Sands of Time

• Prize
  Silver in Architecture/Interiors
• Photographer
  Romain Veillon
• Technical Info
  2s, F8, Nikon D800,14-24
• Photo Date
  2013

Once rich and opulent, Kolmanskop is now a ghost town invaded by sand lost in the middle of the desert. But its history remains as surprising as it is short. In 1908, Namibia was still under German control. A railroad worker named Zacharias Lewala found a diamond while working on the construction of new train tracks between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz. Initially, the rumors of miners finding diamonds were received with a great skepticism; but soon the gossip spread that diamonds were sold daily and that a geologist had confirmed the discovery. Kolmanskop was born.