The Church of Scientology reminds me of one of those weird esoteric cults  churches from the 70s.

The difference here is that L. Ron Hubbard’s followers didn’t eventually put down the acid, get a regular religion, and wait for the call to either appear in court or appear on a documentary about their former cult leader.

Quite the opposite. The Church of Scientology, thanks to the support of weirdos like Tom Cruise, seems to be going from strength to strength.

In fact, BusinessTech reports that they recently revamped Kyalami Castle, which they plan on using as their African headquarters.

Here’s a look inside the castle from back in 2013:

The castle was originally constructed in 1992 by a Greek architect and his family.

Over 4,000 guests attended the reopening event in January – including the religion’s head David Miscavige, members of government, and senior officials in the South African Police Service.

The 87,000-square-foot castle sits on 22 acres of land and includes 12 crenellated turrets and eight-inch-thick walls. The revamped interior includes Italian marble floors mined from the same quarries used by Michelangelo, the church said.

Other features include a classic Greek fountain, coffered ceilings, crafted wood mouldings and a wrought-iron chandelier.

It also looks more like Sun City than a church headquarters, which in a way is kind of perfect for a “religion” that believes in immortality and aliens.

In 2001, the property was sold and converted into a luxury hotel. The stables, garage and workshop areas became a convention centre.

A sunken lounge was levelled and turned into the hotel’s restaurant, and a wine cellar was created.

Today the building is seen as a ‘spiritual retreat’ for Scientologists and includes an expansive state-of-the-art auditorium, a restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating for more than 200, a café, a swimming pool and a braai-equipped gazebo.

Kyalami Castle might be the headquarters for Scientology in Africa, but it isn’t the only property associated with the church.

These include multiple properties in Gauteng in wealthy areas such as Bryanston, Linksfield, Norwood, and Central Pretoria. The church also has a presence in Cape Town and Durban.

According to the church, under Miscavige’s leadership, it has opened the doors of 70 new Churches of Scientology across six continents.

So they aren’t short on cash.

Just don’t drink the Kool-Aid.

[source:businesstech]