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BAGAMOYO Bagamoyo was recently designated as Tanzania ’s seventh world heritage site and is the oldest town in Tanzania . Bagamoyo's history has been influenced by Arab and Indian traders, the German colonial government and Christian missionaries. Bagamoyo means 'lay down your heart' – remnant of the town’s infamous historic slave trade. The main slave trails from the interior of the " Dark Continent " ended here in the recently- restored Caravanserai. The human cargo was shipped to Zanzibar and on to the Arab world - without any hope of returning to their homeland – hence the apt name of this historic town. The Old Fort was built over 140 years ago and is the oldest building in Bagamoyo, reminding us of these dark times. Many explorers used Bagamoyo as their point of departure for expeditions into the African interior. The famous Scotsman, David Livingstone, never made it back alive. His body was laid-in-state in a chapel in Bagamoyo until he could be taken to England . This chapel now carries the name " Livingstone Church ". 700 freed slaves are supposed to have held wake. Next to this church, the "Brothers of the Holy Ghost" founded the first Catholic mission in East Africa . The remains of the old church and the lovingly- restored Sisters House, which harbours a small museum, are well worth visiting. For only four years, from 1888 to 1891, Bagamoyo was the first capital of German East Africa . Many buildings and places from these colonial times remain as testimony to this chapter of common history between Germans and Tanzanians. Among them are the former "Imperial Headquarters" (Boma), the "Hanging Tree", customs- and storage buildings and the old German army cemetery. Broaden your outlook on the splendours of Tanzania with a visit to the old town and Kaole Ruins to glimpse the not so glorious past. Or you can visit kiosks displaying local handicrafts and fine Makonde carvings, or visit the market with its' exotic sights and aromas. Life here appears to have changed relatively little from ancient times. Fishermen to this day ply the waters off the coast in hand-built wooden dhows of ancient Arabian design, sharing the waters with smaller dugout canoes and spreading their characteristic triangular sails to catch the prevailing north-eastern and south-eastern trade winds. But a beautiful and serene natural setting is not all that Bagamoyo has to offer. Many different cultures have met, collided, mixed and left their ‘footprints’ in Bagamoyo.
ACTIVITIES AND SITES OF INTEREST IN AND AROUND BAGAMOYO The Kaole Ruins - This is a famous historical site and comprises two mosques and several tombs dating back to the 13th Century. The older of the two mosques is thought to date back to the third or fourth Cenury, and is said to be the oldest mosque in East Africa, clearly demonstrating the importance of Islam in early Bagamoyo. All of the structures were built using coral. There is a small museum at Kaole Ruins. The Roman Catholic Mission is a picturesque mission, and the oldest Roman Catholic Church in East and Central Africa . Bagamoyo Art College is the most famous and internationally acclaimed art institute in Tanzania. Students come from all over the world to learn traditional Tanzanian drumming, drama, dancing, sculpture, carving and painting. You can arrange to take a class or hear an African drumming performance at the college. There is an annual art festival held every September featuring workshops, entertainment and performances. Cemetery Mwana Makuka t- his is the oldest cemetery in Bagamoyo. The oldest grave dates to 1793. The German War Cemetery - this graveyard was for German soldiers tht were killed during the Bushiri War and other battles from 1889. The German Boma - this was the German Adminstration's headquarters during colonial times built in 1897 as the residence of the German Colonial Admiinstrator. It is an impressive building constructed in a U-shape and topped by crenulations typical in many buildings of the era. The Hanging Place( Mwembe Kingyongo) -this is the site where German adminstators executed by hanging, the Bushir-supporters during the Bushir-German war
Liku House - This was the first German Headquarters huilt around 1889 now used by the Government of Tanzania as offices. Old Bagamoyo Tea House - Built by A.s Marhabi, this is one of the oldest stone houses in Bagamoyo. German Store house - Built in 1888-1889 by the German Usagara Company to store grain and other provisions Dunda Tower - This was built in 1889 by teh ermans as defense during the Bushiri war Caravanseral - This is a historic caravan terminus for porters, used as a resting place for caravan porters from the interior who gave the city the name "Bwagamoyo" - the place where one's heart comes to rest after a long and tiring journey.
THE BEACHES
Contact Us for more information See also: Dar es Salaam, Swahili Coast and Zanzibar, Tanzania
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