The Owl House, National heritage site in Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa

The Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda is a former village house whose interior walls and ceilings are set with crushed glass, mirrors and lights. Behind it lies the Camel Yard, where more than 300 concrete figures of owls, camels, peacocks, pyramids and people stand along paths; most face east. A sign in the yard reads "This is My World."

Helen Martins began reshaping the house and garden around 1945 after her parents died and continued the work until her death in 1976. She collaborated with a local craftsman who molded the concrete sculptures according to her instructions.

Helen Martins drew on Christian biblical texts, the poetry of Omar Khayyam and works by William Blake. A sign in the Camel Yard reads "This is My World." Most figures face east, a tribute to her fascination with Mecca and the Orient. At Christmas she invited neighbours to see the house lit up.

The house and Camel Yard stand on the main street of Nieu-Bethesda, a village in the Eastern Cape's Karoo; the interior is viewed through doorways and passages, and the yard is reached by a short path. Visitors walk on uneven ground among the concrete figures, so sturdy shoes help. The site is managed by the Owl House Foundation, formed in 1996.

Each room contains carefully positioned mirrors and colored glass that capture sunlight and create different lighting effects as the day progresses. The owls in the garden often carry facial features of villagers whom Martins either admired or mocked.