About Bagamoyo:

Once a vital cog in the slave exchange that took slaves from the Lake Manyara region to Zanzibar for sale, Bagamoyo would later become a rallying point for missionaries seeking to abolish the slave trade. These days, the small seaside village is most famous for the construction of dhows – traditional boats used to navigate the cerulean waters of Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coastline. Visitors can see the construction process, or wander the colonial era buildings in pursuit of the ghosts of Tanzania’s darker past.

The town was the last stop for traders traveling from Lake Tanganyika to Zanzibar. Bagamoyo, bury my heart in KiSwahili, was a center for missionary activities. The town’s most important industry is the dhow sailboat building. Today Bagamoyo is Tanzania’s center for dhow building.

The town of Bagamoyo, situated on the East African coast few kilometers north of Dar es Salaam, was a very important trading port for slaves and ivory. The town was the last stop for traders traveling from Lake Tanganyika to Zanzibar. Bagamoyo, “bury my heart” in KiSwahili, was a center for missionary activities. The town’s most important industry is the dhow sailboat building. Today Bagamoyo is Tanzania’s center for dhow building.

The town was the last stop for traders traveling from Lake Tanganyika to Zanzibar. Bagamoyo, bury my heart in KiSwahili, was a center for missionary activities. The town’s most important industry is the dhow sailboat building. Today Bagamoyo is Tanzania’s center for dhow building.