Kimberley Diamond Mine : South Africa's the deepest and largest man-made pit.
Introduction:
The Kimberley Diamond Mine, located in Kimberley in the northern tip of South Africa on the African continent, is said to be the deepest and largest man-made hole in the world.
Description :
From the history of this diamond mine, more than 50,000 workers initially excavated up to 240 meters with only pickaxes and shovels and removed more than 300,000 tons of soil. Later, however, the site was completely filled with soil and stone debris for about 25 meters.
Of the remaining 215 meters, 40 meters are submerged, leaving only 175 meters visible at present. In recent times the local administrative authorities are making efforts to have it recognized as a World Heritage Site.
South Africa’s Kimberley Diamond Mine is also known as ‘The Big Hole’. Excavation work started here for the first time in 1866 and ended in 1914. It is said to be the largest man-made crater, but there are many controversies. Many researchers recognize this record to another mine in South Africa called Jagersfontein.
After extracting about 3000 kg of diamonds from this mine it was declared abandoned. Be it the largest diamond mine in Kimberley, Jagersfontein or Bloemfontein, each mine is a testament to the incredible hard work and bravery of the local people.
The Big Hole Museum
There is a museum where all the history related to the mine, the workloads of laborers, the working process, and instruments were kept very carefully. Some of South Africa’s key historical points beautifully captured relative to what was happening in the rest of the world at that time including the period of diamond rush.
Historical explanation is arranged by together years and maps subsequently. Visitors can enjoy the display of some raw diamonds in the vault. Surprisingly all the diamonds have separate names according to shape, color or precise cause. Such as Centenary,Premier Rose, Cullinan 1, Jubliee, Tiffany, star of South Africa, Dresden Green, Great Mogul, Kohinur, Hope, Florentine and many others.
Mining operations closed down in 1914 but the open pit became an attraction for visitors to the city. By the 1960s, Kimberley’s historical treasures, such as vintage structures and assorted memorabilia, merged into a structured museum and tourist destination
In 1965, De Beers, the owner company , appointed Basil Humphreys as museum consultant, which resulted in a substantially upgraded open-air representation of early Kimberley. These upgrades included streetscapes, dioramas, and exhibits of mining technology and transport. In 1971, there was an official opening that took place during the Kimberley centenary celebrations.One notable part was the Diamond Hall, captivating visitors with its dazzling displays and Kimberly’s diamond-rich history. The museum went through subsequent upgrades.
Between 2002 and 2005, De Beers invested R50 million into transforming the Big Hole into a premier tourism destination, driven by the vision of creating “a lasting legacy for the people of Kimberley”. Revamped facility leads the Big Hole Kimberley to the theme of “Diamonds and Destiny” to attract double visitors to it.
