Discover Bagamoyo

Bagamoyo combines a place of remembrance with historic buildings and a range of courses in music, dance, theatre, and art. Nearby Kaole offers a different perspective on the past: it is home to ruins dating from the 13th century. If you are planning a trip, you can start by asking yourself which of these themes you want to shape your stay—the history of the place, creative interests, or Kaole’s more ancient history.

Bagamoyo as a place of remembrance

Bagamoyo is a place of remembrance for the human suffering and humiliation caused by slavery, the slave trade, and European colonialism. A submission for the UNESCO Tentative List describes the place in this context. This does not mean that it has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The aspect of remembrance gives an engagement with Bagamoyo a serious historical context; it sits alongside the specific stories of the buildings and the cultural courses on offer. This focus may be important when planning your trip if you want to choose places not only for their activities, but also for the historical themes you want to explore.

Old Fort and Old Boma: two architectural histories

Old Fort was a two-storey residence commissioned by the Arab merchant Abdallah Sulleiman in the 1860s. Old Boma has a different recorded function: the Germans built it in 1895, and it served as the administrative headquarters of German East Africa until 1919. The two buildings therefore have different uses and dates at their centre: Old Fort as a residence from the 1860s, and Old Boma as an administrative building until 1919. This distinction helps keep their architectural histories from being collapsed into a single account. If you are particularly interested in architecture or history, the two buildings offer different starting points for exploring Bagamoyo.

Courses in art and culture

The Bagamoyo College of Arts and Culture offers short and longer courses in music, dance, theatre, and art. The range therefore spans musical and performing arts as well as visual art. The different course lengths may matter when planning: consider whether a short introduction or a longer course would suit your itinerary better. Check the current availability of courses if a particular offering is important to your plans. The subjects listed also give you a practical guide if you want to make cultural activities in Bagamoyo the focus of your trip.

Kaole and an older layer of history

In the nearby village of Kaole, formerly called Pumbuji, there are ruins dating from the 13th century. Their date offers a different historical focus from the story of Old Fort and Old Boma: Kaole points to the 13th century, while the two buildings are associated with the 1860s and the period from 1895 to 1919, respectively. Your trip can therefore focus on different historical themes without treating them as the same.

Choose the focus of your trip

Whether you want to focus mainly on the place of remembrance, the different architectural histories, the courses, or the ruins of Kaole will shape the thematic focus of your trip. You can start your search with a clear idea of what interests you about Bagamoyo.

Discover more destinations: Kwangwazi, Chole, Kwa Mhinda, Logeloge, Kigongoni, Utende, Nyakisiku, Zombe.

Return to the main travel overview: Pwani.