The historic mining ghost town of Kolmanskop was brought back to life with the opening of three new attractions that highlight Namibia's rich heritage and artistic talent. 

The attractions include the world-renowned Ilford Gallery, the Kolmanskop Diamond Room, and the Kolmanskop Boutique. 

Originally set up as a railway station, the now deserted town of Kolmanskop is situated about ten kilometres from Luderitz. 

Spurred on by the discovery of diamonds by railway worker Zecharias Lewala in 1908, the settlement thrived but was completely abandoned in 1954 when the town's people left in droves, leaving their homes behind. 

With no upkeep, the Namib desert and its shifting sands soon reclaimed the area, but it remains a fascinating tourist attraction.

The Ilford Gallery contains black-and-white photographs of Namibian artists.

The black-and-white photographic style is a trademark of the Ilford gallery, having been honed by over 140 years of experience. 

"The Ilford Gallery brings so much, not only to Kolmanskop but to Luderitz because it is the third Ilford Gallery in the world; the other two are in Asia, and no photographer will come into Namibia and not come and see an Ilford Gallery, so I think the people will see an influx of tourists to Luderitz because of the Ilford Gallery," said Cicely Burgess, the concessionaire at Kolmanskop.

The Kolmanskop Diamond Room is another attraction sure to have tourists and visitors alike marvelling at the locally mined diamonds and exquisite jewellery pieces, reviving Kolmanskop's glamorous past in the process.

Another new attraction at Kolmanskop is 'The Boutique, which displays a curated collection of distinctive clothing and accessories crafted by talented Namibian designers.

"We will grow this brand together because when there are people involved with a purpose for talent and growth, we are there. You are one of many other partners within the constituency who help us grow and support this community, the community of Luderitz, and the community of Aus," said ǃNamiǂNûs Constituency Councillor Suzan Ndjaleka.

According to Burgess, a preservation plan for Kolmanskop is also on the cards. 

"Kolmanskop plays a huge role in the tourism industry in Namibia, so we really try to preserve Kolmanskop, so this preservation plan is basically to put indoor windows in rooms to prevent any more sand from coming in. If we don't do that in a few years, we will not have Kolmanskop, so it is very important that we make this a priority." 

Luderitz Mayor Phil Balhao says the latest additions are a testament to Luderitz's growth, adding that the town is on its way to being recognised as a world heritage site of note.

"Such an amazing place to see life being blown back into thi<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q0eC8YtYeeE?si=eU6A2FnSlfG8USPb" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>s amazing tourist attraction and part of our heritage. There really is so much going on in Luderitz. At this point, we have a hundred and one opportunities, and if you throw a stone, you will head to another opportunity, so come to Luderitz and invest in Luderitz, but we would like to see people come to Luderitz and spend more than a day. We came up with this informal statement saying, 'Stay another day in Luderitz', and I think this new addition will really cement our place." 

Tourists and visitors alike are in for an enchanting journey through Kolmanskop, where the sands of time reveal tales of Namibia's rich past and promising future.