In 1908 the town was frenzied by the discovery of diamonds, prompting people to move into the Namib desert to make a fortune. In less than two years a fully fledged town was constructed – it even had a casino. But then after the first world war diamond sales collapsed.

By the 1950s Kolmanskop was deserted and the dunes washed over the land once again, burying the entire town under a heavy blanket of sand. Its previous grandeur was replaced by one of the most visually fascinating ghost towns still in existence.