The name of this coastal town 75 km north of Dar es Salaam derives from the word ‘bwagamoyo’, meaning ‘lay down your heart’. It’s a reminder that this was once the terminus of the slave trade caravan route from Lake Tanganyika. This was the point of no return, where the captives were loaded onto dhows and shipped to Zanzibar for sale to Arab buyers.
Bagamoyo later became the headquarters of the German colonial administration and many of the buildings which they constructed still remain. However, its history goes back to the 14th century, when the East African coast was being settled by Arabs and Shirazis from the Persian Gulf. The ruins they left at Kaole, just outside Bagamoyo, are similar to those at Gedi and around the Lamu archipelago further north in Kenya.
Things to See
Bagamoyo is a mini version of Zanzibar or Mombasa, with a historical centre of narrow, winding alleys, tiny mosques, cafés and whitewashed German colonial buildings. There’s certainly a small section of town down by the waterfront which corresponds to such a description, but it has all seen better days and the most lasting impression is one of near-terminal decay. Restoration is being carried out on the customs house at the beach but the other colonial buildings show only benign and mildewy neglect.
Museum
The Catholic Mission north of town maintains a museum, with relics of the slave trade and displays about the early European explorers Burton, Speke and Stanley. The chapel where Livingstone’s body was laid before being taken to Zanzibar en route to Westminster Abbey is also here.
Kaole Ruins
Visiting the 14th-century ruins at Kaole involves a one-hour walk along the beach going south past Kaole village into the mangrove swamps. When the beach apparently ends, go inland and look for the stone pillars which are incredible and beautiful.
Bagamoyo Art College
At Chuo ya Sanaa, 300 metres south of the town you can watch students practise music and dance. This is the famous college in Tanzania where different international students learn about traditional Tanzania activities like painting, drama, dancing and music. There is a festival here each year where they invite outsiders to come and participate.
