Karibuni Harambe

Like most of Disney's Animal Kingdom, the land of Africa tells a modern-day story so as best to communicate the present urgency of the concerns facing wildlife and wild places. But while the story is set in the real world and right now, there is still plenty of fantasy and history here.

In Africa, we visit the town of Harambe in the Republic of East Africa. Harambe (the name comes from a Swahili expression meaning "let's pull together") is a fictional place, roughly based on real locations in Kenya and Tanzania. The Imagineers chose not to depict a specific locale, because they didn't want to imply that issues of poaching and population growth are isolated.

Harambe, of course, opened with the rest of the park in 1998. To visit Harambe, though, one gets the impression this place has been here for hundreds of years. It's all thanks to an intricate backstory and the details put in place that help to tell it.

Harambe is located just inland from the Indian Ocean, along the Uvumbuzi River (roughly translated, that's the "Discovery" River). The history of the town dates to the 15th century, when it was a trading center for gold, spices and elephant ivory between Arab merchants and local tribes. In fact, the Swahili language is not a native language for any one group of people. It's a language that was created from bits of Arabic, German, Portuguese, English, French and tribal dialects, allowing traders to communicate with one another along the East African coast.

As trading grew, the town was at risk of invasion by pirates or rival traders, so a fortress was erected for defense. The battlements along the shore and other elements of the fortress can still be found today.

Walking into town along Old Sokoni Road, glance down and you may notice the remains of the fortress walls and gate:

Just beyond those walls is what is left of the fortress itself. Over the centuries, quite a bit has been lost to weather and decay, not to mention opportunists pilfering the sandstone blocks for use elsewhere.

Today, the remaining tower houses a snack stand for tourists visiting the region, Tamu Tamu Refreshments. In its glory, though, this was a majestic structure indeed.

Step inside and you can still make out some of the original interior spaces, along with tiled floors and beautiful examples of traditional plaster wall carvings.

The most ornate section in the back was once the private quarters of the fort's commander. The room was almost entirely destroyed by fire, the charred evidence of which can still be seen.

The fortress hasn't been used for decades now, and nature has started to take the area back (an example of a recurring theme throughout Disney's Animal Kingdom). Where once existed a roof, a stately tree now reaches toward open sky.

For those who are curious about such things, the tree is a genuine kigelia africana or sausage tree. The large, sausage-shaped gourds that grow down from the branches are used by locals to make a number of things, from musical instruments to the sort of light fixtures also seen hanging here. The tart pulp of the gourd is often used to make a kind of lemonade drink.