The Emin Pasha Hotel

Welcome to The Emin Pasha Hotel and Spa, where history, culture, and nature blend together to create a tranquil haven! The Emin Pasha Hotel and Spa, like the eminent physician and anthropologist Emin Pasha, represents a bold attitude of unity, humanity, and admiration for nature's wonders.
Journey through time aboard our historically fascinating architecture, which is adorned with exquisite décor inspired by Uganda's rich heritage. Allow our customized hospitality to immerse you in a sense of homecoming and distinct renewal, whether it's a peaceful reflection or a pulse-racing rendezvous.

THE EMIN PASHA STORY: WHO WAS EMIN PASHA?

Our History.
Emin Pasha was one of the most unusual figures in Ugandan history. Emin Pasha was a doctor, naturalist, and linguist at heart, and he stood out among all the bravado and machismo of the colonial era. His goal was not to conquer but to study and learn, and in doing so, he admired and fell in love with this country. We cannot think of a more fitting and relevant person to name our hotel after.

His connection to Uganda goes back to the late 1800s, during the "Scramble for Africa.". An adventurer, physician, and linguist, he was also interested in anthropology, botany, zoology, and meteorology. More importantly, he vigorously opposed the slave trade.

Emin Pasha, born Eduard Carl Oscar Theodor Schnitzer in Germany, spent some time in Albania, where he practiced medicine and put his linguistic talent to good use, adding Turkish, Albanian, and Greek to his repertoire of Western European languages.

He became the port's quarantine officer before leaving in 1870 to join the staff of Ismail Hakki Pasha, governor of northern Albania, with whom he traveled extensively across the Ottoman Empire. Emin Pasha resurfaced in Cairo in 1875, followed by Khartoum.

At this point, he adopted the name "Mehemet Emin" (Arabic for Muhammad al-Amin), established a medical practice, and began collecting plants, animals, and birds, many of which he donated to museums in Europe. Although some considered him a Muslim, it is unclear whether he ever converted.

Charles Gordon, then governor of Equatoria (now northern Uganda and Southern Sudan), learned of Emin's presence and requested him to serve as the province's top medical officer; Emin agreed and arrived in May 1876. Gordon promptly dispatched Emin on diplomatic missions to Buganda and Bunyoro in southern Uganda, where his modest demeanor and fluency in Luganda were well received. In 1878, the Khedive of Egypt nominated Emin as Gordon's successor as Governor, bestowing upon him the title of Bey. Despite the lofty title, there was little for Emin to accomplish; his military force was comprised of a few thousand soldiers who commanded about a mile's radius around each of their outposts, and the government in Khartoum was apathetic to his proposals for development.

The Mahdi Rebellion began in 1881, cutting Equatoria off from the outside world. General Gordon was assassinated at Khartoum in 1885, and Emin and the majority of his soldiers fled south to Wadelai on the upper Nile, near Lake Albert. Despite being cut off from northern communications, he was able to send messages to Zanzibar via Buganda. Determined to remain in Equatoria, his communiqués sparked strong reactions in Europe in 1886, particularly following Gordon's death.

The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, led by Henry Morton Stanley, was one of the best-equipped missions to Africa. Strangely, rather than taking the obvious path from East Africa's coast, Stanley attempted to rescue Emin by traveling up the Congo River and then through the Ituri Forest, an extremely difficult route that resulted in the loss of two-thirds of the expedition. Stanley finally saw Emin in April 1888 and was shocked to discover that the figure of Emin had "no trace of ill-health or anxiety." They celebrated with three bottles of champagne, which had been transported all the way up the Congo. Despite the jubilation, Emin Pasha did not want to leave, felt no need to be rescued, and refused to leave the country he had grown to love.

After a year of dispute and deliberation, Stanley finally persuaded him to go for the shore. Stanley and his followers marched across unknown land, investigating the Semliki River, Mount Ruwenzori, and Lakes Edward and George, until arriving in Bagamoyo in 1890. Ironically and amusingly, during a welcoming reception in Bagamoyo, Emin Pasha fell out of a second-story window and smashed his head open. After all of the delays, Stanley, irritated and impatient, left Emin behind. Emin then entered German service, leading an expedition to the interior lakes before being slain by slave merchants at Kinene.