Bagamoyo is a historic coastal town and capital of Bagamoyo District in the Pwani Region of Tanzania. Much of the settlement was founded at the end of the 18th century, though it is an extension of a much older (8th century) Swahili settlement, Kaole. It was chosen as the capital of German East Africa by the German colonial administration and it became one of the most important trading ports for the Germans along the East African coast along the west of the Indian Ocean in the late 19th and early 20th century. Bagamoyo lies 75 kilometers (47 miles) north of Dar-es-Salaam on the coast of the Zanzibar Channel, across from the island of Zanzibar. The town hosts Bagamoyo Historic Town, that is a National Historic Site of Tanzania. In 2011, the town had 82,578 inhabitants

Bagamoyo’s History

In the Kaole ruins are the remains of two mosques and 30 graves from the 13th century. Around the 17th century the settlement began to grow 2-3 miles north of Kaole. This area grew in prosperity in the 18th century. It got name Bagamoyo as an important station in the caravan trade (the name means “relief and rest”). Until the 18th century, it was a small trading center where the majority of the population were fishermen and farmers.

Trade Industry

The most important trade goods were fish, salt and rubber. In the first half of the 19th century the city became a trading port for ivory and the slave trade. Traders came from the African interior on their way to Zanzibar. This explains the meaning of the word Bagamoyo (“Bwaga-Moyo”). In Kiswahili it means “lay down your heart”. Either the name might have been given due to the slave trade that passed through the city (“give up all hope”). Or because of the porters who rested in Bagamoyo after carrying 35 pounds of cargo from the Great Lakes region on their shoulders (“unload and rest”).

Many European explorers, including Richard Burton, Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone, began and ended their journeys here. In 1868 French missionaries founded Freedom Village in Bagamoyo as a shelter for freed slaves. For the rest of the century the town served as a stopover for missionaries travelling inland from Zanzibar. When the German Empire decided in 1905 to build a railway from Dar Es Salam to the interior, Bagamoyo’s importance began to decline and today Bagamoyo is a centre for the construction of dhow sailboats.

The government is working to preserve the colonial ruins in and around Bagamoyo and to revive the city. Bagamoyo’s tranquil pace and fascinating history make it a pleasant day or weekend trip.

Travel Time to Bagamoyo

Dar Es Salaam – Bagamoyo: 2 hrs by car

Saadani National Park – Bagamoyo: 4.5 hrs by car