Basotho Hat Shop
| Basotho Hat Shop | |
|---|---|
Mokorotlo building | |
Interactive map of the Basotho Hat Shop area | |
| General information | |
| Type | Rondavel[1] |
| Architectural style | Novelty |
| Location | Kingsway Road, Maseru, Lesotho |
| Coordinates | 29°18′49″S 27°29′12″E / 29.31361°S 27.48667°E |
| Opened | April 28, 1962[2] |
| Renovated | 2000[3] |
| Demolished | 1998 |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Thatch |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Colin Unsworth[2] |
The Basotho Hat Shop is a landmark, craft shop, and tourist attraction located in Maseru, Lesotho.[4]
The building is conical in shape, and was originally constructed with reinforced concrete and a thatched roof.[4][5] It was designed by Colin Unsworth, then the Assistant Government Architect, and opened on April 28, 1962.[2]
The building is an example of novelty architecture as it is built to resemble a Mokorotlo, a traditional type of straw hat and national symbol of Lesotho.[4] The Mokorotlo was in turn inspired by the conical shape of Mount Qiloane.[6] The building operates as a craft shop, selling locally made, traditional handmade products, including Basotho hats, masks, pottery, and wood crafts and to tourists.[4][7]
In 2000, the building belonged to Lesotho Cooperative Handicrafts and employed 11 Basotho crafters.[3]
Rebuilding
The building originally opened in 1962.[5] In September 1998, during civil unrest in Maseru, the Basotho Hat building was destroyed by fire.[4][8] In 2000, the government allocated L5,200,000 for a rebuilding project.[3] In 2000 at the inauguration of the newly rebuilt Basotho Hat Shop, the then prime minister, Pakalitha Mosisili, called the building a "landmark and symbol of unity", and said that the building "indicates our identity as a nation."[3]
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Mount Qiloane, the legendary conical mountain close to Thaba Bosiu, said to have inspired the mokorotlo.
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An example of a Mokorotl, a traditional straw hat
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Basotho Hat Shop with a view of Kingsway
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View of the Basotho Hat Shop within the city of Maseru
References
- ^ Unsworth, Andrew (April 9, 2017). "Lesotho: Land of lovely ghosts". Sunday Times.
- ^ a b c Ambrose, David (2010). Arts & Crafts. House 9 Publications. p. 10. ISBN 9789991137711.
- ^ a b c d Matjama, Thabang (May 16, 2000). "Lesotho: Basotho Hat Innuagurated". Mopheme/The Survivor (Maseru).
- ^ a b c d e Ballaro, Beverly (February 2, 2026), Our World: Lesotho (Country Report), doi:10.3331/our_world_481_250119, ISBN 9781429800648
- ^ a b Hancock, Peter (1977). Architectural development in Lesotho (Masters thesis). University of Cape Town. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ^ Mzolo, Shoks (4 September 2015). "Thaba Bosiu: Where the mountain is king". Mail & Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
- ^ Bradley, John; Bradley, Liz; Fine, Victoria; Vidar, Jon (May 2011). South Africa, Lesotho & Swaziland. Modern Overland. p. 590. ISBN 9781609870676.
- ^ Molefe, Themba (September 25, 1998). "Lesotho: Maseru is a gutted ruin". The Sowetan (Johannesburg).