an office block or an institution based on the arrangement and colour schemes used. With tedious volumetric play with highs and lows, repetition of lines, forms and more, the structure all reclaimed its place. The exterior finish was dull from the start with an outstanding stone wall, an attempt to improve the structural aesthetics.

For a public building such as the museum, it's entrance was quite hidden, making it more profound could define it’s entry better in order to avert any potential confusion for visitors. Once inside, the reception had a outstanding reception, with artifacts adorned in the background which made that space vibrant.

While at the reception, payments were made as my eyes paced around, since all seemed new. Interestingly, I sighted a floor plan of the uganda museum, artfully displayed against a backdrop of serene pale white, a hue typically associated with purity and coolness, a sentiment that seems incongruous with the ambiance one would expect within a museum setting.

With the help of a tour guide, culture, traditions, place and emotions became alive. Through storytelling, each part of history definitely got its place. These tales define freedom, reveal bravery, whisper identity; our roots with lineages as far as needless trace.

Through this entire learning expedition, I could tell that Uganda's identity lies in its past; a lifelong journey that dates back through the boundless timeline. Indeed, it's a historic rudiment, no forsaken achievement, a monumental treasure at heart, where we remember our forsaken predecessors, all no more but retraced in the archives of black and white.

As the saying goes, old is gold, quoted from the Oxford dictionary of proverbs, this is what I consider the Ugandan museum to be. Established in1908, it's the oldest museum in East Africa, this makes the Uganda museum suit it's purpose just like the history it is. Memories, memories, it exhumes each passing day: just like a family album, encrypted with unique photos experienced immensely.radiating a beautiful symphony of great memories of our land, our dreams, and our people with cultures so deep.

Firmly rooted beyond the core's reach: religion, culture, and politics dominate with mighty arms, binding it with beauty thrice as charming on brotherhood terms, established before our time.

The Uganda museum shelters beginnings, origins traced from folktales and legends, out of which traditions were born and cultures nurtured, making way for diverse customs, beliefs, and norms to distinguish each race. Though subjected to radical change from time to time and unnecessary setbacks, we will always be drawn back to its sites, our origins, where we truly belong. Now, confined in multiple planes of glass, a defined boundary linking now and the past, we move from place to place, seeking knowledge at every stage, experiencing what the past felt like in this modern era.

The Uganda museum was set aside to honor our precious past and usher in today; yesterday's past. It is a place where "a picture is worth a thousand words”, a phrase used to describe the power of imagination in relation to the verbal descriptions or simply stated, there are countless meanings attached to a picture when viewed by diverse people (Barnard, 1927). This entire experience churned me through a poetic maneuver, a sentiment I failed to articulate once the indoor exploration was done.

After a thorough tour of the the interior space, we were led outside to the exterior space. A small drift to wards the center, got us an overall view of the traditional homesteads. I could tell that these structures gazed at me from the birds view point, though that justifies the human scale to building ratio. Although they portrayed an almost similar exterior facade, they exhibited extremely naturally cool and comfortable spaces that can be incorporated in today's building settings.

At the end of this tour, I had attained more insights; in terms of history, buildings, cultures, norms but not to mention.

As I conclude, with Uganda now at 62 years and two days, everyone celebrates. This is history in the making and I was part of it once again.

Photos: Memorial collage