BAGAMOYO CULTURE

The town of Bagamoyo, Tanzania, was founded at the end of the 18th century. It was (also spelled Bagamojo) the original capital of German East Africa and was one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast. Today the town has about 30,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the District of Bagamoyo, recently being considered as a world heritage site.
Bagamoyo was the most important trading entrepot of the east central coast of Africa in the late 19th century. Bagamoyo's history has been influenced by Indian and Arab traders, by the German colonial government and by Christian missionaries.
About 5 km south of Bagamoyo, the Kaole Ruins with remnants of two mosques and a couple of tombs can be dated back to the 13th century, showing the importance of Islam in those early Bagamoyo times.

Kaole Ruins in Bagamoyo, Tanzania

 Until the middle of the 18th century, Bagamoyo was a small and insignificant trading center where most of the population were fishermen and farmers. The main trading goods were fish, salt, and gum, among other things.

In the late 18th century Muslim families settled in Bagamoyo, all of which were relatives of Shamvi la Magimba in Oman. They made their living by enforcing taxes on the native population and by trading in salt, gathered from the Nunge coast north of Bagamoyo. In the first half of the 19th century, Bagamoyo became a trading port for ivory and the slave trade, with traders coming from the African interior, from places as far as Morogoro, Lake Tanganyika and Usambara on their way to Zanzibar. This explains the meaning of the word Bagamoyo ("Bwaga-Moyo") which means "Lay down your Heart" in Swahili. It is disputed whether this refers to the slave trade which passed through the town (i.e. "give up all hope") or to the porters who rested in Bagamoyo after carrying 35 lb cargos on their shoulders from the Great Lakes region (i.e. "take the load off and rest"). Since there is little evidence to support that Bagamoyo was a major slave port (Kilwa, much further south, has earned this status), and that tens of thousands of porters arrived at Bagamoyo annually in the latter half of the 19th century, it is more likely that the name of the town derives from the latter interpretation.

WELCOME TO VISIT LAKE NYASA IN TANZANIA

Lake Nyasa (also known as Lake Malawi) is the third largest African Great Lake (after Lake Victoria and lake Tanganyika), the eighth largest lake in the world and has a total surface area of about 29,600 km?. It is 550 kilometers long and 75 kilometers wide. Lake Nyasa is situated between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania bordering all three. It is the second deepest lake in Africa and its tropical waters have more fish species than any other lake on Earth. Lake Nyasa in the East African Rift Valley where the African tectonic plate is splitting in two (a divergent plate boundary). The lake was formed around 40,000 years ago. David Livingstone was the first European to reach Lake Nyasa , arriving at its shores in 1859 and naming it Lake Nyasa. Much of the area surrounding the lake was subsequently claimed by the United Kingdom to form the colony of Nyasaland.

The Lake was the site of the first British Naval victory of World War I when, on August 16, 1914, the British gunboat Guendolen, commanded by Captain Rhoades, disabled the German Empire's only gunboat on the lake, the Hermann von Wissmann, commanded by Captain Berndt. The Guendolen disabled the Hermann von Wissmann with a single shot from a range of 2,000 yards. The name of the lake is also disputed. Malawi claims the lake is 'Lake Malawi' while international maps and other countries (most notably Tanzania) name it 'Lake Nyasa'. It is also claimed that Livingstone's name 'Nyasa' came about as a result of a misunderstanding. Apparently he asked his staff to give him the name they said 'nyasa', without knowing that this is the local word for any large body of water.

IMPASSION FLOWER OF KILIMANJARO

MBUJI ROCK IN MBINGA TANZANIA

Southern Tanzania has what it takes to be an attractive destination for tourists, both local and foreign. Here lies the Selous National Park, one of the largest in the world, with an incredible variety of wildlife.

The famous Maji Maji uprising against German rule, 1905-07, centered on this region, and records of it can be seen in the Maji Maji Museum in Songea town. To the west lies Lake Nyasa, with its sparkling waters and pristine beaches.

The list goes on, but one of the most magnificent but hidden treasures of Southern Tanzania is mbuji Rock, in the Matengo Highlands. There are several ways to get to it. As the road from Mbinga to Mbamba Bay winds its way higher into the highlands, it hits a junction going right, towards Litembo. This road, passing through coffee farms and fields of maize, wheat and beans, leads to Mmbuji Rock.

LETS FLY TOGETHER